"Canada may have won this one, but it's still the US's hat"

The only time that I cracked a smile after the first period was when I heard that line from Falness coming home from a 2-1 loss to the Montreal Canadiens. There were a good number of Habs fan in the house tonight, where usually you would only see a handful of opposing jersey in the stands, there were a handful of opposing jerseys to my right. I guess that's what kind of fan base you have when you've been around for 100 years.

Special Teams
It was Pouliot's holding penalty that Markov scores the go ahead goal, but it was ultimately the suspect slashing call on Mikko that allowed the 5-on-3 opportunity and the Habs opportunity to score the goal. Where was the powerplay in the second? With four 5-on-4 chances and three 5-on-3 chances in the second, the Wild weren't able to get any offense created. Now I understand that you want to pass the puck and get the perfect pass back to create more chance and wider shooting lanes, but what ever happened to sticking a body at the front of the net and throwing the puck at the net? If the Habs are going to march into the penalty box and leave their team shorthanded, why not take advantage of it?

Bench confusion?
I'm sitting in my seat, watching the second period of the game and I see that it's 4-on-4; well, why would this be a big deal? Because the Wild were on a powerplay. I never really notice how many players are on the ice when I'm at the game, or watching on TV (because you can't see the entire ice sheet), but after the third time of it being 4-on-4 when it should have been 5-on-4, I started to notice it more. Does this occur a lot in games, or is it just me?

Notes...
~ Funny, they do the "Let's Play Hockey" after they dropped the puck...refs must've been really anxious tonight.
~ I was hoping to go the whole season without seeing Nordy at the arena, but as I look to my right during the second intermission there he was on FSN ledge.
~ Owen Nolan was a scratched for tonight's game with a "lower body" injury...oh, and this new injury policy is getting on my nerves.
~I'll post more thoughts on the game after I digest the lost more.

Up Next: Saturday @ Phoenix, 9:00pm CT

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Gameday vs. Chicago

Game day for the Wild as they prepare for the Chicago Blackhawks at the Xcel. Let's hope that the Wild have learned from their mistakes the last two games about letting a team get back into the game and put this game out of reach. No real news out of the club today;Onto the Blackhawks...

The Blackhawks were hyped throughout the offseason as being one of the teams to watch because of the developing talents in Toews, Kane, and Byfuglien among many others, but with a rough start to the season, the Blackhawks fired tenure coach Denis Savard and replaced him with former Avalanche head coach Joel Quenneville. The Blackhawks look to notch another one in the win column as they head into St. Paul after a tough loss in Detroit on Saturday. The main story developing out of Chicago, that's been around since the acquisition of Cristobel Huet via free agency, is the goaltending situation between him and Nikolai Khabibulin. With players like Toews and Kane, along with Patrick Sharp and a healthy Martin Havlat, the Wild will be challenged tonight.

Tonight's Games
Ottawa Senators vs. Buffalo Sabres, 6:00pm CT
New York Rangers vs. New York Islanders, 6:00pm CT
Anaheim Ducks vs. Columbus Blue Jackets, 6:00pm CT
Chicago Blackhawks vs. Minnesota Wild, 7:00pm CT
Boston Bruins vs. Edmonton Oilers, 8:00pm CT
Detroit Red Wings vs. Los Angeles Kings, 9:30pm CT

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A Look at the Week that's Past and Ahead

The Wild went 1-0-1 last week, losing for the first time against the Sabres in overtime after blowing a two goal lead and barely squeaked out a 2-1 win from the Blue Jackets last night. While there were only two games last week, this week has a fuller schedule with 4 games with Chicago and Montreal visiting the Xcel and the Wild visiting Dallas and Phoenix. The real test this week will be the back to back game in Dallas and back home against the Habs.

Monday - vs. Chicago Blackhawks, 7:00pm CT
Wednesday - @ Dallas Stars, 7:30pm CT
Thursday - vs. Montreal Canadiens, 7:00pm CT
Saturday - @ Phoenix Coyotes, 9:00pm CT

Notes about next week:

• Monday's game against the Chicago Blackhawks will be the Wild's first nationally televised game
• Captains Koivu on Thursday when the Montreal Canadiens and Minnesota Wild face each other, opening faceoff likely will be Koivu vs. Koivu like it was at the preseason game against the Habs

News and Notes from the Week that's Past

• The Chicago Blackhawks and Detroit Red Wings introduced the retro jerseys they'll be wearing during the Winter Classic, and they're UGLY
• A bad start for goalies this season as Blues goaltender Manny Legace trips on the blue carpet rolled out for GOP VP nominee Sarah Palin, and if you're looking at the stats Turco is dead last in GAA with 4.26 GAA, Luongo is ranked 31 with a 3.29 GAA, and Osgood's 28 with 3.20 GAA, not too good for fantasy owner, huh?
  
• Injuries of note: former Wild Pavol Demitra will be out 3-4 four weeks, the Flyers' Daniel Briere will be out for up to a month, and the Devils will lose Bobby Holik for 3-4 weeks after losing Brian Rolston the week before
• Debates on hits to the head will continue after Doug Weight's clean hit against rookie Brandon Sutter who left the game injured
  
• My favorite headline from last week "Swedish hockey game delayed by sex-toy shower"
• Biggest hit of the week has got to be Milan Lucic's panel shattering hit
  

Games to Watch for this Week
Monday, October 27, 2008
Ottawa Senators vs. Buffalo Sabres, 6:00pm CT

Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Minnesota Wild vs. Dallas Stars, 7:30pm CT

Thursday, October 30, 2008
Detroit Red Wings vs. San Jose Sharks

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The Palin Curse Continues

Just as Sarah Palin dropped the puck at the Scottrade Center on Friday night, the Palin curse lifted from the Philadelphia Flyers as they win 6-3 over the Devils, and transferred to the St. Louis Blues. Not only did they lay an egg and lost to the Kings 4-0, but they also lose goalie Manny Legace as he left the first period of the game after he slipped on the blue carpet during the pregame festivities to introduce the vice presidential nominee. We'll see tonight if the Palin curse continues when the Blues face the Panthers at home.

Speaking of tonight...it is "Super Saturday" as declared by the NHL because for the first time since opening day coming out of the lockout all 30 teams will be in action. Too bad there will be 15 games on tonight, but no games on Sunday. What's a hockey fanatic suppose to do on Sunday? Well, it'll be "Super Sunday" for me (don't you just love TiVo), as this hockey fan is pulling a double shift at work today, so no hockey for me on Saturday but lots of hockey for me on Sunday. And I say to all, as I try to get some sleep, please don't spoil any of the games for me, as this fan learned the hard way by checking on Facebook.

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4-3 OT Loss

Both Buffalo and Minnesota are still undefeated in regulation as the Wild give up a 3-1 lead going into the third and give up 3 goals in a span of 4 minutes. Jacques should permanently ban the use of the word "cushion" as one of the commentators use that word after Burns scores on that flukey goal, which really should be credited to Miller. I'm a little POed by the loss, seeing as they had a 2 goal lead going into the third, and at home usually that would signal a win, especially when Backs is in net (Backstrom is 34-0-2 when taking a lead into the third, now 34-0-3).

Who would of thought that Derek Boogaard would get a point in the game,and Koivu, Miettinen, and Brunette would be held pointless for the second consecutive game? At this rate Boogaard is set to score 15 points this season :) and it's only a matter of time before he gets that elusive first goal of the season. The top line did generate some good chances and played well defensively, but were just not able to put it in the net. Cal Clutterbuck played well, and did not look out of place on the ice. He lead both teams with 7 hits and had a couple of good scoring chances. Zidlicky was pretty good in his Wild debut, not registering a point but he had help set up the play on Veilleux's first goal of the season. The Wild were able to contain the Sabres on the powerplay, only giving up two powerplay chances to the Sabres, too bad they weren't able to contain Thomas Vanek who got the game tying goal or Derek Roy who scored 44 seconds into OT.

Don't think Jacques going to be too thrilled with the guys coasting the last five minutes of the game, though we'll see what happens in practice tomorrow. Well, we're at least we're done with Buffalo for the season, now onto the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Oh...funny line from the game recap from NHL.com on Pouliot's goal: "Ryan Miller saved Pouliot's initial shot and robbed Derek Boogaard in front." Funny because who would think that Miller would need to rob Boogie on anything.

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Gameday vs. Buffalo, Tonights Games

Finally, after 4 days of being off and 12 days since their last home game the Minnesota Wild will play tonight against the Buffalo Sabres. Only new news coming today is that Owen Nolan is skating with the team and most likely will play on Saturday against the Blue Jackets. Like I wrote yesterday, Zidlicky will be making his Wild debut tonight and Bouchard will be in. Tonight's game won't be easy, seeing as the Sabres have been hot as of late, but if our guys can keep out of the box and get some early offense, they'll have a good night.

Tonight's Games
Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Boston Bruins, 6:00pm CT
Dallas Stars vs. New York Islanders, 6:00pm CT
Carolina Hurricanes vs. Pittsburgh Penguins, 6:30pm CT
Calgary Flames vs. Nashville Predators, 7:00pm CT
Buffalo Sabres vs. Minnesota Wild, 7:00pm CT
Edmonton Oilers vs. Colorado Avalanche, 8:30pm CT
Washington Capitals vs. Phoenix Coyotes, 9:00pm CT

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"Character Assassination"

There were articles today in the Pio and Strib about Gaby and the claim from his agent that he's the victim of "character assassination". Basically both articles have Salcer refuting the contract numbers that have been thrown out there, and because those numbers are out there and Gaby is reportingly refusing those offers, it makes him look like the bad guy. Well, by this time, fans have already made up their mind about Gaby and his situation. Because of the numbers that have been thrown out there more people have been swayed to go the trade him route, but whether or not those numbers are right, the fact is that Gaby is still not signed at this point and he's being shopped around. I still stand by my opinion that Gaby's not worth over 9 mil, but if they can sign him long term around the 8-8.5 million, I'd take it, but with each passing day it looks like that possibility is moving further and further away.

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Sarah Palin...

Sarah Palin will again drop the first puck, this time at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis on Friday. Gosh, I thought that the NHL learned its lesson about mixing politics and hockey when Palin dropped the puck in Philadelphia with the type of recption she got. What I don't get is why St. Louis of all places? I understand Philadelphia, more like I pretend to, where she dropped the first puck because she has a working relationship with the Flyers owners, but what's her connection with the Blues? Look I know that having Palin involved in hockey is PR for the league and her, the self proclaimed "hockey mom", but hockey is hockey, and politics is politics, where's the common ground? I got nothing against Palin, but having her dropping the puck at games kind of makes the NHL look like a joke. You don't see McCain throwing the first pitch at the World Series, or Barak Obama singing God Bless America at a Bears game, or Joe Biden doing whatever they do at a NBA game, so why does the NHL need Sarah Palin anywhere near the game?

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Tonight's Games: Results

Florida Panthers, 3 vs. Ottawa Senators, 1
With Rostislav Olesz and Nathan Horton scoring 48 seconds apart early in the first period, the Panthers were able to defeat the Senators 3-1 giving the Senators their second loss in a row. Daniel Alfredsson score a powerplay goal to make the game 2-1, but Cory Stillman scored midway through the second period to keep the two goal lead.

Dallas Stars, 0 vs. New Jersey Devils, 5
The Star laid an egg, while Martin Brodeur makes 21 saves to get his 98th career shutout, his second of the season. John Madden scored two goals for the Devils, while David Clarkson and Minnesota natives Jamie Langenbrunner and Zach Parise each had a goal.

San Jose Sharks, 7 vs. Philadelphia Flyers, 6 SO
High scoring affair in Philadelphia as the Sharks go into Philly and get a win 7-6 in the shootout. There was a combined 7 goals in the first period, while JR gets the shootout clincher to secure another 2 points for the Sharks.

Detroit Red Wings, 4 vs. St. Louis Blues, 3
Tomas Holmstrom score for the fourth consecutive game as the Detroit Red Wings improve to 3-0 on the road and end the Blues 3-0 record at home. Pavel Datsyuk had two assists on the night, while Zetterberg, Lidstrom and Franzen also scored for the Red Wings.

Edmonton Oilers, 0 vs. Chicago Blackhawks, 3
And the Minnesota Wild for the second year in a row are the last unbeaten team again as the Dallas Stars were not the only team who laid an egg tonight. The Edmonton Oilers lost for the first time this season as Nikolai Khabibulin makes 23 saves for his 39th career shutout. Patrick Sharp, Brent Seabrook and Aaron Johnson scored for the Blackhawks, who under Joel Quenneville are 2-0-1.

Florida Panthers vs. Ottawa Senators, 6:00pm CT
Dallas Stars vs. New Jersey Devils, 6:00pm CT
San Jose Sharks vs. Philadelphia Flyers, 6:00pm CT
Detroit Red Wings vs. St. Louis Blues, 7:30pm CT
Edmonton Oilers vs. Chicago Blackhawks 8:00pm CT

Other News...
Looks like Mark Parrish has signed a 25 game tryout with his former team, the New York Islanders, and will be playing in the AHL with Bridgeport. Let's hope he sticks and gets a job some where in the NHL. Marek Zidlicky is likely to make his Wild debut tomorrow against the HOT Sabres, and Bouchard should be back tomorrow too, so Zidlicky will probably be in for Reitz, while Bouchard is in for Gillies(?).

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Hockey Unplugged and Tonight's Results

Hockey Unplugged with Marian Gaborik and Andrew Brunette
Kevin Falness got the question of the year out of the way when he asked Gaby about the trade rumors and the contract negotiations, and Gaby answered as you would have thought. He doesn't know anything about the trade rumors...blah blah blah...he wants to be in Minnesota...blah blah blah... You can tell that the fans are frustrated with what's going on with Gaby and are trying to ween him out because most of the fans' questions were directed at Brunette, and Gaby knows it too, because he was trying to get some laughs (the key word here is trying). My favorite part of the night was the two talking about Halloween costumes and the party that they had the night before: Mikko being a Hooters girl (and apparently a pretty ugly one according to Brunette, I laughed my butt off trying to picture this), Schultz and his wife being the Williams sister, and Boogie being Mario. And the cutest question...To Gaborik, how many times did you wanted to punch a person in the face? (It was from the cutest little kid.)

Boston Bruins, 2 vs. Buffalo Sabres, 3 SO
When you're hot, you're hot, and right now Thomas Vanek and the Buffalo Sabres are hot (let's hope they are not when they come to the Xcel on Thursday night). After falling down to the Bruins 2-0, the Sabres rallied back to force the game to a shootout after goals from Clarke MacArthur and Drew Stafford, and eventually won the game on a Vanek goal in the shootout.

Anaheim Ducks, 3 vs. Toronto Maple Leafs, 2 SO
Anaheim lead 2-0, but unlike the Bruins, the Ducks managed to get a win in the shootout. Nik Antropov was the reason that Toronto was even close to the Ducks in this game, scoring both of the goals for the Maple Leafs, as the shootout woes continue for the Maple Leafs, this time not for Vesa Toskala, as Coach Ron Wilson inserted Curtis Joseph in the crease to take the shootout.

Vancouver Canucks, 2 vs. Columbus Blue Jackets, 4
Derek Dorsett got his first NHL goal as it proves to be the game winning goal for the Columbus Blue Jackets. Most noteable in this game was the play of Kyle Wellwood, who was just recalled, scoring a goal and had an assist, as 3 regulars in the Canucks lineup were missing (Salo, Hordichuk, and Demitra), along with the play of rookie Jakub Vorachek who had 2 assists in the game.

Atlanta Thrashers, 2 vs. Tampa Bay Lightning, 3 OT
Well, it took a while, but Barry Melrose got his first win as the coach of the Tampa Bay Lightning as the Lightning defeat the Atlanta Thrashers. It wasn't a particularly pretty game, as the Lightning blew a two goal lead going into the third, but they were able to pull out the win as Vinny Lecavalier scores the game winner in overtime.

Washington Capitals, 1 vs. Calgary Flames, 2
A very physical game on both parts, and filled with a lot of penalties. At one point in the game, Washington was on a 9 minute powerplay after Rene Bourque retaliated after Tyler Sloan got a clean hit in the neutral zone on Daymond Langkow, and got 2 for instigating, 2 for unsportsmanlike conduct (fighting with a visor), 5 for fighting, and a 10 minute misconduct. With Sergei Fedorov scoring the only goal for the Capitals, he is now tied with Alexander Mogilny for the most goals in the NHL for a Russian born player.

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Today's News

Well, Petr Kalus has pulled a Roman Voloshenko and decided to leave the Houston Aeros to return to Europe. The Wild will still own his rights for two years if he decides to come back to the NHL in that time span. In other news, Krys Kolanos was sent back to Houston after he was recalled on an emergency basis after Marian Gaborik was injured playing a "soccer hackysack tennis game".

Speaking of Marian Gaborik (even though I said I wouldn't, though it's envitable considering the situation), it looks like all parties are becoming fustrated with being hounded by the media every second about the negiotations and lack there of it. How did they not expect this after not being able to sign Gaby and making it public that the negiotations were at a stalemate? Let's see how fast the question gets asked to Gaby or Bruno tonight at the Hockey Unplugged (and if you weren't able to get to the event, I'll post up the link of the Pondcast when it gets up). So much for this not being a distraction huh Doug.

Tonight's Games
Boston Bruins vs. Buffalo Sabres, 6:00pm CT
Anaheim Ducks vs. Toronto Maple Leafs, 6:00pm CT
Vancouver Canucks vs. Columbus Blue Jackets, 6:00pm CT
Atlanta Thrashers vs. Tampa Bay Lightning, 6:30pm CT
Washington Capitals vs. Calgary Flames, 8:30pm CT

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Coming Up This Week

What's on schedule for the Wild?
The Wild will not be in action until Thursday this week when they face the Buffalo Sabres at home. In a special pre-game ceremony that night, the Wild will honor former owner Bob Naegele and his wife in recognition for their contributions in bringing the NHL back to Minnesota and for his services to the Minnesota Wild. The Wild will then face Rick Nash and the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Buffalo Sabres, Thursday 7:00pm CT
Columbus Blue Jackets, Saturday 7:00pm CT

Games to Watch this Week
Monday, October 20th, 2008
Dallas Stars vs. New York Rangers, 6:00pm CT

Tuesday, October 21st, 2008
Washington Capitals vs. Calgary Flames, 8:30pm CT

Friday, October 24th, 2008
Anaheim Ducks vs. Ottawa Senators, 6:00pm CT

Saturday, October 25th, 2008
(A treat for all hockey fans as all 30 NHL teams will be in action this night.)
Detroit Red Wings vs. Chicago Blackhawks, 7:30pm CT
New Jersey Devils vs. Philadelphia Flyers, 6:00pm CT

Tonight's Games
Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Boston Bruins, 6:00pm CT
Dallas Stars vs. New York Rangers, 6:00pm CT
Florida Panthers vs. Montreal Canadiens, 6:30 CT
Colorado Avalanche vs. Los Angeles Kings, 9:30 CT

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Who needs a Star when you got Finns

Wild win 6-2 over the Florida Panthers.

Who ever has Mikko Koivu on their fantasy hockey team must be having fits of giggles with his 5 point night (1-4-5). Who's HOT for the Minnesota Wild, it's got to be Koivu and his linemates Brunette and Miettinen, who have 24 points between themselves in 3 games. Along with Koivu, Miettinen had 3 points (2-1-3) and another 2 goal night (thats 5 goals in 3 games) and Brunette chipped in with the first goal of the game along with an assist. Special teams were great tonight blanking the Panthers on their powerplay chances and scoring 3 powerplay goals. Kim Johnsson and Benoit Pouliot also scored their first goals of the season, and Derek Boogaard got an assist on Johnsson's goal, his first point in over 2 seasons (though I was really hoping that he was going to get credited with the goal or get a Gordie Howe hat trick).

So much for struggling to score goals, huh? Too bad we won't be play the Florida Panthers for the remaining 78 games :)

New Jersey Devils, 1 vs. Atlanta Thrashers, 0
Brodeur gets his 97th career shutout win as the Devils blank the Atlanta Thrashers. Brian Rolston scored the only goal of the game on the powerplay before being injured in the third, as he crashed heavily into the boards and need help off the ice.

Washington Capitals, 4 vs. Pittsburgh Penguins, 3
Penguins blow a 3-0 lead and the Capitals have 4 unanswered goals as they win 4-3. Alexander Ovechkin was held pointless in this games, as Malkin had a goal and 2 assists and Crosby finished the night with 2 assists. The game lived up to all the hype that was made of it, even without Ovie scoring. Alexander Semin really stepping up for the Capitals.

New York Islanders, 4 vs. Tampa Bay Lightning, 3 OT
The Lightning had control of the game after coming from a 2-0 deficit to score 3 goals in the third period until Trent Hunter scored the game tying goal with a little over 6 minutes left in the game. Hunter then scores he's second of the night 51 seconds into the overtime session to give the Islanders a 4-3 win over the Lightning. Barry Melrose has still yet to win a game as the head coach of the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Vancouver Canucks, 4 vs. Detroit Red Wings, 3, OT
Vancouver rebound from its game against the Capitals as they beat the Detroit Red Wings 4-3 in overtime. Alex Burrows scored 47 seconds into overtime to give the Canucks the win.

Dallas Stars, 1 vs. St. Louis Blues, 6
Keith Tkachuk and Brad Boyes each scored for the fourth straight games with a 6-1 win over the Dallas Stars, who are struggling so far early in the season.

Philadelphia Flyers, 2 vs Colorado Avalanche, 5
Colorado got its first win of the season as they beat the Flyers 5-2. Andrew Raycroft in his debut for the Avalanche gets the win stopping 16 of 18 shots on net. And let the goalie controversy continue (along with Chicago and Ottawa).

My 3 Stars of the Night
1. Mikko Koivu, 1 goal, 4 assists
2. Antti Miettinen, 2 goals(2 PPGs), 1 assist
3. Martin Brodeur, 25 saves, 97th career shutout

~ FOTW

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UHHH!!!

While I go away and try and get an education and Gaborik goes and gets himself injured. "Lower body", they're saying but who knows with the new injury disclosure policy the NHL has. Right now I'm just going to go into my room, lock it and start swearing up and down. Why are players dropping like flies when it's only the 3rd game of the season? Are we supposed to infer this as Risebrough making a move soon on the Gaby situation? We'll see what comes out of this, let's just hope that something will happen, Gaby miraculously gets healthy or a solution to the situation of which I am so sick of hearing about.

In other news, Denis Savard, coach of the Chicago Blackhawks was fired today, and former Colorado Avalanche head coach Joel Quenneville will be announced as the new coach of the Blackhawks. I can't say that I saw this one coming, but seeing as the Blackhawks got their first win last night, and with the expectations that people have for them, I can see the logic behind it, kind of.

On a happier note, I'm looking forward to watching the Washington Capitals vs. Pittsburgh Penguins game tonight. Of course I'll be watching the Wild play tonight, more because I want to see how the Wild are going to play without Gaby and without three of its top 6 forwards, but I'll keep an eye on the Caps and Pens (it's the beauty of Center Ice). With the top two forwards in the league playing in this game, and arguable the top three in Evgeni Malkin, this game is bound to be a must watch. You know that Crosby and Ovechkin will be the ones to watch in this game, but I want to see the match up between Ovechkin and Malkin. In previous games, the two have been very physical toward each other, and in their first match up of the new season, it will be interesting which Russian comes out the better of the two.

~ FOTW

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Tonight's Games: Results

Buffalo Sabres, 3 vs. New York Rangers, 1
The New York Rangers were handed their first loss by the Buffalo Sabres as they lost 3-1, with their only goal coming from Scott Gomez. Ryan Miller made 17 saves to get the win, while Thomas Vanek scored two goals and Ales Kotalik stopped the Rangers' 23 consecutive penalty kills with a powerplay goal in second to tie the game at 1-1.

Boston Bruins, 3 vs. Montreal Canadiens, 4 SO
How about the Montreal Canadiens who blew a 3-0 lead but winds up winning the game against the Boston Bruins in a shootout with a goal from Tanguay in the shootout and Carey Price stopping all 3 Bruins shooter, including the last shooter former-Canadien Michael Ryder (who was booed every time he touched the puck).

Phoenix Coyotes, 1 vs. Chicago Blackhawks, 4
The Chicago Blackhawks get their first win of the season as they beat the Phoenix Coyotes 4-1 at home. Nikolai Khabibulin made 29 saves en route toward the win as Brian Campbell and Colin Fraser score their first goals as Blackhawks (Fraser's first in the NHL), along with goals from Patrick Sharp and Martin Havlat. Peter Mueller scored for the Coyotes, his first of the season.

Nashville Predators, 4 vs. Dallas Stars, 6
There were a lot of first NHL goals as Patric Hornqvist and former Minnesota Wild draft pick Ryan Jones scored their first NHL goals, and Fabian Brunnstrom scored his first goal, along with his second, and his third in a closely contested game against the Nashville Predators and the Dallas Stars, in which the Stars get their first win of the season. It is only the third time in NHL history that a rookie has scored a hat trick in his first NHL game (I guess that's why there was all that hype about him during the offseason). Nashville also got goals from Martin Erat and Radek Bonk, while Dallas got their other goals from Mike Modano (2 goals) and Stephane Robidas.

Edmonton Oilers, 3 vs. Anaheim Ducks, 2
Jonas Hiller was strong in his season debut in goal, but his offense was not able to convert on their scoring chances, losing to the Edmonton Oilers 3 – 2, and remaining one of only two NHL teams to have not registered a point in the season (Colorado is the other team).

My 3 Stars of the Night:
1. Fabian Brunnstrom, 3 goals
2. Nikolai Khabibulin, 29 out of 30 saves
3. Thomas Vanek, 2 goals (1PPG, 1SHG)

In other news: anyone find it weird that the first guest on NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman's radio show NHL Hour is Whoopi Goldberg? The NHL says that she's a long time NHL fan, but have you ever heard her talk hockey?

~ FOTW

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Gameday @ Atlanta

Cal Clutterbuck was recalled today.

Wild win 4-2 against Atlanta.

3 Stars of the Night
1. Antti Miettinen
2. Bryan Little
3. Illya Kovalchuk

Bouchard's coming back to Minnesota from the road trip for back problems, probably the same back problems that he had during training camp. And Owen Nolan is out with a "lower back injury".

It's only the second game in the season and already the players are dropping like flies. What's up with that?

~ FOTW

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Alexei Cherepanov...

Here's the link to the NHL's story on Cherepanov who died today after suffering a heart attack late during a game. Cherepanov was the New York Rangers first round pick (17th overall) in the 2007 draft. He was only 19 years old.

~ FOTW

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...ummm...

Some more thoughts as I've had a day of thinking about the game...

There weren't that many boo birds out there during the introduction to Gaby, a couple of boos and "sign the contract" were heard but other than that nothing. Gaby wasn't a game breakir in this one, and his line didn't really create that much offense, though he did unselfishly pass the puck to Boogey to try and get him a goal (and Boogey will score 1 goal this year). Oh...and Gaby was given the A, something I didn't think he would get, I thought that maybe Johnsson or Schultz might get it but hey it's the coaches' decision.

Martin Skoula played really well, no brain farts as of yet, and if we could get him playing like this all season, fans may actually start liking him. Bergeron on the other hand was a defensive liability. He coughed up the puck twice, that I remembered, in the defensive zone which lead to scoring chances. And if people say that he can make that up with his scoring ability, his goal in the second against Manny was a weak goal, as Fernandez had the puck, but it just squeaked through under his pads.

What's with Veilleux and Burns both going down on the second Savard goal. After they stopped the first chance, they couldn't get back into the play and stop Savard, as both were still laying on the ice (it's probably why Jacques doesn't like his players sliding down to block a shot). Maybe it would have help too if Gaborik was trying to get the puck away from Savard.

I'm really starting to warm up to Owen Nolan. You know he's a competitor and has a lot of guts to stand up to the 6'9'' Bruins d-man Zedno Chara, nothing really amounting out of it seeing as the refs stepped in right away.

And I still am trying to get used to seeing number 15 and not thinking of Sheppard but of Brunette but all through out the game I kept thinking "Why is Sheppard playing on the wing?" and "Who's #51?". It'll take a couple of games for me.

That's it for now, I'm going to try and catch some games later tonight after work. HOCKEY IS IN SESSION!

~ FOTW

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Postgame Thoughts vs. Bruins

Just got home from the Wild's home opener, and boy am I glad hockey is BACK! I loved seeing that Northwest Division Champions banner in the rafter, and I just hung up the replica banner that were handed out after the game, along with my calendar in my room. Full house tonight at the Xcel and a very loud ovation to Kurtis Foster during the announcement of the players that weren't playing.

The team had an extremely slow start tonight against the Boston Bruins, more because they had to kill a four-minute high sticking penalty early on in the game by Brent Burns, but they managed to go into the second period tied after Eric Belanger scores on a powerplay late in the first. The Wild dominated the Bruins in the second period with three goals from Bergeron, Miettinen, and Belanger, his second of the night. The third period was a different story. It took the Wild more than 10 minutes before they got their first shot on goal in the third, with most of the play being in the Wild's defensive zone. But they held on long enough for a 4-3 win over the Boston Bruins, and all that matters right now is getting the W.

3 Stars of the Night:
1. Eric Belanger
2. Mikko Koivu
3. Brent Burns

Oh...and Pavol Demitra just scored the game winner in overtime against the Calgary Flames who blew a 3-1 lead, so much for redemption against the Canucks for the Flames...

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Gameday: Home/Season Opener

I'm so excited for tonight's game; can't wait for the festivities tonight and for that Northwest Division Champions banner to hang in the rafters. It will be interesting though to see the fan reaction to Gaby. There's probably going to be some boos here and there and a sign somewhere, but what will the reaction be Gaby scores a goal? Anyways, it will be interesting nonetheless.

Looks like Colton Gillies is making his NHL debut tonight and former Wild goalie Manny Fernandez will be in net for the Bruins.

Hey, be happy hockey season is in session:). I'll be back later with some post-game thoughts and hopefully some pictures, if I can manage to find my camera.

~ FOTW

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Eastern Conference & Stanley Cup Predictions

Eastern Conference:
1. Montreal Canadiens*
2. Philadelphia Flyers*
3. Pittsburgh Penguins
4. New Jersey Devils
5. New York Rangers
6. Washington Capitals*
7. Boston Bruins
8. Tampa Bay Lightning
9. Ottawa Senators
10. Buffalo Sabres
11. Carolina Hurricanes
12. Florida Panthers
13. New York Islanders
14. Toronto Maple Leafs
15. Atlanta Thrashers
*division winner

Number of Teams in the Playoffs in each Division:
Atlantic: 4 (Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, New Jersey, New York Rangers)
Northeast: 2 (Montreal, Boston)
Southeast: 2 (Washington, Tampa Bay)

Stanley Cup Finals: Detroit Red Wings vs. Montreal Canadiens
Winner: Detroit Red Wings

~ FOTW

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Just some thoughts while I wait for the season opener

I find it amusing that the organization is letting Gaby do a hockey unplugged (if you guys don't know what a hockey unplugged is, it's where two players from the team go to a local establishment and answers questions from fans and sign autographs). They announced yesterday night during the hockey unplugged with Veilleux and Bouchard that the next unplugged will feature Marian Gaborik and Andrew Brunette at the end of this month. I'll bet my whole life's savings that the first question asked to Gaby is going to be about the contract negotiations, it's the burning question and seems like the only thing in the minds of fans and hockey analysts nowadays. Maybe the PR guys know something that the fans don't, and that either Gaby will be gone before October 21 or he'll sign a contract before then? Who knows? Now, I'm just really tired of hearing and talking about Gaby and his contraction negotiations, it's the same thing over and over again, so there will be no more mention of Gaby and contract in the same sentence, unless it's to say that Gaby signed a contract or that he couldn't and that the Wild traded him for Ovechkin (a fan can dream). I'll tell you what though, it will be interesting to see the fan reaction to Gaby on opening night when he gets on the ice. He's been on the ice in front of the fans during preseason while not signed, but he hasn't been in front of the fans since Risebrough's announcement of a stalemate in talks. That's it for the Gaby talks...is it Saturday yet?

Games Tonight
Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Detroit Red Wings, 7:00 pm et
Boston Bruins vs. Colorado Avalanche, 10:00 pm et
Calgary Flames vs. Vancouver Canucks, 10:30 pm et
Anaheim Ducks vs. San Jose Sharks, 10:30 pm et

~ FOTW

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Western Conference Predictions

Here's how I predict that it will end up in the Western Conference at the end of the regular season:

Western Conference:
1. Detroit Red Wings*
2. Dallas Stars*
3. Anaheim Ducks
4. Calgary Flames*
5. San Jose Sharks
6. Edmonton Oilers
7. Minnesota Wild
8. Chicago Blackhawks
9. Nashville Predators
10. Phoenix Coyotes
11. Vancouver Canucks
12. Colorado Avalanche
13. Columbus Blue Jackets
14. St. Louis Blues
15. Los Angeles Kings
*division winner

Number of Teams in the Playoffs in each Division:
Central: 2 (Detroit, Chicago)
Northwest: 3 (Calgary, Edmonton, Minnesota)
Pacific: 3 (Dallas, Anaheim, San Jose)

How can you bet against the defending Stanley Cup Champions when that team is the Detroit Red Wings. It will essentially be the same team, with one minor addition, Marian Hossa, and like everyone said when the Wings signed Hossa, "the rich get richer". The Detroit Red Wings will end up atop the Central Division and the Western Conference. Chicago will replace Nashville in the playoffs with their youth and the potential for Martin Havlat (Chicago's version of Marian Gaborik without the groins) to play a full season in a while.
The top five of the conference will be the same clubs with the exception of Minnesota. In the ultra-competitive Northwest division, Minnesota has taken a step down in the offensive department with the departure of Brian Rolston, Pavol Demitra, and Mark Parrish, but look for them to still fight for a playoff spot with their improved blueline and consistent goaltending. Edmonton will make a run at the NW title with their youth, but Calgary will be crowned Northwest Division Champions at the end of the regular season.
With veteran leadership in Mike Modano and Brendan Morrow, and young guys in Matt Niskanen, Nicklas Grossman and Fabian Brunnstrom, Dallas looks to be moving up in rankings in the Pacific Division. Of course Anaheim will be in the playoffs with guys like Scott Niedermayer, Chris Pronger, Ryan Getzlaf, and newly signed Teemu Selanne, the Ducks will be competitve with Dallas. Along with Dallas and Anaheim, the San Jose Sharks will make it out of the regular season and into the playoffs, but you start wondering how many more times can Joe Thornton go into the playoffs and flop like the Cubs.

~FOTW

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Venting My Frustration

With the 2008-2009 NHL regular season beginning today, I thought that I would post my first blog about my predictions about the season, who's going to come closer to Lord's Stanley Cup and who's going to be on the golf course early, or even the optimism I have for my favorite team, the Minnesota Wild, but after reading the Minneapolis Star Tribune's Michael Russo's article, I just needed place to vent my anger and frustration.

After trying for most of the offseason to get Marian Gaborik signed, the Wild's general manager Doug Risebrough has finally admitted that the two parties have come to a standstill on contract negotiations. It's been reported that Risebrough has been offering Gaborik contracts around the $8.5 million range, and yet he has not signed with Minnesota. So, what's the deal with not signing on the dotted line Gaby? Oh, you want to be paid what your worth, and what you're worth is over $9 million?

If Sidney Crosby, the poster boy for the NHL, is making around $8.7 million, and his partner in crime Malkin makes about the same as him, what make Gaborik think that he's worth more than them? Alexander Ovechkin makes $9.5 million, but he's Ovechkin. If some of the top forwards in the league like Hossa, Lecavalier, Thornton, and Iginla makes from $7-$8 million , what makes Gaborik think that he's worth more than they are? Of course Gaborik is a dynamic player, if there's any doubt in that just ask the New York Rangers, and he has the potential to become a star like Crosby and Ovechkin, but for a guy who just had his first full season since the Wild last went deep into the playoffs and who's often on the injured list under “groin problems” to be asking for Ovie money is preposterous. When you think of the top forwards in the NHL, who do you think of? You got Ovechkin, Crosby, Malkin, Lecavalier, Iginla, Hossa, Thornton, Zetterberg, Datsyuk, Kovalchuk, Getzlaf, and St. Louis. Where does Gaborik fit into those names? Top 5?, that's arguable, top 10?, I don't know. Most of the players on my list are proven superstars, and Gaborik just started shining last year.

At this point of my frustration as a Wild fan, I say trade him. If Gaborik is unwilling to take $8.5 million, and it's a good deal, don't try and sign him for $9 or over because at that point your just overpaying him. I'd rather get something for Gaborik then lose him for free like Rolston and Demitra.

With the season just about to begin and the Gaborik situation not resolved, it will be undoubtedly a big distraction in the Wild locker room, that's for sure.

~FOTW

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