First off, I was impressed by the amount of Penguin fans at the game tonight; not just little 6 year olds in Sidney Crosby jerseys, but true-blooded, legitimate fans. I even saw two guys in Pens jerseys high five each other in the bathroom after the game. On a side note, it was interesting to see how the Penguins' jersey has evolved over the years...some guy even had the baby blue (yes, they had a baby blue jersey at one point) sweater.
But the story was the return of Crosby to Minnesota. Crosby spent a year at Shattuck St. Mary's as a 15 year, and was awed by the fan reaction to the magical 2003 playoff run, coming away impressed by the area's love of the game. On the flip side, he is Sidney Crosby; so in turn Minnesota wanted to see what he was all about on the ice, if all those highlights on tv were true, if the write ups in the print media were all they were cracked up to be.
Well, his 4 point night says they are.
And Evgeni Malkin's 3 point night said the Pens weren't a one trick pony.
It is mind-blowing to think at the age of 20, not even old enough to drink legally, Crosby is considered to be theeee elite of elite in the NHL. 20 years old. What the hell were you doing at the age of 20? I think about this, and I have to shake my head because it is just too much to even comprehind. Aside from the few games of his on tv, you have to appreciate how he is as a player- remarkably strong on the puck, you can't help but hold your breath if he ever has possession of the puck AND gets to open space. At one point tonight I remarked to my roommate during a Pens powerplay (which was Crosby, Malkin, Ryan Whitney, Sergei Gonchar, and Petr Sykora), "I'll be happy when their second unit comes on."
Just then the Wild get control and dump it into the Pittsburgh zone...only for said PP unit to curl back up the ice toward the Wild end.
Goddammit.
Sure enough, Sykora scores the game winner from Crosby shortly after. Then Sid scores on a semi-breakaway to ice it, much to the delight of the Pittsburgh fans peppered throughout the X.
4-2 Penguins. 3rd loss in a row for us.
We look very ordinary without the Slovaks.
Its funny, last night I was asked what can the Wild do to right the ship- the Slovaks and Nik Backstrom are nursing their groins, so with that being understood...PLAY WILD HOCKEY.
Remember that? When we have about 3 skilled players on the entire roster, but everyone clamped down to slow down (i.e. trap) the opposition, then make damn sure to take advantage of the turnovers we force or the power plays we get from the penalties we draw. That's right, a Jacques Lemaire special.
Well, we have more talent than the days of yore- obvious upgrades at every position. So, what the fuck?
This struck me while watching Wes Walz and his checking line cohorts out there shift after shift trying to clamp down on Crosby and Co.- when did we get away from this? Its ironic in a way, that we have a reputation around the league for being a staunch defensive team, but yet defensive lapses have killed us recently. Its almost like we can finally score some goals, and now we think we can run and gun with anyone. Can we? Sure. Can we every night? No.
So let's play some damn defense.
Who didn't love the James Sheppard/Adam Hall fight? It was great- Hall got incensed by a no-call on a high sticking, and you could see him just stalk Sheppard...only for Shep to just smoke him with an open ice check. A little more skating around, you see Sheppard jawing, the gloves drop...and Wild Nation is lovin James Sheppard. But, he is beginning to become a legitimate contributor, glimpses of what he can do with and without the puck, but that is also marked (for now) with moments of hesitation. He is getting more ice time in key spots as time goes on.
Then there is Cal Clutterbuck. A semi-stark contrast to Sheppard, Clutterbuck is quickly becoming more adept to the NHL game. A hard charger, Clutterbuck has pretty much worked into the energy role- it is almost a game, wondering "who is Clutterbuck gonna hit next?" There isn't much hesitation with Cluts, but there are indications he may be skating too fast for the play- hell at one point he overskated the puck he was carrying up ice.
Koivu with 2 primary assists tonight, and a couple really nice scoring chances. He was the best player on the ice for Minnesota.
It is time for Petteri Nummelin to go. I don't care if its to Houston, Switzerland, or a night boat to Cairo, Nummelin has to go. There is no reason why Keith Carney should be a healthy scratch over this guy, and despite his "shootout specialist" moniker, that little bastard doesn't contribute enough offensively to even remotely justify his defensive shortcomings (poke check poke check pokecheck.) I'm sorry, I don't care how good he does on the international level; this isn't the NHL, not the Olympics, World Championships, or whatever. Get rid of him, for christ sakes even give Erik Reitz a shot, he's only leading the lowly Houston Aeros in scoring so far.
And at least he'd play the body.
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Sheesh
everyone blogs these days...some interesting insight though.
http://boards.wild.com/index.php?automodule=blog&blogid=2&showentry=85
http://boards.wild.com/index.php?automodule=blog&blogid=2&showentry=85
Monday, October 29, 2007
Sunday, October 28, 2007
#11...A Mile High Sigh
It truly is amazing what sort of attention a healthy Marian Gaborik brings to the table for our Minnesota squad; obviously he is a high end talent, a legitimate game breaker, a guy who can hit a home run at any point. So naturally when he is on the ice (and especially when he is out there with his pal Pavol Demitra), a lot of defensive attention and focus will be on said Slovak.
However when his Charleston Chew of a groin (Minnesota Sports Operation still available for the Christmas season!) gets a bit wacky, all that attention and focus shift elsewhere.
And then we are kinda screwed.
Sigh.
That about explains it really; the matinee game in Colorado was just kind of blah. We never really had a prolonged period of control, there were still giveaways and thrown away passes, and some defensive lapses *cough* Skoula on Colorado's second goal *cough* Josh Harding was very good again, I wouldn't really classify any of the Avalanche goals as soft.
But back to the Gaborik foreword- with his scratch, the line of Bouchard-Belanger-Rolston was thrust into the role of primary scorers. They did score the lone goal; I thought they played reasonably well. However, without Gaborik in the lineup, if the secondary scoring (aside from the BBR line) doesn't step up, then we are in for some games alot like today. Its not like there weren't chances; James Sheppard had a couple chances, Stephane Veilleux (a ton of ice time) had a couple real good opportunities, and Petteri Nummelin was flat out robbed toward the end the the 3rd.
Today's game reiterates the importance of Marian Gaborik to the Minnesota Wild; when he is in the lineup, even if he doesn't see the score sheet, his presence alone allows others to thrive because Gaborik is getting the attention of the best of the opposition.
-I thought Nick Schultz was very proactive in his play- physical, but also jumped into the play when it was warranted. Good thing its a UFA year for Schultz.
- Sheppard played well again, I think probably around mid-season or so he'll be a regular contributor, and may even warrant a move to keep him out of the press box.
- Cal Clutterbuck debuted today; he played well for a kid who has been a pro for about 3 months, and with the sudden rash of limpy groins, he may see even more NHL time.
- Yes, that was Derek Boogaard out there with 2:30 left in the game trying to make something happen.
So back home we go after collecting 1 point out of a possible 6, which stings more since the contests were against division opponents. What's next? A nice little homestand starting with Sid the Kid and the Pens.
However when his Charleston Chew of a groin (Minnesota Sports Operation still available for the Christmas season!) gets a bit wacky, all that attention and focus shift elsewhere.
And then we are kinda screwed.
Sigh.
That about explains it really; the matinee game in Colorado was just kind of blah. We never really had a prolonged period of control, there were still giveaways and thrown away passes, and some defensive lapses *cough* Skoula on Colorado's second goal *cough* Josh Harding was very good again, I wouldn't really classify any of the Avalanche goals as soft.
But back to the Gaborik foreword- with his scratch, the line of Bouchard-Belanger-Rolston was thrust into the role of primary scorers. They did score the lone goal; I thought they played reasonably well. However, without Gaborik in the lineup, if the secondary scoring (aside from the BBR line) doesn't step up, then we are in for some games alot like today. Its not like there weren't chances; James Sheppard had a couple chances, Stephane Veilleux (a ton of ice time) had a couple real good opportunities, and Petteri Nummelin was flat out robbed toward the end the the 3rd.
Today's game reiterates the importance of Marian Gaborik to the Minnesota Wild; when he is in the lineup, even if he doesn't see the score sheet, his presence alone allows others to thrive because Gaborik is getting the attention of the best of the opposition.
-I thought Nick Schultz was very proactive in his play- physical, but also jumped into the play when it was warranted. Good thing its a UFA year for Schultz.
- Sheppard played well again, I think probably around mid-season or so he'll be a regular contributor, and may even warrant a move to keep him out of the press box.
- Cal Clutterbuck debuted today; he played well for a kid who has been a pro for about 3 months, and with the sudden rash of limpy groins, he may see even more NHL time.
- Yes, that was Derek Boogaard out there with 2:30 left in the game trying to make something happen.
So back home we go after collecting 1 point out of a possible 6, which stings more since the contests were against division opponents. What's next? A nice little homestand starting with Sid the Kid and the Pens.
Saturday, October 27, 2007
#10...plus size
I was only able to catch about the last half of the Oiler game Thursday night, so here's a few things I noticed.
- Obviously James Sheppard getting his first NHL tally was a high point. The kid was in the right spot, at the right time, and buried the Martin Skoula rebound. Coupled with the assist he had in Wednesday's game, Sheppard has himself a nice little run going. But aside from the goal, I thought he played very well- great puck protection, won a number of faceoffs ( I saw him out there just to take and win a few key draws), and hit some people. Lemaire's rewarded him with more ice time (Although Doug Risebrough thinks its too much playing time, but injuries are forcing Lemaire's hand), and time on the Power Play down in the trenches.
- Gotta love the phantom roughing call on Derek Boogaard, who is quickly seeing his ice time disappear. There was a story in the Strib about it, and how some folks see that the refs have him under a microscope when he is out there. Boogaard stands there at the end of his shift, after the whistle, and somehow "roughed" someone, and was sent to the box. Meanwhile Mark Parrish gets cold cocked in front of the same zebra.
- Speaking of Parrish, a notably streaky scorer, is hitting his stride here. We are gonna need it, since Demitra is day-to-day, and now that Marian Gaborik is day to day also with a gimpy groin (I know, shocker of the century.)
- I was impressed by how we battled back from deficits, but also dismayed at the amount of giveaways and thrown away passes the squad continue to have per game.
- Brent Burns is locked up for 4 more years after signing a contract extension. He is now 14 million dollars richer, not bad for a 22 year old.
- Now, back to that collapse in Calgary. I think the issue of team toughness should be brought back up, especially considering how the momentum of the game went 180. For the first half they hustled, they hit, they rode Flames out of the play...and then when their backs were against the wall, they stopped doing what was working i.e. the physicality, and starting trying to finesse their way against a rough and tumble Calgary team. Dion Phaneuf kicked the crap out of Stephane Veilleux (one Calgary sportswriter joked that it looked like Phaneuf was trying to start a lawn mower), blasted Martin Skoula (a nice no-call), and assisted on a Flames goal. We let Jarome Iginla out of our grasp, which game him space, and he killed us. I understand that we needed to score- but in the grand scheme of things, a big hit can create as much momentum as a goal can. And when you don't do that, the climb can be that mucher steeper. That game was a microcosm of the Ducks series- we play physical, we win. We get away from that, then we try and get too cute, and lose. Its not like I'm asking Pierre-Marc Bouchard to go lay someone out of a dramatic open ice hit, but thats were you need guys like Radio and Veilleux and now Cal Clutterbuck (he debuts tomorrow afternoon baby!) to hit someone. Everyone saw how effective a grinder line can be, the Sami Pahlsson line in Anaheim, the fabled "Grind" line from Detroit's heyday. There's no reason the Wild can't have an effective one too.
-Mike Russo reported in his blog today that both Marian Gaborik and Niklas Backstrom have very minor groin injuries, and will miss tomorrow's game...as will Pavol Demitra. Clutterbuck will start, and I guess someone from Houston will get a call Monday if these injuries continue; presumably goalie Nolan Schaefer, and maybe one of the more offensive oriented guys.
It was still nice to get a point in Edmonton, but it will be nicer to get two more tomorrow. It won't come easy.
...and I can't believe Jordan Leopold is hurt again.
- Obviously James Sheppard getting his first NHL tally was a high point. The kid was in the right spot, at the right time, and buried the Martin Skoula rebound. Coupled with the assist he had in Wednesday's game, Sheppard has himself a nice little run going. But aside from the goal, I thought he played very well- great puck protection, won a number of faceoffs ( I saw him out there just to take and win a few key draws), and hit some people. Lemaire's rewarded him with more ice time (Although Doug Risebrough thinks its too much playing time, but injuries are forcing Lemaire's hand), and time on the Power Play down in the trenches.
- Gotta love the phantom roughing call on Derek Boogaard, who is quickly seeing his ice time disappear. There was a story in the Strib about it, and how some folks see that the refs have him under a microscope when he is out there. Boogaard stands there at the end of his shift, after the whistle, and somehow "roughed" someone, and was sent to the box. Meanwhile Mark Parrish gets cold cocked in front of the same zebra.
- Speaking of Parrish, a notably streaky scorer, is hitting his stride here. We are gonna need it, since Demitra is day-to-day, and now that Marian Gaborik is day to day also with a gimpy groin (I know, shocker of the century.)
- I was impressed by how we battled back from deficits, but also dismayed at the amount of giveaways and thrown away passes the squad continue to have per game.
- Brent Burns is locked up for 4 more years after signing a contract extension. He is now 14 million dollars richer, not bad for a 22 year old.
- Now, back to that collapse in Calgary. I think the issue of team toughness should be brought back up, especially considering how the momentum of the game went 180. For the first half they hustled, they hit, they rode Flames out of the play...and then when their backs were against the wall, they stopped doing what was working i.e. the physicality, and starting trying to finesse their way against a rough and tumble Calgary team. Dion Phaneuf kicked the crap out of Stephane Veilleux (one Calgary sportswriter joked that it looked like Phaneuf was trying to start a lawn mower), blasted Martin Skoula (a nice no-call), and assisted on a Flames goal. We let Jarome Iginla out of our grasp, which game him space, and he killed us. I understand that we needed to score- but in the grand scheme of things, a big hit can create as much momentum as a goal can. And when you don't do that, the climb can be that mucher steeper. That game was a microcosm of the Ducks series- we play physical, we win. We get away from that, then we try and get too cute, and lose. Its not like I'm asking Pierre-Marc Bouchard to go lay someone out of a dramatic open ice hit, but thats were you need guys like Radio and Veilleux and now Cal Clutterbuck (he debuts tomorrow afternoon baby!) to hit someone. Everyone saw how effective a grinder line can be, the Sami Pahlsson line in Anaheim, the fabled "Grind" line from Detroit's heyday. There's no reason the Wild can't have an effective one too.
-Mike Russo reported in his blog today that both Marian Gaborik and Niklas Backstrom have very minor groin injuries, and will miss tomorrow's game...as will Pavol Demitra. Clutterbuck will start, and I guess someone from Houston will get a call Monday if these injuries continue; presumably goalie Nolan Schaefer, and maybe one of the more offensive oriented guys.
It was still nice to get a point in Edmonton, but it will be nicer to get two more tomorrow. It won't come easy.
...and I can't believe Jordan Leopold is hurt again.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Engine Engine #9...Jekyll and Hype
So...what the fuck was that?
We just had 30 minutes of dominant hockey- 2 power play goals, a beautiful even strength goal, and some very good penalty kills...the pace of play was being controlled by Minnesota, we were dishing out the physicality, we were in control...
...and now here we are, with our first regulation loss after Calgary scored 5 UNANSWERED GOALS ''poopoopoopoopoopoop" after the halfway mark of the game. It goes like this- read the first paragraph; now mentally note that this was the first 30 minutes. Now reread that same paragraph, and insert Calgary for Minnesota. I don't quite to know what make of it- I was sitting at the bar (go ahead and take a wild guess at which one), and was almost taken back by how the Wild were controlling the play and scoring- and here I am now, dumbfounded at how we are now staring at the first loss of the season.
We just had 30 minutes of dominant hockey- 2 power play goals, a beautiful even strength goal, and some very good penalty kills...the pace of play was being controlled by Minnesota, we were dishing out the physicality, we were in control...
...and now here we are, with our first regulation loss after Calgary scored 5 UNANSWERED GOALS ''poopoopoopoopoopoop" after the halfway mark of the game. It goes like this- read the first paragraph; now mentally note that this was the first 30 minutes. Now reread that same paragraph, and insert Calgary for Minnesota. I don't quite to know what make of it- I was sitting at the bar (go ahead and take a wild guess at which one), and was almost taken back by how the Wild were controlling the play and scoring- and here I am now, dumbfounded at how we are now staring at the first loss of the season.
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Let The Cal Clutterbuck era begin!
http://wild.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=340962
Yessir...this kid will fly around the ice, and hit EVERYTHING. Just an insanely hard worker (which you have to love, besides his name), with some scoring aptitude to boot. I hope he sees some ice time during the road trip.
On a side note, Dom Moore must have really fucked something up in his abdominal to be forced onto the IR.
Yessir...this kid will fly around the ice, and hit EVERYTHING. Just an insanely hard worker (which you have to love, besides his name), with some scoring aptitude to boot. I hope he sees some ice time during the road trip.
On a side note, Dom Moore must have really fucked something up in his abdominal to be forced onto the IR.
Monday, October 22, 2007
More SI Goodness
James Sheppard-related...
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/allan_muir/10/19/junior.eligibles/index.html
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/allan_muir/10/19/junior.eligibles/index.html
You happy now Roomie?
Ya, I did blog.
About some nice things that SI had to say about our squizzzzzzzzzzzzzad.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/darren_eliot/10/22/team.identity/index.html?section=si_latest
About some nice things that SI had to say about our squizzzzzzzzzzzzzad.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/darren_eliot/10/22/team.identity/index.html?section=si_latest
Sunday, October 21, 2007
#8...The night Mikko made the Man Move
The development of Mikko Koivu continued tonight- Over the past 3 years, Koivu has grown from budding two-way center, to pillar of stability, and now to game breaker. Of course, one could take his game tonight with a grain of salt, since he has repeatedly victimized Colorado in the scoring category...but I'm not gonna. Koivu, once considered a "boom or bust" pick, is rapidly reaching that #1 center upside, and maybe even higher.
It was kind of a weird game- its like Minnesota played well in spurts, then would have a stretch of playing on their heels, then the tide would turn back into some better play. Nik Backstrom was tremendous again tonight- well, by this point one could ask "when isn't he?" There were a few break downs that led to Backstrom standing on his head, and I must admit the post saved us a few times also.
I must note that Marian Gaborik was an effective all-around skater tonight- he created some offense, of course, but was out backchecking, playing physical, and showing signs of becoming more of a complete player.
But I guess the main thing about this win is that it was against a divisional foe- always a good thing, no matter how bad or good they are. For now, everyone feels good about the win, that gritty division battle- but now we go see some of the division folks this week: Calgary (we are simply owned by Calgary in the Saddledome), Edmonton, and then to the Mile High City for a rematch with Colorado.
Looks like we're stayin up late this week.
It was kind of a weird game- its like Minnesota played well in spurts, then would have a stretch of playing on their heels, then the tide would turn back into some better play. Nik Backstrom was tremendous again tonight- well, by this point one could ask "when isn't he?" There were a few break downs that led to Backstrom standing on his head, and I must admit the post saved us a few times also.
I must note that Marian Gaborik was an effective all-around skater tonight- he created some offense, of course, but was out backchecking, playing physical, and showing signs of becoming more of a complete player.
But I guess the main thing about this win is that it was against a divisional foe- always a good thing, no matter how bad or good they are. For now, everyone feels good about the win, that gritty division battle- but now we go see some of the division folks this week: Calgary (we are simply owned by Calgary in the Saddledome), Edmonton, and then to the Mile High City for a rematch with Colorado.
Looks like we're stayin up late this week.
Wow
"At the end of the day, he'll be the best two-way player in the game" - Rick Dudley, on Chicago rookie Jonathan Toews.
Re: Prospect List
Remember my small description of Justin Falk, a big defenseman out of Spokane we drafted in the 4th round this year? I noted how he needed to play with more of an edge?
Apparently he took note.
Apparently he took note.
Numero Siete...For the love of the game
Ya we win again, Josh Harding is god, and so on and so forth.
But jesus christ, it was like reinventing a wheel trying to go somewhere to watch the game, only available on Center Ice. The game would be broadcast on the St. Louis feed, meaning you had to find a bar with that- well Buffalo Wild Wings of course!
Uh, no.
Not with the UFC pay-per-view transpiring in the same timeframe. I've been to a "viewing" at that establishment, and I was convinced that there were fire codes broken with the sheer amount of people there for it, so there wasn't a snowballs chance in hell that we would be able to get in, much less get a table for 8, to watch our Wild squad.
BW3....dead in the water.
Buffalo Tap? Fuck ya!
They got tvs, they got beer, they got crack cocaine manifested into the form of pepperjack cheese curds, surely they got the game?
Buffalo Tap...Dead on Arrival.
Instantly friends of mine were "googling" The Tin Shed into their phones, and off we went...a caravan of 4 different cars, racing toward the Mecca in hopes that we can catch as much of the game as we could.
And we got there for the last few minutes of the 2nd period. All was well...despite the hoots, hollers, and screams for blood coming from the next room, which housed the UFC crowd and the 110" tv which played the fights.
Who cares right, we found the game!
(as you can tell by the lack of analysis I didn't watch much of the game)
Anyways, from what I saw (and what the paper wrote), the Wild were very solid- I can't say enough about Josh Harding. The future is very very bright with Hards, and I don't think it is absurd to maybe see what kind of return we could get for Niklas Backstrom in this upcoming offseason.
And back to St. Paul for the night- the Wild take on the Avalanche tonight (in HD baby!) Obviously trying to shutdown the ageless Joe Sakic is a key, but Paul Stastny will draw alot of attention also- Stastny has 14 points in 8 games. John-Michael Liles and Jordan Leopold will provide offense from the back end, and Ryan Smyth was arguably the best off-season signing the Avs made.
A potent offensive attack...but they have given up 23 goals so far- they have scored 24. So you do the math- if they can temper the storm, the Wild should be able to bury a few.
Unless you believe in jinx stats.
But jesus christ, it was like reinventing a wheel trying to go somewhere to watch the game, only available on Center Ice. The game would be broadcast on the St. Louis feed, meaning you had to find a bar with that- well Buffalo Wild Wings of course!
Uh, no.
Not with the UFC pay-per-view transpiring in the same timeframe. I've been to a "viewing" at that establishment, and I was convinced that there were fire codes broken with the sheer amount of people there for it, so there wasn't a snowballs chance in hell that we would be able to get in, much less get a table for 8, to watch our Wild squad.
BW3....dead in the water.
Buffalo Tap? Fuck ya!
They got tvs, they got beer, they got crack cocaine manifested into the form of pepperjack cheese curds, surely they got the game?
Buffalo Tap...Dead on Arrival.
Instantly friends of mine were "googling" The Tin Shed into their phones, and off we went...a caravan of 4 different cars, racing toward the Mecca in hopes that we can catch as much of the game as we could.
And we got there for the last few minutes of the 2nd period. All was well...despite the hoots, hollers, and screams for blood coming from the next room, which housed the UFC crowd and the 110" tv which played the fights.
Who cares right, we found the game!
(as you can tell by the lack of analysis I didn't watch much of the game)
Anyways, from what I saw (and what the paper wrote), the Wild were very solid- I can't say enough about Josh Harding. The future is very very bright with Hards, and I don't think it is absurd to maybe see what kind of return we could get for Niklas Backstrom in this upcoming offseason.
And back to St. Paul for the night- the Wild take on the Avalanche tonight (in HD baby!) Obviously trying to shutdown the ageless Joe Sakic is a key, but Paul Stastny will draw alot of attention also- Stastny has 14 points in 8 games. John-Michael Liles and Jordan Leopold will provide offense from the back end, and Ryan Smyth was arguably the best off-season signing the Avs made.
A potent offensive attack...but they have given up 23 goals so far- they have scored 24. So you do the math- if they can temper the storm, the Wild should be able to bury a few.
Unless you believe in jinx stats.
Thursday, October 18, 2007
The Future: The Top 20 Prospects of the Minnesota Wild
Typically twice a year Hockey's Future does Top 20 lists for each NHL team, which change with "graduations" (playing x amount of games), acquisitions, signings, drafts, etc. The Wild list came out two weeks ago, and to be honest, I thought it sucked.
http://www.hockeysfuture.com/articles/9956/wild_top20_prospects_fall2007/
So here's my 2 pennies on it.
1. Josh Harding, Goaltender- At this point, there is little doubt about Josh Harding at the NHL level; in 11 games "Hards" is 6-3-1, with 3 shutouts, the last being recently over the Anaheim Ducks with 37 saves. Jacques Lemaire indicated that Harding and Nik Backstrom may platoon, and Harding looks to be the future of the Wild in net for years.
2. James Sheppard, Center- the 06 1st rounder dominated the QMJHL for Cape Breton last year, and the Brass took notice giving Sheppard every chance to make the big club out of training camp. Sheppard took advantage, and signed a contract and will play at least 40-50 games this year. Sheppard is hard-working, and plays very responsible in all 3 zones. He is the prototypical Lemaire center.
3. Benoit Pouliot, C/LW- An enigma to say the least. Top end talent, inconsistent effort. Pouliot had a blah year in Houston, only to have Lemaire raving about his future during training camp, playing very well as the pivot between Marian Gaborik and Pavol Demitra. Many have come to suggest that Pouliot is the potential #1 center for Gaborik, but doubts remain considering he was benched the other night after a poor game in Houston.
4. Petr Kalus, LW- Kalus arrived in Minnesota after the Manny Fernandez trade, and played well in the preseason games, ending up as a late cut. He did everything but score, but left a lasting impression. Kalus skates hard, hits hard, and can score in bunches- Kalus may turn out to be the power forward the Wild have needed.
5. Danny Irmen, C/RW- A fan favorite since the days of the Maroon and Gold, Irmen played well on a terrible Houston team last year. Aggressive, gritty, and a knack for clutch scoring along with leadership qualities means Irmen will be with the big club sooner than later- as Assistant Gm Tom Lynn said, "Its up to Danny to prove he can play at the NHL level, whether its now, mid-season, or at the end."
6. Morten Madsen, C/W- The Dane made a splash last year, his first on North American Soil. 100 points with Victoriaville, 32 goals (6 power play goals and amazingly 8 shorties) and 68 assists. A talented playmaker, Madsen can play any forward position without missing a beat, and has shown a physical element to his game too. He starts the year in Houston.
7. Shawn Belle, D- The exceptional specimen, 6'2" and 240 pounds with an unbelievable skating ability, has developed into a solid stay-at-home defenseman. Far and Away the highest rated defensive prospect in the pipeline, Belle contended for a roster spot out of camp, and looks to be one of the first call-ups should injuries strike the blueline. The knock on Belle has been his lack of hockey sense, but his impressive skillset is sure to find its place on the Wild blueline.
8. Colton Gillies, C/W- The Wild traded up to grab Gillies, a big, swift skating and hard hitting forward. Gillies has received for a lack of offensive production, but is a hard worker and a team player, and his Saskatoon team just isn't very good. He will be an NHLer, but in the character player/energy line mold. To quote a scout, "He is and will be an impact player."
9. Cal Clutterbuck, W- "The Human Buzzsaw", a hard working and tireless skater who will hit just about anything that moves, but a look at his point totals at Oshawa of the OHL indicates that Clutterbuck (one of the coolest hockey names ever) has a fair amount of scoring upside. He, like Madsen and Kalus, will be looked upon to lead a young Houston squad this year.
10. Ondrej Fiala, C- The Czech Native is a fantastic skater with an intriguing upside- the question is can he stay healthy. Fiala is at the end of rehabbing his knee after a 3rd surgery, and after impressing the brass at the Traverse City Tournament (he was singled out by Tommy Thompson a couple times for his play), he had a longer stay with the club during Training Camp for rehab and development purposes. What role Fiala will play in the future is up in the air, but the swift and gritty skater will play in Saskatoon with Colton Gillies following a trade from Everett in the WHL.
11. Ryan Jones, W- The Miami of Ohio captain has had two 20 goal seasons at the NCAA level the past two years, often taking his preferred spot in front of the net for the garbage goals. A strong, north-south type player, Jones will lead the Redhawks towards the CCHA title in his senior season, so look for Jones to get a contract offer when he season is done.
12. Clayton Stoner, D- Stoner had a strong rookie season, but took his lumps last year, along with the rest of the Houston Aeros. Stoner was among the few players Doug Risebrough singled out to step up their play for this upcoming season. A big, physical stay at home Defenseman, Stoner has been compared to former Wild Willie Mitchell.
13. Paul Albers, D- The Wild signed Albers as a free agent last summer, and Albers subsequently played in the CHL with the Texas Wildcatters, earning an all-star nod. An offensive defenseman, Albers will continue his development with on the Houston blueline this year.
14. Cody Almond, C- Tommy Thompson referred to Almond as "this year's pet project" after the Wild took him in the 5th round in the 2007 draft. Almond led the lowly Kelowna Rockets in scoring in 06-07, and is a hard working and responsible center with some scoring ability. Almond may turn out to be a late round gem.
15. Kyle Medvec, D- The Apple Valley native spent year with the Sioux City Muskateers of the USHL following a Mr. Hockey nomination his senior year at Apple Valley. Medvec is a tall stay at homer, with a cannon of a point shot. His skating does need to work, but he could be really effective if he builds up a bit of a nasty streak. Medvec will suit up for the Vermont Catamounts in Hockey East.
16. Justin Falk, D- Not too much unlike Medvec, Falk is another tall stay at home defenseman for the Spokane Chiefs of the WHL. Early at Spokane Falk was everyone's favorite scapegoat, but has turned into one of their key players, getting sizable amounts of ice time in all situations. Many would like to see Falk play with more of an edge.
17. Julien Sprunger, LW- The Swiss player has good size 9(6'4", and according to reports has bulked up and is playing mean, which has increased his point totals so far. Its been oft rumored that Sprunger will make his way over to North America, so until that happens he will remain on the bottom of the prospect list.
18. Peter Olvecky, C- The Slovak fits the mold of a generic NHLer, but has yet to impress in Prospect Tournaments and in Houston. Time might be running out for Olvecky.
19. Matt Kassian, W- The big man and Enforcer signed a 3 year deal with Minnesota in the offseason, and much like Derek Boogaard will be given plenty of time to develop into a player that the Wild brass hopes can take a regular shift at the NHL level.
20. Anton Kudobin, G- And rounding out the list is Russian Goaltender Anton Khudobin. Khudobin had a sort of rough year playing with the Saskatoon Blades in the WHL, which led to him returning to Russia to play last year. The Wild signed Khudobin in the offseason, and will start the year with Texas of the ECHL. Khudobin's ranking signifies that the goaltending cupboard after Josh Harding is pretty bare.
Basically we are loaded on Forwards, but at the back end and in net we are lacking sorely. That's what free agency is for right?
http://www.hockeysfuture.com/articles/9956/wild_top20_prospects_fall2007/
So here's my 2 pennies on it.
1. Josh Harding, Goaltender- At this point, there is little doubt about Josh Harding at the NHL level; in 11 games "Hards" is 6-3-1, with 3 shutouts, the last being recently over the Anaheim Ducks with 37 saves. Jacques Lemaire indicated that Harding and Nik Backstrom may platoon, and Harding looks to be the future of the Wild in net for years.
2. James Sheppard, Center- the 06 1st rounder dominated the QMJHL for Cape Breton last year, and the Brass took notice giving Sheppard every chance to make the big club out of training camp. Sheppard took advantage, and signed a contract and will play at least 40-50 games this year. Sheppard is hard-working, and plays very responsible in all 3 zones. He is the prototypical Lemaire center.
3. Benoit Pouliot, C/LW- An enigma to say the least. Top end talent, inconsistent effort. Pouliot had a blah year in Houston, only to have Lemaire raving about his future during training camp, playing very well as the pivot between Marian Gaborik and Pavol Demitra. Many have come to suggest that Pouliot is the potential #1 center for Gaborik, but doubts remain considering he was benched the other night after a poor game in Houston.
4. Petr Kalus, LW- Kalus arrived in Minnesota after the Manny Fernandez trade, and played well in the preseason games, ending up as a late cut. He did everything but score, but left a lasting impression. Kalus skates hard, hits hard, and can score in bunches- Kalus may turn out to be the power forward the Wild have needed.
5. Danny Irmen, C/RW- A fan favorite since the days of the Maroon and Gold, Irmen played well on a terrible Houston team last year. Aggressive, gritty, and a knack for clutch scoring along with leadership qualities means Irmen will be with the big club sooner than later- as Assistant Gm Tom Lynn said, "Its up to Danny to prove he can play at the NHL level, whether its now, mid-season, or at the end."
6. Morten Madsen, C/W- The Dane made a splash last year, his first on North American Soil. 100 points with Victoriaville, 32 goals (6 power play goals and amazingly 8 shorties) and 68 assists. A talented playmaker, Madsen can play any forward position without missing a beat, and has shown a physical element to his game too. He starts the year in Houston.
7. Shawn Belle, D- The exceptional specimen, 6'2" and 240 pounds with an unbelievable skating ability, has developed into a solid stay-at-home defenseman. Far and Away the highest rated defensive prospect in the pipeline, Belle contended for a roster spot out of camp, and looks to be one of the first call-ups should injuries strike the blueline. The knock on Belle has been his lack of hockey sense, but his impressive skillset is sure to find its place on the Wild blueline.
8. Colton Gillies, C/W- The Wild traded up to grab Gillies, a big, swift skating and hard hitting forward. Gillies has received for a lack of offensive production, but is a hard worker and a team player, and his Saskatoon team just isn't very good. He will be an NHLer, but in the character player/energy line mold. To quote a scout, "He is and will be an impact player."
9. Cal Clutterbuck, W- "The Human Buzzsaw", a hard working and tireless skater who will hit just about anything that moves, but a look at his point totals at Oshawa of the OHL indicates that Clutterbuck (one of the coolest hockey names ever) has a fair amount of scoring upside. He, like Madsen and Kalus, will be looked upon to lead a young Houston squad this year.
10. Ondrej Fiala, C- The Czech Native is a fantastic skater with an intriguing upside- the question is can he stay healthy. Fiala is at the end of rehabbing his knee after a 3rd surgery, and after impressing the brass at the Traverse City Tournament (he was singled out by Tommy Thompson a couple times for his play), he had a longer stay with the club during Training Camp for rehab and development purposes. What role Fiala will play in the future is up in the air, but the swift and gritty skater will play in Saskatoon with Colton Gillies following a trade from Everett in the WHL.
11. Ryan Jones, W- The Miami of Ohio captain has had two 20 goal seasons at the NCAA level the past two years, often taking his preferred spot in front of the net for the garbage goals. A strong, north-south type player, Jones will lead the Redhawks towards the CCHA title in his senior season, so look for Jones to get a contract offer when he season is done.
12. Clayton Stoner, D- Stoner had a strong rookie season, but took his lumps last year, along with the rest of the Houston Aeros. Stoner was among the few players Doug Risebrough singled out to step up their play for this upcoming season. A big, physical stay at home Defenseman, Stoner has been compared to former Wild Willie Mitchell.
13. Paul Albers, D- The Wild signed Albers as a free agent last summer, and Albers subsequently played in the CHL with the Texas Wildcatters, earning an all-star nod. An offensive defenseman, Albers will continue his development with on the Houston blueline this year.
14. Cody Almond, C- Tommy Thompson referred to Almond as "this year's pet project" after the Wild took him in the 5th round in the 2007 draft. Almond led the lowly Kelowna Rockets in scoring in 06-07, and is a hard working and responsible center with some scoring ability. Almond may turn out to be a late round gem.
15. Kyle Medvec, D- The Apple Valley native spent year with the Sioux City Muskateers of the USHL following a Mr. Hockey nomination his senior year at Apple Valley. Medvec is a tall stay at homer, with a cannon of a point shot. His skating does need to work, but he could be really effective if he builds up a bit of a nasty streak. Medvec will suit up for the Vermont Catamounts in Hockey East.
16. Justin Falk, D- Not too much unlike Medvec, Falk is another tall stay at home defenseman for the Spokane Chiefs of the WHL. Early at Spokane Falk was everyone's favorite scapegoat, but has turned into one of their key players, getting sizable amounts of ice time in all situations. Many would like to see Falk play with more of an edge.
17. Julien Sprunger, LW- The Swiss player has good size 9(6'4", and according to reports has bulked up and is playing mean, which has increased his point totals so far. Its been oft rumored that Sprunger will make his way over to North America, so until that happens he will remain on the bottom of the prospect list.
18. Peter Olvecky, C- The Slovak fits the mold of a generic NHLer, but has yet to impress in Prospect Tournaments and in Houston. Time might be running out for Olvecky.
19. Matt Kassian, W- The big man and Enforcer signed a 3 year deal with Minnesota in the offseason, and much like Derek Boogaard will be given plenty of time to develop into a player that the Wild brass hopes can take a regular shift at the NHL level.
20. Anton Kudobin, G- And rounding out the list is Russian Goaltender Anton Khudobin. Khudobin had a sort of rough year playing with the Saskatoon Blades in the WHL, which led to him returning to Russia to play last year. The Wild signed Khudobin in the offseason, and will start the year with Texas of the ECHL. Khudobin's ranking signifies that the goaltending cupboard after Josh Harding is pretty bare.
Basically we are loaded on Forwards, but at the back end and in net we are lacking sorely. That's what free agency is for right?
Back in the USSR
I know this is late (what, my take on something that happened days ago? gee, what a shocker), but Roman Voloshenko, once considered a hotshot prospect for Minnesota, left the Houston Aeros and signed a contract with AK Bars Kazan of the Russian Super League. Voloshenko, a former 2nd round pick, really opened some eyes when he had 33 goals and 60 points in his rookie season with Houston in 2005-06. A legit sniper, Voloshenko worked hard to improve his skating, and his outgoing personality helped him become fluent with the english language. These seemed sunny right?
Well, when his linemates Erik Westrum and Kirby Law (both AHL All-Stars that year) left the Aeros, Voloshenko's numbers suffered. Big time. 11 goals and 30 points. It became clear that his numbers were a product of his linemates- all he had to do was get in a position to be set-up. He had a poor Prospect Tournament, which led to an early cut from Training Camp. He was chastised by Wild Brass for being in poor shape, and floundered last year. Well, this year was no different. Nondescript tourney, early cut.
Feelings hurt.
On the cattle car back to Belarus.
Voloshenko has been suspended, and chances are he isn't gonna come back to the US, and if he does, he won't be playing with the Wild. Dougie Risebrough made it pretty clear that the Roman Voloshenko run here is over.
Here is were it gets bittersweet for Wild Nation- fast forward back to Draft Day, 2006. The Wild had two selections in the first round, the 9th and 17th. With the 9th they took James Sheppard, now playing with the big club. The 17th pick, if I may refresh your memory, was what we received in return for shipping Dwayne Roloson to Edmonton for their playoff run. Well, we had started to talk to LA about getting Pavol Demitra (a key component that basically led Marian Gaborik resigning long-term). LA head honcho Dean Lombardi said they wanted the 17th, and one of our younger guys to go with it- Risebrough had put the kaybash on Koivu, Burns, Bouchard, etc. So it came down to Roman Voloshenko and Patrick O'Sullivan (who had just been named AHL rookie of the year, and was an all-star with Houston.)
Well, the Wild aired a program on FSN with centered around their draft day, and the selection of Sheppard and the acquisition of Demitra. So there is a scene where Risebrough talks with his scouts about how LA wanted either Voloshenko or O'Sullivan. The scouts seemed to agree that Voloshenko had better character and could be a legitimate game breaker whilst there were some questions about who O'Sullivan could be as an NHL player. O'Sullivan also had some question marks concerning his character, which led to him dropping from the top 10 all the way to 56th (late second round) in his draft year. So there it was, O'Sullivan and the 17th for Demitra, because it was because they liked what Voloshenko brought to the table more.
And now Voloshenko is back in Russia...And O'Sullivan is a winger on LA's checking line.
Sports Illustrated had a small article about how Russian Hockey Players are starting to become a bit of a rarity in the NHL these days. Many cite a primadonna attitude, a high maintenance tendency which lead to some being enigmas- many of these players are super-skilled, but are ultimately coach-killers. A prime example is Alexei Cherepanov. Cherepanov was arguably a top 5 talent in this years NHL Entry Draft, some say the most offensively skilled player this year. Strong performances at the U-18's and World Junior Championships cemented that, and it also helped that he broke Pavel Bure's rookie goals record as a 17 year old playing in the Russian Super League. But questions about his character dropped him all the way to 17th, where the New York Rangers took him. The Other factor is that Russia is the only country that has signed the transfer agreement instituted by the International Ice Hockey Federation. The way it works is this- if the Wild sign a player from say, Finland, than the hockey club the player was on would receive $200,000 from the NHL as compensation. Russia won't sign it, because $200k is highway robbery for players like Alexander Ovechkin and Evgeni Malkin (Malkin himself was the subject of a giant kerfuffle last year, trying to get out of his contract in Russia and trying to get to Pittsburgh.) Consequently, the NHL could stop Russian players under NHL contract from playing in international competitions. An ugly mess indeed. When it boils down to it, Russian players, no matter how skilled, are now giant question marks when it comes to drafting and signing.
That is all for today class, quiz on Friday.
Well, when his linemates Erik Westrum and Kirby Law (both AHL All-Stars that year) left the Aeros, Voloshenko's numbers suffered. Big time. 11 goals and 30 points. It became clear that his numbers were a product of his linemates- all he had to do was get in a position to be set-up. He had a poor Prospect Tournament, which led to an early cut from Training Camp. He was chastised by Wild Brass for being in poor shape, and floundered last year. Well, this year was no different. Nondescript tourney, early cut.
Feelings hurt.
On the cattle car back to Belarus.
Voloshenko has been suspended, and chances are he isn't gonna come back to the US, and if he does, he won't be playing with the Wild. Dougie Risebrough made it pretty clear that the Roman Voloshenko run here is over.
Here is were it gets bittersweet for Wild Nation- fast forward back to Draft Day, 2006. The Wild had two selections in the first round, the 9th and 17th. With the 9th they took James Sheppard, now playing with the big club. The 17th pick, if I may refresh your memory, was what we received in return for shipping Dwayne Roloson to Edmonton for their playoff run. Well, we had started to talk to LA about getting Pavol Demitra (a key component that basically led Marian Gaborik resigning long-term). LA head honcho Dean Lombardi said they wanted the 17th, and one of our younger guys to go with it- Risebrough had put the kaybash on Koivu, Burns, Bouchard, etc. So it came down to Roman Voloshenko and Patrick O'Sullivan (who had just been named AHL rookie of the year, and was an all-star with Houston.)
Well, the Wild aired a program on FSN with centered around their draft day, and the selection of Sheppard and the acquisition of Demitra. So there is a scene where Risebrough talks with his scouts about how LA wanted either Voloshenko or O'Sullivan. The scouts seemed to agree that Voloshenko had better character and could be a legitimate game breaker whilst there were some questions about who O'Sullivan could be as an NHL player. O'Sullivan also had some question marks concerning his character, which led to him dropping from the top 10 all the way to 56th (late second round) in his draft year. So there it was, O'Sullivan and the 17th for Demitra, because it was because they liked what Voloshenko brought to the table more.
And now Voloshenko is back in Russia...And O'Sullivan is a winger on LA's checking line.
Sports Illustrated had a small article about how Russian Hockey Players are starting to become a bit of a rarity in the NHL these days. Many cite a primadonna attitude, a high maintenance tendency which lead to some being enigmas- many of these players are super-skilled, but are ultimately coach-killers. A prime example is Alexei Cherepanov. Cherepanov was arguably a top 5 talent in this years NHL Entry Draft, some say the most offensively skilled player this year. Strong performances at the U-18's and World Junior Championships cemented that, and it also helped that he broke Pavel Bure's rookie goals record as a 17 year old playing in the Russian Super League. But questions about his character dropped him all the way to 17th, where the New York Rangers took him. The Other factor is that Russia is the only country that has signed the transfer agreement instituted by the International Ice Hockey Federation. The way it works is this- if the Wild sign a player from say, Finland, than the hockey club the player was on would receive $200,000 from the NHL as compensation. Russia won't sign it, because $200k is highway robbery for players like Alexander Ovechkin and Evgeni Malkin (Malkin himself was the subject of a giant kerfuffle last year, trying to get out of his contract in Russia and trying to get to Pittsburgh.) Consequently, the NHL could stop Russian players under NHL contract from playing in international competitions. An ugly mess indeed. When it boils down to it, Russian players, no matter how skilled, are now giant question marks when it comes to drafting and signing.
That is all for today class, quiz on Friday.
#6...Out past my bed time
Ick.
For those who stayed out (or up) late dutifully to watch our favorite hockey team knows what I'm talking about. The Wild were awfully shitty in LA. Too many penalties (*cough* Brent Burns *cough*) not only meant that our bench was essentially shortened, but that it also gave numerous opportunities for LA's emerging young guns (Patrick O'Sullivan, Dustin Brown, Alex Frolov, Jack Johnson, and most notably, Anze Kopitar) to flash their skill and beat the last undefeated team in the league.
And after 4 periods, they did in a shootout. Hell, given the way he looked in the shootout, I probably could have beaten Nik Backstrom 5-hole.
Go figure- the least undefeated team in the NHL goes to the oft-defeated LA Kings, and thanks to all of those wonderful jinx stats, they took the L. Well not thee L, but the L that is to the far right of the seven number-long NHL hockey record.
There were positives- Mikko Koivu is rapidly becoming one of the better two-way players in the NHL. Seriously, you watch Mikko Mouse play, and its hard to fathom that how he is as a player now is as good as he is gonna get. Already a Lemaire favorite, and I'm convinced also a fan favorite, I think you'll see Koivu get a stint as captain for a month sooner than later.
Speaking of Koivu, I thought the line with him, Parrish, and Radivojevic were particularly good- controlling the puck down low, creating energy, taking solid shifts. Radio could be in line for a particularly good year, especially with his possible unrestricted Free Agent status at the year's end.
Demitra and Gaborik are starting to heat up- so will the scrutiny for the lack of a #1 center for them.
I was disappointed that we didn't get to see Derek Boogaard and Reitans Ivanans lock horns- in fact, I don't think Boogaard saw a shift after the 2nd period. Same goes with James Sheppard- the kid took a pretty chincy penalty in the 2nd, and rode the pine for the rest of the game. Even without the penalty, I wouldn't imagine Lemaire would throw him out there in a tight game.
But was it unrealistic to think that we would go 82-0? Of course- its a marathon, not the shuffle run. The Wild are far from a perfect team, the veritable "on all five cylinders" machine; too many penalties and some glaring defensive lapses are a testament to that. Still, we have managed to win without playing at our best (albeit against mediocre competition, perhaps an indictment?) and there are flashes of dominance. For now the Blues are coming to town, which may become a relatively interesting feud- hopefully the chippy little battles from the preseason (and Andy Murray's comments about the Wild, Boogey in particular are sure to resonate) will spill over and give credence to a geographical rivalry (The old Norris Days!)
82-0? dead.
81-1? Very much alive, baby.
For those who stayed out (or up) late dutifully to watch our favorite hockey team knows what I'm talking about. The Wild were awfully shitty in LA. Too many penalties (*cough* Brent Burns *cough*) not only meant that our bench was essentially shortened, but that it also gave numerous opportunities for LA's emerging young guns (Patrick O'Sullivan, Dustin Brown, Alex Frolov, Jack Johnson, and most notably, Anze Kopitar) to flash their skill and beat the last undefeated team in the league.
And after 4 periods, they did in a shootout. Hell, given the way he looked in the shootout, I probably could have beaten Nik Backstrom 5-hole.
Go figure- the least undefeated team in the NHL goes to the oft-defeated LA Kings, and thanks to all of those wonderful jinx stats, they took the L. Well not thee L, but the L that is to the far right of the seven number-long NHL hockey record.
There were positives- Mikko Koivu is rapidly becoming one of the better two-way players in the NHL. Seriously, you watch Mikko Mouse play, and its hard to fathom that how he is as a player now is as good as he is gonna get. Already a Lemaire favorite, and I'm convinced also a fan favorite, I think you'll see Koivu get a stint as captain for a month sooner than later.
Speaking of Koivu, I thought the line with him, Parrish, and Radivojevic were particularly good- controlling the puck down low, creating energy, taking solid shifts. Radio could be in line for a particularly good year, especially with his possible unrestricted Free Agent status at the year's end.
Demitra and Gaborik are starting to heat up- so will the scrutiny for the lack of a #1 center for them.
I was disappointed that we didn't get to see Derek Boogaard and Reitans Ivanans lock horns- in fact, I don't think Boogaard saw a shift after the 2nd period. Same goes with James Sheppard- the kid took a pretty chincy penalty in the 2nd, and rode the pine for the rest of the game. Even without the penalty, I wouldn't imagine Lemaire would throw him out there in a tight game.
But was it unrealistic to think that we would go 82-0? Of course- its a marathon, not the shuffle run. The Wild are far from a perfect team, the veritable "on all five cylinders" machine; too many penalties and some glaring defensive lapses are a testament to that. Still, we have managed to win without playing at our best (albeit against mediocre competition, perhaps an indictment?) and there are flashes of dominance. For now the Blues are coming to town, which may become a relatively interesting feud- hopefully the chippy little battles from the preseason (and Andy Murray's comments about the Wild, Boogey in particular are sure to resonate) will spill over and give credence to a geographical rivalry (The old Norris Days!)
82-0? dead.
81-1? Very much alive, baby.
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Follow The Leader
Yo Minnesota...The Isles are on to something here.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/richard_deitsch/10/08/islanders.bloggers/index.html
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/richard_deitsch/10/08/islanders.bloggers/index.html
Sunday, October 14, 2007
#5...Blood Feud
Really, the story is Josh Harding- "Da Kid" shuts out the defending Stanley Cup champs, stopping shot after shot, absorbing stick after stick to the helmet, and all around being a pillar at the back end. 37 saves, not bad for the future...
Say what you will about Brad May, he did the right thing when it came to throwing down with Derek Boogaard. Don't get me wrong, what he did to Kim Johnsson was gutless, and he probably should have sat out the rest of the Cup playoffs, but he did own up to the fact that we, (the team and Wild Nation) had a problem with what he did, and accepted the challenge to fight. As much as I despise Jim Souhan, he was right in saying that May did what he had to do tonight, and now its in the past and we can play hockey...
...which brings me to Jim Souhan. Wrong guy to have on talking hockey on FSN. Its one thing to have him on Twins Live, because all he does is rag about the anemic lineup for 4 months out of the year, but to hear him try and provide insight on Brian Rolston's goal and how Eric Belanger "skated hard to make it seem like a 2 on 1, and it was a 2 on 1" was absurd. Give me Jeff Dubay, give me Doug Woog, give someone who knows something.
Mark Parrish's goal tonight was a beauty- and to think that he had the easiest part of that sequence is a testament to Mikko Koivu and Branko Radivojevic's efforts.
82-0, the dream is still alive...
Say what you will about Brad May, he did the right thing when it came to throwing down with Derek Boogaard. Don't get me wrong, what he did to Kim Johnsson was gutless, and he probably should have sat out the rest of the Cup playoffs, but he did own up to the fact that we, (the team and Wild Nation) had a problem with what he did, and accepted the challenge to fight. As much as I despise Jim Souhan, he was right in saying that May did what he had to do tonight, and now its in the past and we can play hockey...
...which brings me to Jim Souhan. Wrong guy to have on talking hockey on FSN. Its one thing to have him on Twins Live, because all he does is rag about the anemic lineup for 4 months out of the year, but to hear him try and provide insight on Brian Rolston's goal and how Eric Belanger "skated hard to make it seem like a 2 on 1, and it was a 2 on 1" was absurd. Give me Jeff Dubay, give me Doug Woog, give someone who knows something.
Mark Parrish's goal tonight was a beauty- and to think that he had the easiest part of that sequence is a testament to Mikko Koivu and Branko Radivojevic's efforts.
82-0, the dream is still alive...
Saturday, October 13, 2007
#3........belation
Ya I know this is late, but I'm a busy man. Anyways, it appears as if Mikko Koivu is now the front-runner in the "center the greatest show on ice" line with Gaborik and Demitra. Demitra campaigned for it after the game, and Jacques Lemaire seems to be willing to go with it for the next few games. Personally I like it- this allows James Sheppard to get minutes with Mark Parrish and Branko Radivojevic on the gritty-down low cycling checking/scoring line. The way those two play fit Sheppard's game, its just a matter of him not leading the play and staying higher in the offensive zone. And with Dom Moore hurting in his abdomen, Sheppard will get some quality minutes not unlike game 3- where he started with the 4th line, spent some time with the 3rd, soon a regular shift with Bouchard and Rolston, and even a taste with the Slovaks.
-Brent "Motherfuckin'" Burns. Need I say anymore?
Quickly, here's a few observations from the Gopher-RPI game last night:
- Kevin Wehrs was the best defenseman last night- solid play in both ends, and the play that really got me was how calmly he ended a potential Engineer scoring opportunity but just kicking the puck away. I think he'll be the cream of the freshman crop.
- Derek Peltier just doesn't seem like he can handle being "the guy" on defense- I know its the first game, but he seems like more of a depth guy, a guy who excels as a #3-4 D. He looked like he was trying to do too much.
- Maybe David Fischer will get there, but its kind of a lot to have a Sophomore who was playing #5-6 minutes last year to be your top pairing guy. He has the ability to do that, but there is a learning curve- he has all the tools (he made some insane passes last night, great vision) but it might be kind of an adventure.
- As for the forwards, I think the lull was due to nerves and the fact that RPI took it to them pretty good. But as you saw, once they scored that first goal, things started clicking. Mike Hoeffel had a nice game- he looks to be a sniper, and Patty White has some potential too. Should be an exciting squad this year.
- I'd like to see Kyle Okposo become a little more physical, especially on the forecheck. Hit someone for god's sake Kyle.
- And finally, Blake Wheeler needs to shoot more. In fact everyone does, because an ugly goal counts just the same as a pretty goal.
-Brent "Motherfuckin'" Burns. Need I say anymore?
Quickly, here's a few observations from the Gopher-RPI game last night:
- Kevin Wehrs was the best defenseman last night- solid play in both ends, and the play that really got me was how calmly he ended a potential Engineer scoring opportunity but just kicking the puck away. I think he'll be the cream of the freshman crop.
- Derek Peltier just doesn't seem like he can handle being "the guy" on defense- I know its the first game, but he seems like more of a depth guy, a guy who excels as a #3-4 D. He looked like he was trying to do too much.
- Maybe David Fischer will get there, but its kind of a lot to have a Sophomore who was playing #5-6 minutes last year to be your top pairing guy. He has the ability to do that, but there is a learning curve- he has all the tools (he made some insane passes last night, great vision) but it might be kind of an adventure.
- As for the forwards, I think the lull was due to nerves and the fact that RPI took it to them pretty good. But as you saw, once they scored that first goal, things started clicking. Mike Hoeffel had a nice game- he looks to be a sniper, and Patty White has some potential too. Should be an exciting squad this year.
- I'd like to see Kyle Okposo become a little more physical, especially on the forecheck. Hit someone for god's sake Kyle.
- And finally, Blake Wheeler needs to shoot more. In fact everyone does, because an ugly goal counts just the same as a pretty goal.
Monday, October 8, 2007
Rainy Day Women
So...here's an odd story for you.
http://www.startribune.com/wild/story/1469916.html
So Tyler Hirsch gets all huffy because the Minnesota Wild and Houston Aeros had the gaul, the sheer nerve, to say that *GASP* they and Hirsch agreed to a contract. Those fucking bastards! How dare they say they offered a hockey contract. I can picture Hirsch stomping his feet and pouting during the phone interview too.
What a wack job.
http://www.startribune.com/wild/story/1469916.html
So Tyler Hirsch gets all huffy because the Minnesota Wild and Houston Aeros had the gaul, the sheer nerve, to say that *GASP* they and Hirsch agreed to a contract. Those fucking bastards! How dare they say they offered a hockey contract. I can picture Hirsch stomping his feet and pouting during the phone interview too.
What a wack job.
Sunday, October 7, 2007
#2
Through the power of the internet, I was able to catch the game last night streaming- it was the FSN Ohio feed, but it worked for me. And I am sure that Dan Terhaar and Mike Greenlay probably sound as stupid as the Blue Jackets announce team did.
The Belanger-Bouchard-Rolston line is the shit, basically winning the past two games. By the looks of it, Bouchard is going to have a monster year. Eric Belanger's goal was theee momentum changer- It was a huge shot in the arm for not only the team, but also for the stagnating X crowd. The Koivu line, who played shutdown last night against Columbus' top line of Fedorov-Vyborny-Nash, went out the shift after the goal and punched the Jackets in the mouth. By my count, Stephane Veilleux had 6 big hits alone in the Columbus zone- 4 of them were on defenseman Rostislav Klesla.
James Sheppard was supposed to debut last night, but had to be scratched because of some red tape- Assistant GM Tom Lynn acknowledged the snafu as being his fault, and I'm sure we'll see Sheppard debut against Edmonton. By the way, in Mike Russo's blog it mentioned that after becoming $85,000 richer, Sheppard plans on getting a cell phone, a driver's license, and a new car to replace his trusty 1991 Acura Integra- all 232,000 miles. Ahhhh...reminds me of my old Toyota Camry, and those 225,000 glorious miles.
Wes Walz is hurt- he has some sort of knee injury, and Wild Nation will find out the diagnosis tomorrow. If Walz is hurt, I think you see the Benoit Pouliot flag-bearers campaigning hard for a call-up. Russo had a rather blunt editorial in the paper this weekend about how Pouliot should be with the big club. Hey I agree, he's the one guy who looks like he fits in with the Slovaks, and while he might get used to the position in Houston, but we wouldn't be worrying about Walz playing big time minutes and getting hurt. Pouliot is gonna be here at one point or another, so why not sooner than later?
The Belanger-Bouchard-Rolston line is the shit, basically winning the past two games. By the looks of it, Bouchard is going to have a monster year. Eric Belanger's goal was theee momentum changer- It was a huge shot in the arm for not only the team, but also for the stagnating X crowd. The Koivu line, who played shutdown last night against Columbus' top line of Fedorov-Vyborny-Nash, went out the shift after the goal and punched the Jackets in the mouth. By my count, Stephane Veilleux had 6 big hits alone in the Columbus zone- 4 of them were on defenseman Rostislav Klesla.
James Sheppard was supposed to debut last night, but had to be scratched because of some red tape- Assistant GM Tom Lynn acknowledged the snafu as being his fault, and I'm sure we'll see Sheppard debut against Edmonton. By the way, in Mike Russo's blog it mentioned that after becoming $85,000 richer, Sheppard plans on getting a cell phone, a driver's license, and a new car to replace his trusty 1991 Acura Integra- all 232,000 miles. Ahhhh...reminds me of my old Toyota Camry, and those 225,000 glorious miles.
Wes Walz is hurt- he has some sort of knee injury, and Wild Nation will find out the diagnosis tomorrow. If Walz is hurt, I think you see the Benoit Pouliot flag-bearers campaigning hard for a call-up. Russo had a rather blunt editorial in the paper this weekend about how Pouliot should be with the big club. Hey I agree, he's the one guy who looks like he fits in with the Slovaks, and while he might get used to the position in Houston, but we wouldn't be worrying about Walz playing big time minutes and getting hurt. Pouliot is gonna be here at one point or another, so why not sooner than later?
Thursday, October 4, 2007
#1
82 - 0, here we come.
Opening night- a huddled mass of humanity, fueled by the passion for hockey (and liquor!), in one of the best sports venues in the country.
My boy and I started at Alary's- and my how the changes have swept through- no more free parking, and much to everyone's dismay, no more liquor on the bus. It's a freaking cop bar for christ's sake! Anyways back to the parking, we get to the ramp, only to see "$3 Event Parking, Pay Immediately" signs, with various clowns in reflective vests waiting for said money. My friend and I begin to cuss and moan, pay, and then after we get through the gate, we are stopped by an Alary's employee (or at least he had the shirt on), and in a very incognito manner, almost in a drug deal type scenario, whispers this to us:
"ya we don't have any control over what the city does with parking, but if you bring in the parking ticket it is good for a well drink." Seriously I was sitting in the passenger seat, and I heard half of it because it was so hush-hush.
Anyways, my parking fee goes towards a rail whiskey? I'm in.
We get to the game, and the "opening ceremonies" were tear-jerkers. Now I don't mean to be crass, or to denounce what and who that were featured, but man...it kinda seemed like the 6 o'clock news hour before they dropped the puck. First up was the Red Bull Unit from the Minnesota National Guard. (you may have heard of them- you know, the unit that was the longest serving ground unit in Iraq that was recently and cruelly jobbed out of education benefits by our own government. It is all over the news) A video montage of the unit was shown, and a large "USA" chant broke out. In my opinion, these guys are heroes, and despite what those game show hosts in Washington do, the people who are actually involved deserve respect.
The team is announced, with Derek Boogaard, Josh Harding, Wes Walz, and Brent Burns getting the largest responses, or at least in my opinion- the "BOOOOOO" (it was a good booo) during Boogey's entrace was deafening. On a side note, Mikko Koivu nearly fell flat on his face when he stepped onto the ice.
Fast forward to the ceremonial dropping of the puck. Its John Kreisel, a local Iraq vet who lost both of his legs during his tour of duty. An immense round of applause and cheering for Kreisel. You could tell he was very touched by outpouring of support. It was a very nice moment, and I mean that.
And to top it off, here to do the "let's play hockey" chant? The Navy Dive Team that helped with the I35 bridge collapse. Another huge pop. Like I said, I don't mean to be crass, or come across as insensitive, but it was hard to be there and look at the aforementioned people without feeling a bit meloncholy. Its weird to think that nearly everything mentioned has happened since the Wild were eliminated in the spring- sort of like the confines of the X and the 18, 568 (yep, another sellout) are a security blanket of sorts.
But It was collective relief when the puck was dropped.
The only thing I can think of was nerves- guys were getting in each others way, passes weren't crisp, a few lapses defensively...by no means could tonight's game be considered a barometer for what could be the 07-08 season.
(on a side note, you could tell that James Sheppard was just blown away by the whole thing- when his name was announced, he got a pretty big roar of support. You could see Sean Hill and Kurtis Foster elbowing him, kind of going "pretty cool, eh? welcome to the NHL")
-Niklas Backstrom basically kept us in the game- that sprawling save on Patrick Sharp in the first was a key save- it kind of seemed to me that if Chicago could have gotten one by him that it would have started a deluge. But, thankfully for us, it never happened.
-My buddy couldn't stop raving about Eric Belanger- and rightfully so. He was everywhere, and seemed to be involved with every shift. His assist on Pierre-Marc Bouchard's goal was incredibly beautiful- hopefully a sign of things to come.
-I caught some of Boogaard's fight- while waiting to get back down to our seats, the fight broke out. But because of the whole "no aisle action during play rule" a huge line of people were relegated to standing in the concourse while the skirmish broke out, causing people to scatter like cockroaches when it turned out there were fisticuffs. And I hate to say it, I think Boogey took the L- he caught one right on the button at the end of the fight which just folded him at the waist, and he didn't play the rest of the night- he was on the bench at the end, but he took one right in the mush. However, there is no telling what that gargantuan uppercut that just missed David Koci's face could have done.
-Also, former University of Wisconsin player Adam Burish was a complete pain in the ass all night, jumping Booagaard at one point, and even getting Brian Rolston all riled up. It seems like he may have found his niche at this level.
-The 1st overall pick in 2007, Patrick Kane, made his regular season debut tonight- and he was pretty impressive, especially for being a 5'8" 160 pound 18 year old. Very good stick handling, a few hits, and he created some scoring chances along the way. Chicago is going to be scary this time next year, after he and Jonathan Toews get a year of experience in the NHL.
But, its a start. Bring on Columbus.
Opening night- a huddled mass of humanity, fueled by the passion for hockey (and liquor!), in one of the best sports venues in the country.
My boy and I started at Alary's- and my how the changes have swept through- no more free parking, and much to everyone's dismay, no more liquor on the bus. It's a freaking cop bar for christ's sake! Anyways back to the parking, we get to the ramp, only to see "$3 Event Parking, Pay Immediately" signs, with various clowns in reflective vests waiting for said money. My friend and I begin to cuss and moan, pay, and then after we get through the gate, we are stopped by an Alary's employee (or at least he had the shirt on), and in a very incognito manner, almost in a drug deal type scenario, whispers this to us:
"ya we don't have any control over what the city does with parking, but if you bring in the parking ticket it is good for a well drink." Seriously I was sitting in the passenger seat, and I heard half of it because it was so hush-hush.
Anyways, my parking fee goes towards a rail whiskey? I'm in.
We get to the game, and the "opening ceremonies" were tear-jerkers. Now I don't mean to be crass, or to denounce what and who that were featured, but man...it kinda seemed like the 6 o'clock news hour before they dropped the puck. First up was the Red Bull Unit from the Minnesota National Guard. (you may have heard of them- you know, the unit that was the longest serving ground unit in Iraq that was recently and cruelly jobbed out of education benefits by our own government. It is all over the news) A video montage of the unit was shown, and a large "USA" chant broke out. In my opinion, these guys are heroes, and despite what those game show hosts in Washington do, the people who are actually involved deserve respect.
The team is announced, with Derek Boogaard, Josh Harding, Wes Walz, and Brent Burns getting the largest responses, or at least in my opinion- the "BOOOOOO" (it was a good booo) during Boogey's entrace was deafening. On a side note, Mikko Koivu nearly fell flat on his face when he stepped onto the ice.
Fast forward to the ceremonial dropping of the puck. Its John Kreisel, a local Iraq vet who lost both of his legs during his tour of duty. An immense round of applause and cheering for Kreisel. You could tell he was very touched by outpouring of support. It was a very nice moment, and I mean that.
And to top it off, here to do the "let's play hockey" chant? The Navy Dive Team that helped with the I35 bridge collapse. Another huge pop. Like I said, I don't mean to be crass, or come across as insensitive, but it was hard to be there and look at the aforementioned people without feeling a bit meloncholy. Its weird to think that nearly everything mentioned has happened since the Wild were eliminated in the spring- sort of like the confines of the X and the 18, 568 (yep, another sellout) are a security blanket of sorts.
But It was collective relief when the puck was dropped.
The only thing I can think of was nerves- guys were getting in each others way, passes weren't crisp, a few lapses defensively...by no means could tonight's game be considered a barometer for what could be the 07-08 season.
(on a side note, you could tell that James Sheppard was just blown away by the whole thing- when his name was announced, he got a pretty big roar of support. You could see Sean Hill and Kurtis Foster elbowing him, kind of going "pretty cool, eh? welcome to the NHL")
-Niklas Backstrom basically kept us in the game- that sprawling save on Patrick Sharp in the first was a key save- it kind of seemed to me that if Chicago could have gotten one by him that it would have started a deluge. But, thankfully for us, it never happened.
-My buddy couldn't stop raving about Eric Belanger- and rightfully so. He was everywhere, and seemed to be involved with every shift. His assist on Pierre-Marc Bouchard's goal was incredibly beautiful- hopefully a sign of things to come.
-I caught some of Boogaard's fight- while waiting to get back down to our seats, the fight broke out. But because of the whole "no aisle action during play rule" a huge line of people were relegated to standing in the concourse while the skirmish broke out, causing people to scatter like cockroaches when it turned out there were fisticuffs. And I hate to say it, I think Boogey took the L- he caught one right on the button at the end of the fight which just folded him at the waist, and he didn't play the rest of the night- he was on the bench at the end, but he took one right in the mush. However, there is no telling what that gargantuan uppercut that just missed David Koci's face could have done.
-Also, former University of Wisconsin player Adam Burish was a complete pain in the ass all night, jumping Booagaard at one point, and even getting Brian Rolston all riled up. It seems like he may have found his niche at this level.
-The 1st overall pick in 2007, Patrick Kane, made his regular season debut tonight- and he was pretty impressive, especially for being a 5'8" 160 pound 18 year old. Very good stick handling, a few hits, and he created some scoring chances along the way. Chicago is going to be scary this time next year, after he and Jonathan Toews get a year of experience in the NHL.
But, its a start. Bring on Columbus.
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
quickly
-Pavol Demitra will be the Captain for October- it is the first captaincy of Demitra's career. Like Marian Gaborik, Demitra committed himself to training in order to stay healthy this year.
-Petteri Nummelin skated with the team, which means Erik Reitz is on the slow bus ride to Houston. Dammit.
-Jacques Lemaire was on Chad Hartman today- you can listen to it here:
http://www.kfan.com/cc-common/podcast/single_podcast.html?podcast=KFAN_Hartman.xml
-Petteri Nummelin skated with the team, which means Erik Reitz is on the slow bus ride to Houston. Dammit.
-Jacques Lemaire was on Chad Hartman today- you can listen to it here:
http://www.kfan.com/cc-common/podcast/single_podcast.html?podcast=KFAN_Hartman.xml
Onward to the Event Horizon
In today's Star Tribune, Johan Santana told the fishwrap that he'd waive his no-trade clause if the right team wanted to acquire him. A few weeks ago there was some hub-bub about the LA Dodgers having internal meetings regarding about a possible push to get Santana- Top Prospect Clayton Kershaw (a 6'4" power lefty who models his game after Santana's; considered to be theeee top prospect in all of baseball) and outfielder Matt Kemp.
Now there's rumors coming that following their historic and tragic collapse, the New York Mets may be in the hunt now- major moves is how GM Omar Minaya do- and names like Jose Reyes and David Wright (very very tempting) have popped up. I've heard something like Reyes/Wright, a pitcher, and Carlos Gomez for Santana + spare part or Santana/Bartlett. It is quite a talker indeed.
"Everything about the Twins I love...at the same time, if I have to go somewhere else, and its for the better, I'll do it. I won't have any problems with that" was Santana's sentiment in the Strib this morning.
Now, are we already at the point where we know we can't resign him?
Better yet, are we quickly reaching that point of no return, the event horizon where we can't look back, where we have to trade Santana because there has been too much talk and speculation? For some reason this situation rings familiar- oh ya, Kevin Garnett. There is already banter about whether or not the Twins will get a better return now, or at the 08 Trade Deadline, possible projected lineups...And to our knowledge, new GM Bill Smith hasn't even talked to Peter Greenberg, Santana's agent, since taking over for Terry Ryan.
Its kind of funny in a way- the framework for one thing hasn't taken place yet, but then again the framework for something else is already being built.
Now there's rumors coming that following their historic and tragic collapse, the New York Mets may be in the hunt now- major moves is how GM Omar Minaya do- and names like Jose Reyes and David Wright (very very tempting) have popped up. I've heard something like Reyes/Wright, a pitcher, and Carlos Gomez for Santana + spare part or Santana/Bartlett. It is quite a talker indeed.
"Everything about the Twins I love...at the same time, if I have to go somewhere else, and its for the better, I'll do it. I won't have any problems with that" was Santana's sentiment in the Strib this morning.
Now, are we already at the point where we know we can't resign him?
Better yet, are we quickly reaching that point of no return, the event horizon where we can't look back, where we have to trade Santana because there has been too much talk and speculation? For some reason this situation rings familiar- oh ya, Kevin Garnett. There is already banter about whether or not the Twins will get a better return now, or at the 08 Trade Deadline, possible projected lineups...And to our knowledge, new GM Bill Smith hasn't even talked to Peter Greenberg, Santana's agent, since taking over for Terry Ryan.
Its kind of funny in a way- the framework for one thing hasn't taken place yet, but then again the framework for something else is already being built.
Monday, October 1, 2007
When vanilla is the 30th ranked flavor at Baskin Robbins
I know its nearly hockey season, and basically for the past month its been nonstop puck banter- I did my best to talk about the Twins, but I kicked their asses to the curb after one of those terrible little runs, the kind where they win 4 in a row, get your hopes up, then turn around and lose a homestand to some horseshit team like Texas, and fuck up your emotions. A bunch of heartbreakers, indeed.
I covered the Vikings briefly here and there, and basically let it go because everyone else in this town, media (tv, radio, print, electronic) or not, are talking purple. (Ya, I realized that KFAN on mondays after vikings' losses can be pretty bad, when some hunjuks from Dawson or Embarrass, or whereever call in and piss and moan on air.) I'll watch em, I follow them to a certain extent- I know what's going on, but I really don't get into the hardcore mania some of the crazies do (some of my friends), but man, they are a sad excuse for a football team right now.
Here's just some thoughts after 4 games:
1. the throwbacks from yesterday are infinitely more better than the horrific new-fangled ones they were for the other 15 games.
2. Putrid clock management. Just terrible, my living room was screaming in unison to get a play off before the two-minute warning in the 4th quarter, and Kelly (Whiny Pussy) Holcomb just sauntered the troops to the line, and dawdled. Hey Kelly, you're the leader of the offense, get your ass to the line, and they will follow you.
3. Kelly Holcomb sucks. Its just that he doesn't suck as badly as Brooks Bollinger. In fact, I'd rather see a wide-eyed, raw, and over-his-head Tavaris Jackson back. My favorite Holcomb moment so far is the whiny bitch face he gets when something doesn't go right, like when Visanthe Shiancoe jumped offside, or when Holcomb himself threw the ball into the armpits of various defensive linemen.
4. Our passing game is just anemic. Granted they did try and stretch the field a bit, but more misfires. Sidney Rice could be something good, but if he doesn't get the ball thrown to him, we won't know. And why did we pick up Shiancoe again?
5. There is no, and I mean absolutely none, excuse for the fact that Adrian Peterson's playing time in the 4th quarter (not only of this last game, but also in Detroit and in Kansas City) is limited. AP has proven so far that he is the most skilled of the skill positions, and yet he got two carries (FUCKING TWO) in the 2nd half. He leads the team in rushing (by a huge margin), total yards (by a huge margin), and touchdowns. Unacceptable...which leads me to...
6. Brad Childress is a snake-oil salesman. The coach has quietly made his bed with the past 20 games, and folks are already calling for his head. And to think we are just 4 games into this season- Zygi Wilf is no fool, he's a business man- he sees that the Vikes are teetering on the brink of blackouts and almost complete fan disinterest, and it all stems from the product on the field. If you got a shitty product, which means no money, how is Zygmunt gonna get his new stadium built? Fan Apathy isn't gonna do it.
Well, another mediocre to terrible team in the Twin Cities, almost one for every season.
Thank god the puck drops on Thursday night.
I covered the Vikings briefly here and there, and basically let it go because everyone else in this town, media (tv, radio, print, electronic) or not, are talking purple. (Ya, I realized that KFAN on mondays after vikings' losses can be pretty bad, when some hunjuks from Dawson or Embarrass, or whereever call in and piss and moan on air.) I'll watch em, I follow them to a certain extent- I know what's going on, but I really don't get into the hardcore mania some of the crazies do (some of my friends), but man, they are a sad excuse for a football team right now.
Here's just some thoughts after 4 games:
1. the throwbacks from yesterday are infinitely more better than the horrific new-fangled ones they were for the other 15 games.
2. Putrid clock management. Just terrible, my living room was screaming in unison to get a play off before the two-minute warning in the 4th quarter, and Kelly (Whiny Pussy) Holcomb just sauntered the troops to the line, and dawdled. Hey Kelly, you're the leader of the offense, get your ass to the line, and they will follow you.
3. Kelly Holcomb sucks. Its just that he doesn't suck as badly as Brooks Bollinger. In fact, I'd rather see a wide-eyed, raw, and over-his-head Tavaris Jackson back. My favorite Holcomb moment so far is the whiny bitch face he gets when something doesn't go right, like when Visanthe Shiancoe jumped offside, or when Holcomb himself threw the ball into the armpits of various defensive linemen.
4. Our passing game is just anemic. Granted they did try and stretch the field a bit, but more misfires. Sidney Rice could be something good, but if he doesn't get the ball thrown to him, we won't know. And why did we pick up Shiancoe again?
5. There is no, and I mean absolutely none, excuse for the fact that Adrian Peterson's playing time in the 4th quarter (not only of this last game, but also in Detroit and in Kansas City) is limited. AP has proven so far that he is the most skilled of the skill positions, and yet he got two carries (FUCKING TWO) in the 2nd half. He leads the team in rushing (by a huge margin), total yards (by a huge margin), and touchdowns. Unacceptable...which leads me to...
6. Brad Childress is a snake-oil salesman. The coach has quietly made his bed with the past 20 games, and folks are already calling for his head. And to think we are just 4 games into this season- Zygi Wilf is no fool, he's a business man- he sees that the Vikes are teetering on the brink of blackouts and almost complete fan disinterest, and it all stems from the product on the field. If you got a shitty product, which means no money, how is Zygmunt gonna get his new stadium built? Fan Apathy isn't gonna do it.
Well, another mediocre to terrible team in the Twin Cities, almost one for every season.
Thank god the puck drops on Thursday night.
The look and sound of clarity
Here is the High Definition schedule of games concerning our favorite hockey team for the 2007-08 season.
10/10 Edmonton (FSN)
10/30 Pittsburgh (Vs)
11/18 Colorado (FSN)
12/22 Detroit (FSN)
12/31 San Jose (FSN)
1/13 Phoenix (FSN)
1/27 All-Star Game (Vs)...even HD probably won't save this one, last year's event was horrid.
1/30 Anaheim (Vs)
2/9 New York Islanders (FSN)
2/19 Vancouver (FSN)
2/24 Calgary (KSTP)
3/9 San Jose (KSTP)
3/13 New Jersey (FSN)
3/17 Colorado (Vs)
3/28 Vancouver (FSN)
3/30 Colorado (FSN)
4/6 Colorado (KSTP)
FSN = Fox Sports
Vs = Versus
KSTP = you get the idea.
10/10 Edmonton (FSN)
10/30 Pittsburgh (Vs)
11/18 Colorado (FSN)
12/22 Detroit (FSN)
12/31 San Jose (FSN)
1/13 Phoenix (FSN)
1/27 All-Star Game (Vs)...even HD probably won't save this one, last year's event was horrid.
1/30 Anaheim (Vs)
2/9 New York Islanders (FSN)
2/19 Vancouver (FSN)
2/24 Calgary (KSTP)
3/9 San Jose (KSTP)
3/13 New Jersey (FSN)
3/17 Colorado (Vs)
3/28 Vancouver (FSN)
3/30 Colorado (FSN)
4/6 Colorado (KSTP)
FSN = Fox Sports
Vs = Versus
KSTP = you get the idea.
And in this corner...
...Wild Assistant GM Tom Lynn blogged about dealing with agents recently for a section of Wild.com call "Hockey Ops."
http://boards.wild.com/index.php?automodule=blog&blogid=2&showentry=47
http://boards.wild.com/index.php?automodule=blog&blogid=2&showentry=47
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