CreaseAndAssist

Wild vs. Hurricanes Game Preview Minnesota Wild (14-11-4) 32pts 5th in the Central 3.00 Goals For Per Game (15th in the NHL) 3.17 Goals Against Per Game (21st in the NHL) 20% Power Play (9th in the NHL) 80.2% Penalty Kill (18th in the NHL) Top 5 Scorers: 1. #16 Jason Zucker ~ 11G 11A = 22pts 2. #12 Eric Staal ~ 8G 12A = 20pts 3. #11 Zach Parise ~ 12G 5A = 17pts 4. #20 Ryan Suter ~ 3G 14A = 17pts 5. #36 Mats Zuccarello ~ 6G 10A = 16pts Top 3 PIM’s: 1. #38 Ryan Hartman ~ 37 PIM’s 2. #24 Matt Dumba ~ 25 PIM’s 3. #19 Luke Kunin ~ 21 PIM’s Top Goaltenders: 1. #32 Alex Stalock (8-3-2) 2.76GAA .910%SP 1SO 2. #31 Kaapo Kahkonen (2-0-0) 2.00GAA .950%SP Vs. Carolina Hurricanes (17-11-1) 35pts 5th in the Metropolitan 3.07 Goals For Per Game (12th in the NHL) 2.76 Goals Against Per Game (9th in the NHL) 20% Power Play (10th in the NHL) 85% Penalty Kill (6th in the NHL) Top 5 Scorers: 1. #37 Andrei Svechnikov ~ 12G 19A = 31pts 2. #19 Dougie Hamilton ~ 10G 18A = 28pts 3. #86 Teuvo Teravainen ~ 7G 19A = 26pts 4. #20 Sebastian Aho ~ 13G 9A = 22pts 5. #18 Ryan Dzingel ~ 5G 11A = 16pts Top 3 PIM’s: 1. #6 Joel Edmundson ~ 41 PIM’s 2. #21 Nino Niederreiter ~ 20 PIM’s 3. #19 Dougie Hamilton ~ 20 PIM’s Top Goaltenders: 1. #34 Petr Mrazek (12-6-1) 2.63GAA .903%SP 2SO 2. #47 James Reimer (5-5-0) 2.58GAA .918%SP 1SO MNSOTA wrote up the game preview, I'll be on the post-gamer. The last time these two teams played one another, the Wild were a struggling club that found ways to lose games. Minnesota now is the team that is finding ways to win games. For a non-serious injury, Mikko Koivu has been put on injured reserve and so the team called up Nico Sturm. It will be interesting to see if he and Brennan Menell get a chance to play tonight. Enjoy and discuss...

(shrugs) Early in the season, this team didn't seem too inspired. At some point they got mad and most everyone on the team raised their game. As far as Stalock goes, I've always liked him. Even going back to his HS days at South St. Paul. He's athletic and isn't your typical big body goalie that just uses angles and oversize pads to make every save. Yes, he takes risks...but he also can play the puck at a level most other goalies can't. So it makes it somewhat interesting to watch. I liked Anton Khudobin when he was with the Wild for some of the same reasons, athletic...unorthodox and both guys seemed to have a personality. I am still in favor of tanking and getting a Top 3 pick, but I am enjoying watching a team finally play as a team in a way we really haven't seen in a long time. I don't have control over this team's mood, so I'm not going to worry about it. Its not worth it...just enjoy the ride. Would I be kind of disappointed if they'r fighting to be midling 1st round exit, yea...it is counterproductive, but the hockey is more fun to watch and write about.

I think Ryan Suter knows he's very safe on this team given his relationship with the owner. Sort of like having the boss' kid working in the rest of the company. He shows up when he feels like it, he's allowed to do more or less as he pleases and no one can really criticize it because they know where its going to go. YET... As a group, this team is playing for each other now (Suter be damned) as it ever has. While it may be counter productive in the long run, I'm enjoying the ride right now. Its fun watching a team play together and embrace a 'next man up' philosophy. Soucy and Brodin are great examples of that...as is the GEEK line.

Wild Answer Back Multiple Times in 5-4 Win Over Tampa Bay I am not sure what's better, having Lou Nanne as the analyst or these Wild victories? Maybe it was the play of Carson Soucy who was fantastic tonight. He was physical, he was creative and assertive. You can't ask for much more from him. Dumba on the other hand, really seems to be fighting the game out there. But another immensely resilient effort from this group. Minnesota is moving into the high reward areas of the ice and they're cashing in. Great to see...I have a full game recap and prospect news and HS hockey rankings too! Check it out!

Wild vs. Lightning Game Preview Minnesota Wild (13-11-4) 30pts 5th in the Central 2.93 Goals For Per Game (18th in the NHL) 3.14 Goals Against Per Game (21st in the NHL) 20.4% Power Play (11th in the NHL) 80.5% Penalty Kill (17th in the NHL) Top 5 Scorers: 1. #16 Jason Zucker ~ 10G 9A = 19pts 2. #12 Eric Staal ~ 8G 11A = 19pts 3. #11 Zach Parise ~ 12G 5A = 17pts 4. #20 Ryan Suter ~ 3G 13A = 16pts 5. #22 Kevin Fiala ~ 6G 8A = 14pts Top 3 PIM’s: 1. #38 Ryan Hartman ~ 35 PIM’s 2. #24 Matt Dumba ~ 25 PIM’s 3. #19 Luke Kunin ~ 21 PIM’s Top Goaltenders: 1. #32 Alex Stalock (7-3-2) 2.67GAA .912%SP 1SO 2. #31 Kaapo Kahkonen (2-0-0) 2.00GAA .950%SP Vs. Tampa Bay Lightning (12-9-3) 27pts 6th in the Atlantic 3.60 Goals For Per Game (4th in the NHL) 3.24 Goals Against Per Game (23rd in the NHL) 29.3% Power Play (3rd in the NHL) 77.9% Penalty Kill (21st in the NHL) Top 5 Scorers: 1. #86 Nikita Kucherov ~ 9G 19A = 28pts 2. #77 Victor Hedman ~ 4G 18A = 22pts 3. #21 Brayden Point ~ 10G 10A = 20pts 4. #91 Steven Stamkos ~ 7G 13A = 20pts 5. #22 Kevin Shattenkirk ~ 5G 14A = 19pts Top 3 PIM’s: 1. #14 Pat Maroon ~ 31 PIM’s 2. #98 Mikhail Sergachev ~ 26 PIM’s 3. #81 Erik Cernak ~ 21 PIM’s Top Goaltenders: 1. #88 Andrei Vasilevskiy (9-7-1) 2.96GAA .906%SP 2. #35 Curtis McElhinney (3-2-2) 3.42GAA .908%SP MNSOTA wrote up the game preview, I will be on the post-gamer this evening. No Spurgeon, my guess is Nick Seeler gets put back in the lineup and they juggle a bit. The Lightning aren't what they used to be. Still talented, still fast...but its been a roller coaster of a year for them. The Wild are confident, another big chance to keep climbing the ladder. Enjoy and discuss!

And I think anyone that knows Torchetti, if someone were to ask him about Khovanov, they will get a pretty damn honest appraisal of him. I liked Torchetti, its a shame the players didn't like him.

Well right now, the team is playing team-hockey perhaps as well as I've seen it SINCE the Jacques Lemaire-era. The last 12-games, they seem unselfish and are pulling in the same direction. Does that mean they're all good friends and hanging out together, maybe not...but we're seeing a lot more resilience and positive emotion from this team than we've seen in a really long time.

I doubt it. I've watched LOTS of Panthers games over the years and that's pretty much what it looks like most of the time. Maybe they'll get some more butts in the seats when they play Tampa or some of the opposing fans swarm to a warm-weather game but beyond that BB&T Center is what you saw last night. Lots and lots of empty seats. Not sure why the league or anyone really would want to keep it going. The only group that probably really appreciates it is the players who like the low Florida taxes and their bankruptcy laws in case they get carried away. But as far as Lou Nanne went, he was a revelation compared to Greenlay, Walz, or Carter. Sure, the bar is pretty low but Nanne sounded sharp and was a natural in that role.

As is the case with any coach in any professional sports league...you're hired to be fired. Hynes had 5 years...tough to say he wasn't given a fair chance. But the goaltending situation there is atrocious and David Poile looks like he dealt P.K. Subban at the right time.

I don't think its just the vets, or just the kids. The truth is this team is playing like a team. As Spurgeon and Koivu went down throughout, the team was forced to mix pairings and lines there did not seem to be much of a let down. Everyone stepped up and to me you could see that unselfishness on the game winning goal. Rask helps win a battle for the puck along the wall, Parise picks it up and then finds Carson Soucy moving into the slot for the game winner. I am not sure it would've happened in previous seasons but right now, they're all playing together with no real apparent egos and the results are speaking for themselves.

Wild Resilient in 4-2 Win Over Florida I don't think I was ever doubting the effort in this one, even at the start when Florida just was a step or two faster. But Minnesota adjusted and then just dug in. It wasn't always pretty but then they really locked things down towards the end. Some physical play, and some great puck pressure allowed them to hold on without too much drama down the stretch. How about Kahkonen going for a goal?!? Like the confidence. I have a full game recap an extended Iowa Wild report and prospect updates too! Also, can we keep Lou Nanne as the analyst? Enjoy...

Its my read he gets lots unsportsmanlike penalties. That won't endear him to coaches.

What led up to today's firing... Its probably time, even though this team wasn't expected to be great...they are underperforming. Taylor Hall not being interested in sticking around probably doesn't help either.

Why? Is Seeler better than Soucy?

The bad penalty against Dallas...the leash is going to be tight as long has he keeps making careless mistakes like that. Plus he might be considering Rask's greater amount of experience against teams in this little road trip. Soucy has more than made me forget about Nick Seeler. If Soucy was playing like crap, then you'd give Seeler some games but right now...Soucy just keeps playing better and better (knock on wood).

I 100% agree with @IllaZilla in regards to his points about our young goalies. Its not about the stats. Its about the chance to play and provide solid minutes for their respective teams. Jones apparently got invited to Team Canada's camp which is a good sign too. Robson playing a lot in Kahkonen's absence is great, but mostly because it gives him a chance to play in consecutive starts.

Khovanov is expected to be Team Russia's Top line center for the WJC's. Although they may not want him there when they see his ability to win faceoffs, or in this case the lackthereof. He was 3-for-18 in his last game on his draws. Its good to see him be productive; both goal scoring and assists but he still has the tendency to take foolish penalties.

Wild vs. Panthers Game Preview Minnesota Wild (12-11-4) 28pts 6th in the Central 2.89 Goals For Per Game (19th in the NHL) 3.19 Goals Against Per Game (21st in the NHL) 20.6% Power Play (10th in the NHL) 81% Penalty Kill (18th in the NHL) Top 5 Scorers: 1. #12 Eric Staal ~ 8G 11A = 19pts 2. #16 Jason Zucker ~ 9G 8A = 17pts 3. #11 Zach Parise ~ 12G 4A = 16pts 4. #20 Ryan Suter ~ 3G 13A = 16pts 5. #46 Jared Spurgeon ~ 3G 13A = 16pts Top 3 PIM’s: 1. #38 Ryan Hartman ~ 35 PIM’s 2. #24 Matt Dumba ~ 25 PIM’s 3. #19 Luke Kunin ~ 21 PIM’s Top Goaltenders: 1. #32 Alex Stalock (7-3-2) 2.67GAA .912%SP 1SO 2. #31 Kaapo Kahkonen (1-0-0) 2.00GAA .941%SP Vs. Florida Panthers (13-8-5) 31pts 2nd in the Atlantic 3.50 Goals For Per Game (5th in the NHL) 3.46 Goals Against Per Game (28th in the NHL) 22.5% Power Play (8th in the NHL) 84.6% Penalty Kill (6th in the NHL) Top 5 Scorers: 1. #11 Jonathan Huberdeau ~ 10G 21A = 31pts 2. #16 Aleksander Barkov ~ 8G 23A = 31pts 3. #63 Evgenii Dadonov ~ 10G 11A = 21pts 4. #3 Keith Yandle ~ 2G 19A = 21pts 5. #10 Brett Connolly ~ 12G 7A = 19pts Top 3 PIM’s: 1. #52 Mackenzie Weegar ~ 15 PIM’s 2. #16 Aleksander Barkov ~ 14 PIM’s 3. #11 Jonathan Huberdeau ~ 14 PIM’s Top Goaltenders: 1. #72 Sergei Bobrovsky (9-6-4) 3.48GAA .884%SP 1SO 2. #60 Chris Driedger (1-0-0) .00GAA 1.00%SP 1SO MNSOTA wrote up the game preview, and I'll be on the post-gamer. The Panthers are 2nd in the Atlantic, but there is a huge gap between them and 1st place Boston. Still they are a formidable team offensively...defensively, not so much. As the Wild offense has finally started to come around, they've been playing better defensively too. So this should be another good test. Enjoy and discuss...

Mikko Koivu Delivers in 3-2 Shootout Victory Over the Stars in 1000th NHL Game Another pretty solid performance against a team that is much better defensively than what they faced against Ottawa on Friday. Minnesota played smart and made the power play count in a game where time and space were tough to come by 5-on-5. Fiala had a fantastic game. I also thought Soucy and Brodin were superb too. Huge win, and by far the most emotion we've seen out of this team in a long, long time. Check it out!

MNSOTA wrote up the game preview, I'll be on the post-gamer. Koivu's 1,000th game today.

I was a bit surprised Stalock started only because the team said Kaapo was going to start against Ottawa. I wasn't disappointed just curious. Did they give any explanation about it during the broadcast?

Wild's 4th Line Sparks 7-2 Rout of Ottawa Pretty good game. I didn't see to many bad things out there on Friday. I thought the lines were working hard and for the most part the team kept it simple and carried most of the play. There were a few moments where the Senators threatened a bit, but for the most part the Wild seemed to be in control. I shared some impressions on the game and prospect news too...enjoy.

Why rush him? Give him the starts you feel is best suited for him, but otherwise let Stalock take the tough ones until Dubnyk is ready to return. Kahkonen is starting today against Ottawa...great, but I would hope we start Stalock vs. Dallas on Sunday. If anything, Kahkonen's play gives more time for Dubnyk to deal with this crisis. Kahkonen was ok against a pop-gun attack from New Jersey, but he was getting a lot of help too. I am not saying he's terrible, etc, but to just forcing a bunch of starts on him seems foolish.

https://thesportsdaily.com/2019/11/29/game-preview-minnesota-wild-vs-ottawa-senators-11-29-19-300pm-cst-at-xcel-energy-center/ Minnesota Wild (10-11-4) 24pts 7th in the Central 2.76 Goals For Per Game (22nd in the NHL) 3.28 Goals Against Per Game (23rd in the NHL) 18.6% Power Play (17th in the NHL) 81.3% Penalty Kill (16th in the NHL) Top 5 Scorers: 1. #12 Eric Staal ~ 7G 10A = 17pts 2. #16 Jason Zucker ~ 8G 8A = 16pts 3. #20 Ryan Suter ~ 3G 13A = 16pts 4. #11 Zach Parise ~ 10G 3A = 13pts 5. #46 Jared Spurgeon ~ 2G 10A = 12pts Top 3 PIM’s: 1. #38 Ryan Hartman ~ 35 PIM’s 2. #24 Matt Dumba ~ 23 PIM’s 3. #19 Luke Kunin ~ 21 PIM’s Top Goaltenders: 1. #32 Alex Stalock (5-3-2) 2.80GAA .907%SP 1SO 2. #31 Kaapo Kahkonen (1-0-0) 2.00GAA .941%SP Vs. Ottawa Senators (11-12-1) 23pts 7th in the Atlantic 2.64 Goals For Per Game (28th in the NHL) 2.92 Goals Against Per Game (13th in the NHL) 9.5% Power Play (31st in the NHL) 83.5% Penalty Kill (11th in the NHL) Top 5 Scorers: 1. #44 Jean-Gabriel Pageau ~ 13G 6A = 19pts 2. #10 Anthony Duclair ~ 10G 5A = 15pts 3. #7 Brady Tkachuk ~ 8G 6A = 14pts 4. #72 Thomas Chabot ~ 2G 12A = 14pts 5. #28 Connor Brown ~ 2G 12A = 14pts Top 3 PIM’s: 1. #74 Mark Borowiecki ~ 29 PIM’s 2. #90 Vladislav Namestnikov ~ 17 PIM’s 3. #7 Brady Tkachuk ~ 17 PIM’s Top Goaltenders: 1. #31 Anders Nilsson (7-4-1) 2.63GAA .928%SP 2. #41 Craig Anderson (4-8-0) 2.96GAA .904%SP I wrote up the game preview, MNSOTA will be on the post-gamer. I will be at the game this afternoon. Kahkonen is the declared starter as the Wild don't want to rush Dubnyk back after what has had to have been a pretty emotionally draining week. The Senators are still playing hard for Head Coach D.J. Smith and the Wild should not expect to simply show up and win. They're going to have to work for it. Enjoy and discuss...

A severe health scare with his wife...there is little reason for him to rush back.