Wild, 1 vs. Flames, 4

Thirty-seven seconds into the 2nd and the game's already over. Honestly, I wished I had turned the game off after Phaneuf's goal which made it 2-0 Flames, but I just had to endure the pain that is the Wild vs. the Flames tonight. Well, the only sentiment that I got out of this game is that Kipper didn't get the shutout. Gosh, it really sucked to be a Wild fan watching this game.

Five reasons why the Wild lost tonight's game:
1. It was against Calgary and Miika Kiprusoff.
2. It was at the Saddledome.
3. When you don't score on a 5-on-3 that lasted 1:38 and only generate 1 shot on goal on 4 powerplays, and a total of 16 SOG in the game, don't expect to win the game.
4. When you have as many giveaways and turnovers as the Wild did, those pucks are going to end up in the net, ie., Burns's turnover in the third to give Cammalleri his second goal of the night.
5. The Wild just can't take advantage of their opportunities to move up in the standings as the Stars, Ducks, and Oilers all lost last night. With a point the Wild would've retained sole possession of 7th in the West.

...wouldn't Squid look good in a Wild uni next season...he is an impending UFA...*hint*hint*

UP NEXT: Saturday @ Edmonton Oilers, 9:00pm CT

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Kings, 2 vs. Wild, 1 SO

Another failed opportunity to string more than two wins together for the Minnesota Wild, as rookie blueliner Drew Doughty scores the gamewinning goal in the shootout to push the Kings pass the Wild for the 2-1 win. But even with the loss, with the extra point, the Wild actually moved up a spot to the 7th seed in the West. It was a really tight, kind of boring game with not a lot of good scoring chances, where the only goals scored by either team was on special teams. Antti Miettinen got a great feed from Mikko Koivu after Koivu picked off a pass from Doughty to allow for the odd-man rush and the shorthanded goal for Miettinen, while Jack Johnson got the goal for LA on the powerplay as Kim Johnsson shot the puck in off of Backstrom. Miettinen was the only Wild player to score in the shootout (Zidlicky, Koivu, and Burns), while both Johnson and Doughty scored on Backstrom (Kopitar and O'Sullivan) to give Backs his first shootout loss this season, and the first shootout goals scored on him in the shootout. No real glaring mistakes by either teams, the Wild just wasn't able to generate any good scoring chances.

Onto this 6-game 11-day road trip...and the next 14 of 17 on the road...

Notes:

• Andrew Brunette returned to action after missing 2 games; Colton Gillies and Kurtis Foster were the healthy scratches.
• Congrats to Kings' captain Dustin Brown, who missed the game, on the birth of his second child.
  

UP NEXT: Friday @ Calgary, 8:00pm CT

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Today's News

And another coach has lost his job as the New York Rangers have fired head coach Tom Renney to make Renney the 6th head coach casualty of the season. The Rangers have lost their last 10 of 12 games, and are currently 3rd in the Atlantic, 6th in the East, but are dangerously close to being out of the playoffs with 9th seed Carolina just 2 points behind, along with 10th seed Pittsburgh 5 points behind. Along with Renny, assistant coach Perry Pearn was also fired. No immediate replacement has been named by GM Glen Sather. John Tortorella to replace Renney.

Owen Nolan is out with a cracked toe and will not play Tuesday; Andrew Brunette, who's missed the last two games is expected to play Tuesday.

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Wild, 2 vs. Blackhawks, 1

Wow, that game last night was all Josh Harding, and if Hards didn't stand on his head all night, the Wild wouldn't have gotten the win. It was an interesting game, but definitely a brutal game for Wild fans. They just couldn't get possession of the puck, and when they had the puck, they couldn't penetrate the zone, but the Wild actually got a goal call go their way on the Fritsche (aka Apple Fritter) pp goal that was a borderline high stick. Good for Peter Olvecky in getting his first NHL goal, and it ends up being the GWG. Like I said this game was all Joh Harding, well-deserved 1st star of the night.

Notes:

• Owen Nolan left early in the second period with a 'lower body injury'...that's just wonderful, especially when Jacques says it doesn't look good..."call 911", SERIOUSLY!!!
• What's with the Wild lately taking so many penalties...a lot of high stick calls.
• Martin Skoula played in his 700th NHL game, he had a TOI of 21:04 and an assist on Olvecky's gamewinner.
• Jonathan Toews scored at the 10:03 mark of the second, and if fans remember correctly, in the last game against the Blackhawks, Martin Havlat scored at the 10:00 mark to give a lucky Hawks fan $1million.
• I like Blackhawks rookie Kris Versteeg (he endeared me with his singing of Fergie), but him saying that the Wild are "boring to play against, and boring to watch" kind of PmO.
  

UP NEXT: Tuesday vs. Los Angeles Kings, 7:00pm CT

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Red Wings, 2 vs. Wild, 5

Great effort by the Wild last night in a game that they needed the win and the two points. You kind of had a flashback to the Sens game when the Wild got the first two goals in the first period, and more so when Kopecky scored for the Wings, but the Wild didn't let up the pressure. They responded with a breakaway goal by Bouchard and a goal by none other than MARTIN SKOULA, off of a great feed by Koivu. It was good to see Skoula get the goal, his first since March 2008 (and if I'm remembering correctly it was the OT winner vs. LA), and his reaction was priceless. It was 4-2 in the third with 2 minutes remaining, and the Wings fan sitting next to me says, " It's a pretty quiet building. You know if I was a Wild fan just about to beat the Wings In my building I'd be screaming my head off." My response to that would be that you're never comfortable with a lead until the horn sounds, especially if the opposing team has players like Detroit has, but after Veilleux score that empty netter I was definitely screaming my head off.

If the Wild could put in the effort like they did last night, maybe their playoff hopes wouldn't looks so dire.

Notes:
• The NHL iron man streak ends at 509 as Andrew Brunette missed his first game since 2001.
• Craig Weller was back in game action since Jan 15 (boo Sheldon Souray), as both Brunette and Boogaard were scratches.
• Great special teams going 1 for 3 on the pp and 5 or 5 on the pk (against the top ranked pp).
• Question: I thought that the mug giveaway last night was supposed to be the d-men mug with Rammer and Burnsie on it...I got the mug with Gaby...
• And yes, I just noticed that 3 of my 4 games to watch involves the Caps.

UP NEXT: Today @ Chicago Blackhawks, 6:00pm CT

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Games to Watch this Week

Sunday, February 22
Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Washington Capitals, 11:30am CT, NBC

Tuesday, February 24
Philadelphia Flyers vs. Washington Capitals, 6:00pm CT

Wednesday, February 25
San Jose Sharks vs. Detroit Red Wings, 6:30pm CT

Saturday, February 28
Washington Capitals vs. Boston Bruins, 12:00pm CT

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Flames, 3 vs. Wild, 2 OT

You know, I didn't care if Calgary got the loser point, they're too far ahead in the NW division to catch anyway, what I did about was getting the two points and not being stuck with the loser point like were are now. It's so crucial for the Wild now, going down the stretch and the grind that leads to the playoffs, that they get Ws, and if they don't start getting wins, they'll be looking at something else after the regular season. With Adrian Aucoin getting the OT goal off of Brent Burns to only allow the Wild one point, they remain in the 10th spot in the West, 1 point behind 9th place Anaheim, and 2 points behind the Edmonton Oilers for the last spot in the playoffs, and the Wild have games in hand on both teams.

Time for the Wild to pull their heads out of their butts and time for me to start drinking more of that kool-aid...I NEED MORE OPTIMISM!

Notes:

• With Foster steadily coming back from his injury and likely to be back with the team by next week, look for Jacques to sit one of his d-men, just to emphasize that they all need to be on their game....and with the way Zidlicky's been playing lately, I wouldn't be surprised if it was him.
• Andrew Brunette left the first period after colliding with Adrian Aucoin and didn't return. Of course Brunette is now labeled with having a 'lower body injury', but it looks like he may have aggravated a MCL injury that he sustained in a game against Anaheim in February.
• The Wild have now lost 3 games in row and have an astounding 17-21-3 record against the West.
  

UP NEXT: Saturday vs. Detroit Red Wings, 7:00pm CT

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Games to Watch this Week

Wednesday, Feb 18
New York Islanders vs. New York Rangers, 6:00pm CT

Friday, Feb 20
Anaheim Ducks vs. Detroit Red Wings, 6:30pm CT

Saturday, Feb 21
Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Philadelphia Flyers, 12:00pm CT
Calgary Flames vs. Edmonton Oilers, 9:00pm CT

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Oilers, 2 vs. Wild, 3 SO

Pretty crucial win for the Wild yesterday against Edmonton, but you can say that about every game until the end of the regular season as the Wild look to make the playoffs, I just wished that they didn't give Edmonton the 'loser point' yesterday...anyways...

Solid game by the Wild against the Oilers yesterday, not totally exciting, but at least there wasn't any major brain farts by the team. Niklas Backstrom had a solid game yesterday, even after being run over by the Oilers a couple of times, but where were the Wild while Backstrom was being run. I understand not wanting to take a retalitory penalty, but you got to protect the goalie, especially this goalie who has stolen games for the Wild, and especially the way that the Oilers were taking a run at Backs. Eric Belanger scored late in the first period to tie the game at 1, and Antti Miettinen (who actually didn't 'miss-the-net-again') got his first career shorthanded goal to give the Wild a 2-1 lead, but with a little over 6 minutes to play in the game Sam Gagner scores to tie up the game, and it headed into extra sessions. Backstrom stops all four attempts by the Oilers in the shootout, and Koivu scores the game winner to give the Wild the extra point. With the win, the Wild take over sole possession of second place in the NW division with 57 points, one point ahead of the Vancouver Canucks.

Notes:

• Great cele by Koivu with the shootout winner, just totally HILARIOUS! And he's sporting a pretty nice shiner too; wonder where he got that?
• With 7 hits against the Oilers, Clutterbuck becomes the first player to reach 200 hits this season.
• Schultz played in his 500th career NHL game; Nolan played in his 1,100th career NHL game.
  
• Wow, an actual win against a team that played the night before.
• Kurtis Foster played with the Houston Aeros in his first game since breaking his femur in a game against San Jose last March. Foster had 2 PIMs and didn't register a point in his return to game action, but it's obviously a huge step for him, and it won't be long until he'll be in the Wild lineup again. Aeros won 6-3 over the Chicago Wolves.
  

UP NEXT: Wednesday vs. Colorado Avalanche, 7:00pm CT

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Games to Watch this Week

Sunday, Feb. 8
Detroit Red Wings vs. Pittsburgh Penguins, 11:30am CT

Monday, Feb. 9
New York Rangers vs. New Jersey Devils, 6:00pm CT

Tuesday, Feb. 10
San Jose Sharks vs. Boston Bruins, 6:00pm CT

Friday, Feb. 13
Boston Bruins vs. New Jersey Devils, 6:00pm CT

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Preds shutout Wild 2-0

A well deserved BOOING for the Wild at the end if the game, as the team that came out wanting the two points more deservedly won tonight...too bad that team definitely was not the Wild. This team is so FRUSTRATING!!! The inconsistency that they have brought the entire season just drives me nuts. I had to force myself to watch the rest if the third after they gave up the early goal and were inefficient on the powerplay, but this game was just a total waste of time. How bad must a team be playing if they only had 10 total shots in the first two periods? The Wild registered a whooping 4 SOG in the first, and 6 SOG in the second, where they had a 5-on-3 powerplay opportunity for 1:38 and only registered ONE SOG durin that 1:38. It was a BAD game overall by the team; bad passing, inaccurate shots, just a horrid game.

If the Wild keep playing this way, and aren't able to string wins together, their bubble's going to burst, and they'll be headed for the golf course after April 11.

Notes:

• Nolan missed another game with muscle spasms; he is probably for Sunday's game. Craig Weller missed his 8th consecutive game with a head injury.
• Kurtis Foster is expected to make his debut with the Houston Aeros this season on Sunday, beginning his two week rehab stint with the Aeros.
• In my frustration with this team and it's lack of scoring, I might just take a page out if Stars's fans and start call #20 Antti "Miss-the-net-again"...and he missed the net a couple of times during the game.
• This is the second time in three meetings against the Predators that the Wild have been shutout.
• Another loss to a team on the backend of back to back games....how many times have I said that this season?
  

UP NEXT: Sunday vs. Edmonton Oilers, 2:00pm CT

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Ducks, 0 vs. Wild, 3

After being shutout 3-0 by the Ducks on Hockey Day MN, the Wild come back against them and shut them out by that same number. It wasn't a particularly exciting game by any means, but it was a solid two point effort by the team. Andrew Brunette scored on the powerplay in the first to get the game-winning goal, Mikko Koivu added a tally in the second, and Pierre-Marc Bouchard scored into the empty net to cap off the scoring, as Niklas Backstrom made 34 saves for his 6th shutout of the season. Backstrom was solid throughout the game, especially during the third when Marc-Andre Bergeron flopped on a shot and Chris Kunitz split the two d-men to basically get a breakaway chance. And with another two points, the Wild move into a tie with the Dallas Stars (who surprisingly have been playing well after the All-Star break) for 6th place, two points behind the Ducks.

Notes:

• Owen Nolan was a scratch for the game with "muscle spasms"; the next game that Nolan will play in will be his 1,100th of his career.

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Today's News

• Brunette's been given the 'C' for the month of February.
• Craig Hartsburg's been given the axe in Ottawa; Cory Clouston, the head coach of Ottawa's AHL affiliate Binghamton Senators will replace Hartsburg.
  

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Games to Watch this Week

Sunday, Feb 1
Boston Bruins vs. Montreal Canadiens, 1:00pm CT

Tuesday, Feb 3
Washington Capitals vs. New Jersey Devils, 6:00pm CT
Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Montreal Canadiens. 6:30pm CT

Saturday, Feb 7
Philadelphia Flyers vs. Boston Bruins, 12:00pm CT

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