Wild

Liveblogging the Wild: Game 5 vs. Avalanche; Wild lose 3-2

Filed under: Wild

Coming home off a drubbing in Colorado, this game is huge in terms of momentum. History shows than 81% of the time, the team that wins Game 5 wins the series.

First Period

Let's get the band back together: Wild coach Jacques Lemaire has wisely decided to reunite the Fedoruk/Dmitra/Gaborik line that has proven to be a winning combination. Puck drops and the Wild are out to show that even if the Avs are too chicken to drop the gloves, this is going to be a physical game. The Boogeyman chases John-Michael Liles who gets blindsided by Stephane Veilleux! Boy, Veilleux is looking fired up this shift. Must have something to do with that fight last game. Todd Fedoruk lays out Peter Forsberg with a big hit. This is bigtime physical hockey and the Wild are really punishing the Avs. Ryan Smyth drives for the goal but Martin Skoula cuts him off and corrals him around the back of the net. That booing from the crowd means Derek Boogaard is back on the ice and looking for trouble. Colorado is on the power play--Milan Hejduk fires it in, the puck bounces off a skate and lands in Andrew Brunette's lap and he chips it in for the goal. 1-0 in the first period is becoming all too familiar for the Wild. Cody McLeod is in front of the goal chirping again. Forsberg takes a dive. Great sign in the crowd: "Swedish diving champion Peter Flopsberg." Brent Burns drives to the net and shoots; Fedoruk has a good look at a second chance but can't finish. Wild on the power play working the cycle--Burns with a beautiful dish to Pierre-Marc Bouchard who scores! Finally, the Wild end their long drought of first period scoring. That's a big momentum shifter as the period comes to an end.

Second Period

The puck drops and Wild get the draw. Boogey lines up against Laperriere but Lapussy wants nothing to do with it, Boogey squats in front of the goal and snaps back Liles head with a stiff shove. Gaborik to Demitra but the puck won't settle down. Veilleux in front of the net with a chance but Theodore kneels down on it. Bouchard leaves it for Rolston but his slapper is stuffed by Theodore. Veilleux is called for hooking and the Avs will have the man advantage. Burns loses his stick but he still throws a nice hit. Two minutes down with no shots on goal. Good penalty kill, boys. Keith Carney fires it in and Gabby has a great second chance but Theodore gets his left shin pad on it. Boogaard collides with Laperriere who stays down and eventually limps off the ice. Just desserts. Rolston gets a step and takes a great wrist shot that trickles across the crease but nobody's there to follow. Rolston fires a missile of a slapper and Theodore with another great stop, though he'll be feeling that one tomorrow. Avs have a two-on-one breakaway but it's broken up by Erik Reitz. Potential game-saver by a guy without a lot of minutes--good to see him stepping up. Demitra with a long slapper that scores, but the refs whistled it dead. Damn. Gabby to Skoula back to Gabby who has a great look. Fedoruk with another opportunity. Wild are getting a lot of chances--shot differential is 30-13--but Theodore is having a great series in goal. Rolston crosses to Burns who by all rights should score but Theodore shrugs it off, literally stopping the puck with his shoulder. Here's Gabby with a shot--stoned! Theodore is like the opposite of Neo from the Matrix--he sees projectiles in slow motion and finds a way to get his body in front of it. He's singlehandedly keeping the Avs in this game. The period ends tied 1-1.

Third Period

We're all tied up going into a crucial third period. Wild have played strong late in the game all series, so let's hope they can keep it up. Leperriere gets leveled by Fedoruk! Boy is Leperriere taking a well-deserved beating this game. Gabby on the odd-man rush with Demitra but it's broken up. Avs are getting off a lot of shots--this is dangerous. Smyth flops and it's another power play for the Avs--the officials have not been kind to the Wild. Across the ice to Wojtek Wolski one-timer scores! Let's get it back. Burns loses it to Hejduk who dishes to Stasny who backhands it past Backstrom and just like that the Wild are down 3-1. After dominating the game, it's starting to look out of reach for the Wild. Burns drives the net with Gabby but there's nothing there. Avs are sitting on their lead and running down the clock. With seven minutes left the team of 18,000 is getting restless and eyeing the exits. Sheppard with a great chance in front of the goal but Theodore dives on it. That may have been our last best chance. Lemaire pulls Backstrom at just under 2 minutes. Wild gets the draw and Rolston shoots and scores! Too bad there's only 2.5 seconds left. It would take a miracle slapper from center ice. Nope.

What a frustrating loss. Saturday is a must-win. In the meantime, check out my colleague Ben Palosaari's take on the game.

Here's a game summary courtesy of Wild PR dude Ryan Stanzel:

Post-Game Notes

April 17, 2008 ♦ Xcel Energy Center ♦ Saint Paul, Minn.

ATTENDANCE: 19,364 (overflow sellout)

Team 1st 2nd 3rd F
COLORADO (3-2) 1 0 2 3
WILD (2-3) 1 0 1 2

LW Wojtek Wolski and C Paul Stastny each scored early third period goals and G Jose Theodore made 38 saves as the Colorado Avalanche defeated the Minnesota Wild 3-2 in front of 19,364 at Xcel Energy Center to take a three games to two lead in their best-of-seven Western Conference Quarterfinal series. Former Wild LW Andrew Brunette also scored for Colorado, which can win the series on their home ice Saturday at 9 p.m. (CDT).

G Niklas Backstrom made 14 saves for Minnesota in suffering his third loss of the postseason.

RW Pierre-Marc Bouchard’s first period power-play goal marked the Wild’s first goal in the opening 40 minutes of any game in this series. The Wild had been outscored 10-0 in the first two periods, including LW Andrew Brunette’s goal at 12:24 of the first, and hadn’t scored a goal on its first 50 first period shots of the series. Bouchard netted his second goal of the series and third of his post-season career. He scored the game-winner in overtime in Game 3.

LW Brian Rolston’s goal at 19:57 of the final stanza marked the fifth consecutive playoff game that the Wild has scored in the third period. It marked Rolston’s second goal of the postseason and, combined with his assist on Bouchard’s second period goal, gives him a team-leading six points in the postseason (2-4=6).

C James Sheppard earned the first point in his playoff career with an assist on Rolston’s goal.

According to Elias Sports Bureau, when a best-of-seven NHL post-season series is tied 2-2, the Game 5 victor has gone on to win the series 158 of 196 times (80.6 percent). Minnesota is a combined 6-2 in games five, six and seven.

The Wild has twice won a series when trailing 3-2. The Wild is the lone team in NHL history to come back from a 3-1 deficit in back-to-back playoff series - against Colorado and Vancouver in 2003. Minnesota is 7-2 all-time in elimination games.

Colorado has won Games 4 and 5 by a combined 8-3 margin.

Before the Avs tallied a pair of third period goals tonight, the Wild had a 7-2 third-period advantage in the series, and a 9-3 bulge counting overtime. The Wild has led for 4:31 of the 324:23 played in this series - 1.4 percent of the time played.

The Wild fell to 4-9 all-time in home playoff games. A victory tonight would have marked Minnesota's first set of back-to-back victories at home in franchise history.

Minnesota has allowed the game’s first goal in nine straight playoff games, dating back to Game 1 of the 2007 Western Conference Quarterfinals versus Anaheim - the last time the Wild scored first.

Wild D Erik Reitz made his NHL playoff debut.

Minnesota’s 40 shots tied a team record for a playoff game last accomplished on April 17, 2007, in a 4-1 win over Anaheim in Game 4 of the conference quarterfinals. The Wild’s 17 first-period shots were a team playoff record. The old mark of 16 was set May 14, 2003, in the first period of a 4-0 loss at Anaheim in Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals.

Posted by Kevin Hoffman at April 17, 2008 10:58 PM | Comments (1)

 

Playoff Liveblog: Wild Are So Close to Great... But Not

Filed under: Wild

The Wild have been playing, especially in the second period, like they’re constantly on a power play—passing at will, shooting at the right time, but it’s all for naught. It’s thrilling, frustrating playoff hockey.

Minnesota has been spending so much time in Colorado’s zone, they should have their mail forwarded there. While the Avs’s five skaters have been trying desperately to handle the Wild’s assault, they’ve been ineffective at preventing shot after shot from just about Wild player. But Theodore is negating both Minnesota’s impressive shooting, and Colorado’s lackluster defense.

The man simply will not yield. He showed a possible chink when a shot from the blue line zoomed past him and found the net, but was called off for off sides. Otherwise, he’s been an impenetrable wall of goalie supremacy. Wild lead scorer Marian Gaborik is still goalless despite having a couple decent chances in this game. Let’s hope Wild goalie Niklas Backstrom has found some way to stay awake (maybe he keeps a copy of War and Peace or something in the net), because the Avs might actually come out with an offensive pulse in the third period.

Update: Backstrom ovbviously got cold while going untested for so long. The Avs just went up with two quick goals.

Update: Finally, the Wild blow one past Theodore with about 2 seconds left. Not much help in this game, but maybe it will be a psychological boost in game six. These are the games that frustrate fans more than anything else. Minnesota out played Colorado, they did almost everything right, but were beat soundly and repeatedly by one player. That’s all that takes in some games. Onto game six in Denver. The end.

Posted by Ben Palosaari at April 17, 2008 9:33 PM | Comments (0)

 

Colorado fears Boogaard

Filed under: Wild

With the score out of reach in the first blowout of the series, Game 4 got chippy and also gave us the first fisticuffs. So which of the many goons on the Wild did the Colorado Avalanche decide to throw down with? Stephane Veilleux, a 181 pounder who hardly holds a reputation as a prolific pugilist:

While Veilleux was in the penalty box, there was a lot of chirping between him and Cody McLeod, the gap-toothed agitator who earlier took a cheap shot at Eric Belanger, boarding him when he didn't have the puck.

In fact, the Colorado Avalanche have made being pussies a major part of their playoff strategy, according to this Strib story. But that hasn't deterred Wild enforcer Derek Boogaard from calling them out. Here's Boogaard on McLeod:

"I'm pretty sure it's the same McLeod that my brother [Aaron, former Wild draft pick and current Pittsburgh farmhand] was chasing after in juniors. My brother said he pulled the same stuff. That's probably why he has no front teeth -- somebody caught him."

And on Ian Laperriere, who was brave against the smaller Veilleux ("He plays hard and he knows he has to back it up, and he did.") but skates for the bench when tougher guys are around:

"Tell Laperriere to step up [tonight] if he wants to say that," Boogaard said.

Why are they so afraid of the Boogeyman? Here's a sampling of three YouTube clips from Derek Boogaard's Greatest Hits.

Boogaard's marathon beatdown on D.J. King

Boogaard breaks the face of his future teammate, Todd Fedoruk

Boogaard vs. the glass at prospects camp

Posted by Kevin Hoffman at April 17, 2008 3:33 PM | Comments (1)

 

Team of 18,000 Reams Denver Post Columnist

Filed under: Wild

In his Tuesday sports column in the Denver Post, writer Mark Kiszla complained about some rough play from the Wild. Minnesota fans decided to give him a piece of their collective mind on the Post's discussion boards. Ouch.

Once the faithful team of 18,000 caught wind of Kiszla's nagging about 'mugging' being the only Minnesota will win the series, the board became one giant crap on Kiszla fest. He claims, ignoring the major injury issue the Wild have had, that their weapon of choice against the aging Avs is brute force. He takes the liberty of bestowing a motto upon the Wild: 'If you can't beat 'em, break 'em.' Which isn't entirely true, but at least it's clearly marked as his opinion. Kiszla does cross the line however when recounting the Wild's Pierre-Marc Bouchard's game-winning overtime goal in game three as the result of luck. That is in no way an accurate portrayal of the goal, which could adequately be described as 'pretty darn snazzy'. And to add fuel to the fire, one smart reader posted a 2003 Kiszla column which was, er, very similar to this one. Anyway, there have been more than 500 comments left on the Post's site about this column, mostly it appears from Wild fans. Here are some choice comments:

'I didn't realize the Denver Post hired 12 year olds to write articles for them.'

'Grow up and stop the sour grapes, juvenile journalism.'

'Rip the uniforms, rip the fans and rip the state. It's all you can do when you know absolutely nothing about the sport that you are trying to cover. The truth is, fans from both teams have seen three great hockey games with plenty of scoring chances and great goaltending at both ends. I expect it will continue tonight and look forward to another great game.'

'Wow. You weren't watching the game, fella. Our "Goons" didn't even make a difference last night. Voros was ineffective, as was Simon, and the Boogeyman didn't play a lick.'

'And finally, the best posting, to lauded for its succinct, pointed analysis:
Kiszla overall I think you are as worthless as a rubber crutch in a polio ward, but congratulations, you have everyone in the Twin Cities laughing this morning with your cut-and-paste job from your 2003 article.

P.S. It shocks me that you have a job.'

The thrashing continues here.

Posted by Ben Palosaari at April 16, 2008 3:35 PM | Comments (2)

 

Liveblogging the Wild: Game 2 vs. Colorado Avalanche; Wild win 3-2 in O.T.

Filed under: Wild

This is a huge game. If we drop two at home, our chances of winning this series are crippled. I'll be updating this post between periods.

Photo by Jeff Hunsaker's F'ed up Camera

First Period
Before the game begins, the Wild introduce Kurtis Foster, who is back watching his team for the first time since his season ending injury March 19. I don't know if that's a harbinger or what, but shortly after, Branko Radivojevic absorbs a brutal hit and goes down. It looks like either his shoulder or leg. He's helped off the ice and back to the lockerroom. Not a good sign. Lots of pushing and shoving on the ice. Big hit on Kim Johnsson. I'm guaranteeing a fight in the second period. Stick catapulted into crowd! Peter Forsberg shoots and scores! Wow. What a turn of events. I've never seen a stick flung into the crowd like that. I wonder if Niklas Backstrom was distracted by it? Hope nobody was hurt. Looks like they're gonna trade the guy for a souvenir stick to keep the game stick. THROW IT BACK! THROW IT BACK! Brent Burns throws a huge check. Delayed penalty on the Wild for tripping. And that brings an end to a very contentious period.

Photo by Jeff Hunsaker's F'ed up Camera

Second Period
Avalanche starts on a power play. We're giving them way too many shots. Mikko Koivu hits the pipe. Gabby off the post! We're getting lots of chances, but it's a game of inches. Wild are creating opportunities on breakaways. Ian Leperriere is a marked man. Huge brawl about the break out on the ice. Here's Foster again ... let's win one for him! Koivu almost got a great rebound. Ouch, that hit on Ruslan Salei looked uncomfortably like the Foster incident. Huge hit from Martin Skoula on Cody McCleod. Another big hit from Skoula! This is a very rough game. Big save from Backstrom! Backstrom is making a lot of big stops to keep the Wild in this game. Forsberg takes out Backstrom--wow, this could get ugly. Forsberg is called for hooking. Pavol Demitra has a great shot! Todd Fedoruk takes a stick to the face. He's rubbing his jaw. Looks brutal on the replay.

Photo by Jeff Hunsaker's F'ed up Camera

Third Period

Starting on a power play, we need a goal here. Marian Gaborik centers to Fedoruk but he can't get it off. Aaron Voros is taking a beating in front of the net. Demitri slapshot scores! How loud is the Xcel? Jeff Hunsaker, our man on the scene, reports: "I can't hear myself." Huge save by Backstrom on a 2-on-1. Backstrom is complaining about goaltender interference. Wish we could send out Boogaard to regulate. Gaborik gets wrapped up. Penalty at 6:49 could give the Wild the chance for the win. Nice one-timer by Burns but Jose Theodore is a brick wall tonight. Leperriere on the breakaway--stoned by Backstrom! Koivu with a slapper through the 5-hole scores at 1:49! Wild up 2-1. Avs pull Theodore for the empty net. Penalty on the Wild. Hooking on Kim Johnsson. Coach Jacque Lemaire is looking pissed. 1:09 to kill for the win. Avs shoot and score! Assist by the referees. We're going to O.T. ... again.

Photo by Jeff Hunsaker's F'ed up Camera

The O.T.

It all comes down to this. Somebody stick to Super Joe Sacik. Keith Carney shoots and scores! Wild win! That was quick! Series ties 2-2 going into Colorado. What a series!

Photo by Jeff Hunsaker's F'ed up Camera

Photo by Jeff Hunsaker's F'ed up Camera

Posted by Kevin Hoffman at April 11, 2008 10:49 PM | Comments (0)

 

Playoff Liveblog: Photos from The X

Filed under: Wild

I'm disappointed that I haven't seen any homemade Stanley Cup hats, but there are plenty of rabid fans in the sea of 19,360 worth showcasing.

It's another sweat towel give away night.

The National Anthem. They've really perfected the whole projecting images on to the ice thing. The video highlights and graphics are really sharp.

Scott and Brianna Wukawitz from Cottage Grove with matching facepaint.

David Foster of Minneapolis.

Scott Drain of St. Paul says he dresses like this for every game. The gloves are vintage from the 1960s with steel plates in the thumbs.

Youth hockey teams sell game programs and the Wild donates a percentage of sales to their team. These kids are relentless! They rove in packs intent on earning dough, and they're good little salespeople. Several yelped '$3! CHEAPER THAN A GALLON OF GAS!' Christian Johnson of Bloomington was making his pitch loud and clear.

Ty and Nathan Hall came from Denver to see the game.

Mike, from Thunder Bay, Ontario, drove in through the latest blizzard to get to the game. He says that he finally stopped driving at 1:30 a.m. because there were whiteout conditions and he saw four cars marooned on the side of the road. He was a fan of the Qubec Nordiques, and when they abandoned him and moved to Colorado, he kept supporting them anyway.

Noah Ratgen of Lino Lakes.

Victory! Defenseman Keith Carney lights the lamp at 1:14 in overtime giving the Wild a 3-2 win and evening the series at 1-1.

Saluting the fans.

Posted by Ben Palosaari at April 11, 2008 8:25 PM | Comments (1)

 

Liveblogging the Wild: Wild lose game one 3-2 to Avalanche

Filed under: Wild

Tonight's game is sure to be exciting. I expect some vengeance to be meted out for the cheapshots against Marian Gaborik last time they faced each other. The cowardly Colorado team waited till all the Wild's tough guys were off the ice to provoke Gabby, resulting in his first fighting major and a bloody hand. Derek Boogaard promises it'll be a much different story when he's out policing the ice: "Obviously I'm going to be playing in the first game," said Boogaard, who was scratched Sunday. "We'll see if somebody has a problem then." I'll be blogging the game as it happens, so expect new content to pop up after each period of play.

1st Period
What a physical period. Running into Boogaard is like running into a brick wall. Sign in the crowd: "Laperriere: Aren't you too old to be afraid of the Boogeyman?" It looked like Mikko Koivu tackled the goalie, but he was pushed into the net from behind. The Wild send out Boogaard to keep everybody honest. I will be highly surprised if we don't see a fight in this game--it's badly needed to settle emotions and defuse some of the brewing tension on the ice. The Wild is giving better than they get--12 hits compared to 7 for the Avs. This, along with two power plays, gave the Wild a lot of room to take some pretty nifty shots. Even though the score remains tied as zero, the Wild are clearly dominating--the shot differential is Wild 11, Avs 2. I'll be back after the second period. There will be blood.

2nd Period
The Wild continue to have great opportunities, but they just can't light the lamp. The bad blood was evident as soon as the period began, with Brent Burns crosschecking Peter Forsberg after getting slashed. Ruslan Salei shoves Mark Parrish into the boards shoulder first, and though it didn't draw a penalty, there was clearly menace behind it. Parrish is still lying on the ice after the commercial break, which isn't a good sign. The Wild continue to look impotent on power plays. Brian Rolston has a great slapper and Boogaard has a second chance in the crease, but the puck just won't settle down and go into the net. The Wild look a bit lost on defense. Ryan Smyth gets a crazy deflection and the puck tumbles like a knuckleball into the upper left corner of the net. Avs 2, Wild 0. There's 18,000+ in attendance and you can hear a pin drop. It's been a demoralizing period. If I was Coach Jacques Lemaire, I'd start the third period by sending Boogey out to beat Ian Laperriere's ass and light a fire under the crowd.

3rd Period
The towels everybody's waving say, "Fight to the end," and this period the Wild lived up to that motto. Coming into the period down by two, the play is still physical with Todd Fedoruk steamrolling Jeff Finger. Koivu takes a shot that deflects off Finger's skate and into the goal! That's what we needed. The crowd is waving the rally towel and it's a one-point game. Scott Hannan delivers a left hook to James Sheppard--if it weren't the playoffs, there'd have been several fights already. Fedoruk is parked in front of the goal gets the feed, makes a quick move and backhands the puck into the net! Damn, when did T-Fed become a scoring threat? This is his first career playoff goal and it couldn't have come at a better time. The refs overlook an obvious trip and its becoming increasingly obvious that they're going to let the players police the ice. Forsberg throws a few jabs at Burns--I expect these two to tussle at some point this series. The Avs appear to score but on review it's clear the player kicked it into the goal with his instep. Disaster! At 2:27, Keith Carney reaches out to smother the puck in the crease and the refs call for a penalty shot. Ryan Smyth takes it down the ice and ... Backstrom stones him! Huge stop. Backstrom may not be the Dyson-like netminder he was last season around this time, but he's making plays when it counts. The Avs have several more opportunities but fail to capitalize. We're going to overtime!

The O.T.
We're giving the Avs way to many shots on goal, playing a dangerous game. Burns gets a nice shot on a great move that he uses in the shootout but can't get it past the pads. Pavol Demitra is charging down the ice with Gaborik but the pass gets stuffed. Joe Sakic gets a rebound, he shoots, he scores! It's over. Wild lose a hard-fought game. Although the loss is deflating, there's a moral victory in coming back from a 2-0 deficit to make the Avs earn it in overtime. This is going to be a great series. We'll get 'em Friday.

Posted by Kevin Hoffman at April 9, 2008 11:40 PM | Comments (0)

 

Avalanche Triumph in Overtime

Filed under: Wild

A Joe Sakic chip shot from out front brought the game to an abrupt end. It was Sakic’s 8th playoff overtime goal, a new NHL record. In his post-game press conference, Lemaire said ‘I was really happy with the way we played.’ He had no update on the injured Parish’s condition. The two sides go against each other next on Friday before heading to Denver.

Posted by Ben Palosaari at April 9, 2008 11:28 PM | Comments (0)

 

Second Intermission

Filed under: Wild

The Wild will need to pick up the pace, especially on the power play during the third period.

The Wild are struggling on the power play, an uncharacteristic zero for four with the extra man. Colorado took advantage of its only power play to go up 2-0 when Ryan Smyth punched a shot from just in front of Wild goal tender Niklas Backstrom.Despite testing Avs goalie Jose Theodore with plenty of shots, they're not handling scoring opportunities well. So far both squads are behaving themselves, there haven’t been any fights, and the pushing and shoving has been modest. Shot totals: MIN 20 COL 7.

Posted by Ben Palosaari at April 9, 2008 9:13 PM | Comments (0)

 

Puck Drop

Filed under: Wild

The fans are screaming, the zamboni has left the ice all shiny. It's playoff time.

It's another sellout and the X, just like every other wild home game, now totaling more than 300. Just prior to the game video of game highlights and a graphic of the Stanley Cup are projected on the ice, whipping the crowd into a frenzy. Helping demonstrate the excitement are 18,000 white towels fans found draped over their seats.The towels are printed with a simple slogan: Fight to the End. Fighting is something the Wild will have to be careful with. They must avoid a repeat of last year when the Ducks manhandled them, but they can't afford to the Av's powerful offense power plays. Jacques Lemaire has chosen to scratch bully Chris Simon, leaving Derek Boogaard and Todd Fedoruk to do the heavy hitting.

Posted by Ben Palosaari at April 9, 2008 7:45 PM | Comments (0)

 

A Very Short Introduction to Tonight's Game

Filed under: Wild

While most sportswriters and media predict the Wild will get through the Western Conference quarterfinals, there is some history worth pondering. Here's a brief look at the seasons that brought the Avalanche and Wild to The X tonight.

The Avalanche, born from the Quebec Nordiques, were perennial playoff participants. They made the playoffs every season from their inception in 1995 until last season. During that run the boys in burgundy won two Stanley Cup championships behind the powerful scoring corps of Adam Foote, Joe Sakic, and Peter Forsberg. Then following the lockout of 2004-05 season and handcuffed by the implementation of a salary cap, the team's front office disbanded the team's stars.

This was not good for Forsberg, the Swede with phenomenal scoring ability struggled with injuries, and wasn't playing this season. Then, not long before the end of the season, the Avs signed Forsberg, and traded for Foote. With their erstwhile team big names reunited, the chemistry is there, but so are several years and injuries.

The Wild, in the playoffs for the second year in a row, are northwestern division champs for the first time. After getting pushed around by the eventual champions the Anaheim Ducks, the Wild bulked up this season to augment their speed and power play skills. They added controversial enforcer Chris Simon who with Derek Boogaard form a lingering threat in opponents' minds. Marian Gaborik set team records for goals and points this season and, at least as importantly, stayed pretty healthy throughout the season. The Avalanche will by no means be easy to beat, but a tough team might be a good primer for Minnesota. If they get through this round, it will only get harder for them with no.1 and 2 seeds Detroit and San Jose also likely to advance.

Posted by Ben Palosaari at April 9, 2008 3:14 PM | Comments (0)

 

A Hockey Map! With Local Player Goodness!

Filed under: Wild

In anticipation of covering the Wild's first round playoffs, I present to you the geography of the of the Western Conference quarter finals.

Soccer may be the world's sport, but hockey is North America's and select places in Europe's sport.

View Larger Map

Posted by Ben Palosaari at April 9, 2008 9:57 AM | Comments (0)

 

Wild Style: ESPN's Jonah Keri previews the Wild's NHL playoff run

Filed under: Wild

The Minnesota Wild’s heading back to the playoffs! After winning the Northwest Division title for the first time in team history, the Wild earned home-ice advantage for the first round of the playoffs, starting Wednesday. In the team’s two prior trips to the post-season, the Wild made it to the conference finals in 2003, then lost in the first round last season.

Can the Wild make it all the way to the Cup finals for the first time in the team’s seven-year history? Let’s take a look at the key factors which could determine their fate.

Biggest Strength: Defense. If you play for Jacques Lemaire, you’re going to be fierce on D. The Wild has been an above-average defensive team in every year of its franchise history but one, playing for the guy who perfected the neutral-zone trap. This season, Minnesota’s 9th in the league this year with a 2.56 GAA. Brent Burns has had a great breakout season in his fourth year in the league, joining veterans like Kim Johnsson on a solid back line. The Wild’s forwards do a reasonable job of forechecking, but an even better job of preventing opponents from gaining the blue line. That’s a hallmark of a Lemaire team, with the equivalent of five defensemen on the ice at any given time.

Biggest Weakness: Scoring at even strength. The Wild rank just 18th in the NHL in goals scored per game. Minnesota has one of the better power plays in the league. The problem has been scoring when both teams are at full strength. Part of that’s by design, as Lemaire preaches conservative play. That makes Minnesota very tough to beat when the team’s ahead. But it also makes it hard for the Wild to come back when behind.

Go-to guy: Marian Gaborik. The highest single-season goals and points totals in Wild history are a great start. But more than sheer numbers, Gaborik is an attention-grabber. As a fan, your eyes are drawn to his ability to mesmerize opposing defenders and score at will. Opponents can also get caught Gaborik-watching. That’s a big reason why Brian Rolston cracked the 30-goal mark for the third straight year, and why anyone who’s on the ice at the same time as Gaborik has a chance to light the lamp.

X-factor: Mikko Koivu. The 25-year-old led the club in face-offs won last year with 583 and is again the Wild’s go-to guy on the draw. In the playoffs, where the value of special teams play grows and free-wheeling styles often get reined in, having a reliable face-off man matters a lot. Koivu does a lot more for the team too. A savvy defender, the third-line center’s +13 mark ranks him second on the club behind Gaborik. He’s the most likely Wild player to match up against a Paul Stastny, Mike Ribeiro or Pavel Datsyuk. Few players are a better fit for the Lemaire style of play.

How they match up with Colorado: The Wild finished the season by winning eight of its final 12 games. If netminder Niklas Backstrom can carry his play from that streak (just nine goals allowed in his last eight games), the Wild could breeze past the Avalanche. Minnesota took five of eight games against the ‘Lanche in the regular season, including a 4-3 shootout loss in the final game of the season Sunday. Two of the Wild’s three losses against the Avalanche came with backup Josh Harding in net, an advantage Colorado won’t be able to exploit in the playoffs.

The Wild’s other big strength lies in its special teams. Minnesota killed penalties at an 85.6% success rate this season, the second-best mark in the league. Its 18.9% success rate on the power play was 8th-best in the NHL. Meanwhile, Colorado ranked 29th on the power play and 20th short-handed. Many teams have gone far in the NHL playoffs largely on the strength of strong special teams play and a hot goalie. If Minnesota does advance, the Wild could present big problems for more skilled, higher-ranked teams too. --Jonah Keri

Posted by Jeff Shaw at April 8, 2008 5:42 AM | Comments (3)

 

Send in Boogaard--We don't need Gabby fighting UPDATED WITH VIDEO

Filed under: Wild

After clinching their division, the Wild are gearing up for the playoffs, which is not the time that you want your most skilled shooter out with a broken hand. From the Strib:

Then, at the end of overtime and knowing there was nobody but Wild skilled players on the ice, Laperriere again collided with Gaborik, the shocking result being Gaborik's first fighting major in 485 career games.

"We kind of collided, pushed, shoved and just happened to drop the gloves," said Gaborik, his right hand covered in gashes. "It happened so quick. It shows things are heating up. It's going to be a tough series. It's going to be a battle like five years ago."

When the Wild next meets Colorado, Gaborik plans to "play my game and leave that stuff for other guys."

And those "other guys," Fedoruk, Derek Boogaard and Chris Simon, weren't happy with Laperriere's antics.

"Obviously I'm going to be playing in the first game," said Boogaard, who was scratched Sunday. "We'll see if somebody has a problem then."

UPDATE: Here's a video of the melee:

The description of Gabby's "right hand covered in gashes" should send chills down the spine of every Wild fan. This is exactly why the team brought in Simon and Fedoruk to toughen up and send a message to teams that might try to take cheap shots at Gabby.

That forboding quote from Boogey at the end of the article reminded me that a little more than a year ago I was hanging out with him in the locker room, trying to get him to open up and talk about what it was like to be one of the most feared enforcers in the NHL. You can read the story here, and get a preview of the mayhem that awaits Colorado here in a YouTube gallery of Boogey's greatest hits.

If you could see Laperriere's nightmare right now, it would look like this:

Where to find the playoff games:

MINNESOTA WILD FIRST ROUND BROADCAST SCHEDULE

DATE GAME TIME (CDT) BROADCAST ON:
Wed., April 9 1 vs. Colorado 8:00 p.m. KSTC-TV
Fri., April 11 2 vs. Colorado 8:00 p.m. FSN North**
Mon., April 14 3 at Colorado 9:00 p.m. KSTC-TV
Tues., April 15 4 at Colorado 9:00 p.m. FSN North**
Thurs., April 17 *5 vs. Colorado 8:00 p.m. KSTC-TV
Sat., April 19 *6 at Colorado TBD FSN North**
Tues., April 22 *7 vs. Colorado TBD KSTC-TV
All times and broadcast locations are subject to change.
* If necessary. ** Available in high definition. Check with local cable and satellite providers for details.

Both Wild broadcast partners will also provide extended coverage of the first round playoff series. KSTC-TV will feature a 1-hour pre-game show prior to Game 1 and a 30-minute pre-game show before remaining playoff games and extended postgame coverage. FSN North first round broadcasts will feature regular Wild Live pre-and post-game shows.

Each Minnesota Wild game will also be available on WCCO 830 AM.

The Minnesota Wild will host a Pre-Game Rally from 5:00 to 7:30 p.m. at Rice Park in downtown St. Paul prior to Game 1 on Wednesday and Game 2 on Friday. The rally will include live music, food and beverage and the latest Wild Stanley Cup Playoff merchandise. Kids can get their playoff beard painted on.

Posted by Kevin Hoffman at April 7, 2008 9:23 AM | Comments (2)

 

Wild announces playoff schedule

Filed under: Wild

Hot off the presses:

MINNESOTA WILD ANNOUNCES SCHEDULE FOR

WESTERN CONFERENCE QUARTERFINALS

SAINT PAUL/MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. - The National Hockey League’s (NHL) Minnesota Wild will open up the 2008 Stanley Cup Playoffs with Game 1 of the Western Conference Quarterfinals against the Colorado Avalanche at Xcel Energy Center on Wed., Apr. 9, at 8 p.m. (CDT). The Wild will also host Game 2 of the best-of-seven series on Friday, Apr. 11, at 8 p.m. (CDT). A complete conference quarterfinal schedule is below.

Western Conference Quarterfinals

Game 1 - Wed., Apr. 9, Colorado at Minnesota, 8 p.m. (CDT)

Game 2 - Fri, Apr. 11, Colorado at Minnesota, 8 p.m. (CDT)

Game 3 - Monday, Apr. 14, Minnesota at Colorado, 9 p.m. (CDT)

Game 4 - Tuesday, Apr. 15, Minnesota at Colorado, 9 p.m. (CDT)

*Game 5 - Thursday, Apr. 17, Colorado at Minnesota, 8 p.m. (CDT)

*Game 6 - Saturday, Apr. 19, Minnesota at Colorado, (start time TBD)

*Game 7 - Tuesday, Apr. 22, Colorado at Minnesota, (start time TBD)

* - if necessary

A local television schedule for the Western Conference Quarterfinals will be announced early in the week.

The Wild will practice Monday at 12 p.m. at Xcel Energy Center.

There are a limited number of single seats left for each of the Wild’s four potential home conference quarterfinal games. Tickets can be purchased at the Xcel Energy Center Box Office and at all Ticketmaster (www.ticketmaster.com ) locations or charge by calling Ticketmaster at (651) 989-5151. A $2.00 facility fee will be added to all Wild single game playoff tickets. Ticketmaster charges are not included and are not applicable to tickets purchased at the Xcel Energy Center Box Office. A limit of four tickets per game may be purchased per person.

2008 Stanley Cup Playoff merchandise is available exclusively at The Hockey Lodge at Xcel Energy Center and at The Hockey Lodge at Mall of America. Additional playoff merchandise will be added to all locations prior to Game 1. For more information please call The Hockey Lodge at (651) 726-8250 or email hockeylodge@wild.com .

-- WILD --

Posted by Kevin Hoffman at April 6, 2008 10:31 PM | Comments (0)

 

Wild clinch division first time ever

Filed under: Wild

Here's your commemorative press release:

MINNESOTA WILD CLINCHES FIRST-EVER NORTHWEST DIVISION TITLE

Wild will have home ice in first round of 2008 Stanley Cup Playoffs

SAINT PAUL/MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. - The National Hockey League’s (NHL) Minnesota Wild has clinched its first Northwest Division title with a 3-1 victory over the Calgary Flames tonight at Xcel Energy Center. The Wild, which will hold the Western Conference’s No. 3 seed in the 2008 Stanley Cup Playoffs, is currently 44-28-9 with 97 points heading into Sunday’s 2 p.m. season finale at Colorado. Tonight’s win also marked the 500th regular season victory in Head Coach Jacques Lemaire’s career.

The 2008 Stanley Cup Playoffs begin on April 9 and 10. Minnesota’s first round opponent and schedule will not be determined until the conclusion of the NHL’s regular season on April 6.

The Minnesota Wild have announced that single game tickets for all home games in the first round of the 2008 Stanley Cup Playoffs will go on sale Saturday, April 5 at 9:00 a.m. at the Xcel Energy Center Box Office and at 10:00 a.m. at all Ticketmaster (www.ticketmaster.com ) locations or charge by calling Ticketmaster at (651) 989-5151. A $2.00 facility fee will be added to all Wild single game playoff tickets. Ticketmaster charges are not included and are not applicable to tickets purchased at the Xcel Energy Center Box Office. A limit of four tickets per game may be purchased per person.

And ticket prices:

2008 MINNESOTA WILD CONFERENCE QUARTERFINAL TICKET PRICES

Individual Ticket Prices Conference Quarterfinal
Club Level Sides $115
Club Level Ends $105
Lower Level Sides $107
Lower Level Corners $97
Lower Level Ends $87
Standing Room Only $63
Upper Level Sides $52
Upper Level Ends $38

In addition, 2008 Stanley Cup Playoff merchandise is available exclusively at The Hockey Lodge at Xcel Energy Center and at The Hockey Lodge at Mall of America. Additional playoff merchandise will be added to all locations prior to Game 1. For more information please call The Hockey Lodge at (651) 726-8250 or email hockeylodge@wild.com .

Posted by Kevin Hoffman at April 3, 2008 9:46 PM | Comments (1)

 

Kurtis Foster back in Minneapolis after horrifying crash

Filed under: Wild

Good news from Wild PR spokesman Ryan Stanzel: Kurtis Foster is back home and recovering from his broken leg.

Defenseman Kurtis Foster, who sustained a displaced fracture of his left femur March 19 at San Jose, necessitating surgery, was transported by plane today from San Jose to Minneapolis. He will be admitted to an area hospital, where he will be evaluated by a team doctor, and where he will continue the physical therapy he has been undergoing daily at San Jose's O'Connor Hospital. He will be discharged when he is physically able to move about his home under his own power. There is no set timetable for moving him into his home. His progress will dictate when he leaves the hospital.

For those who haven't seen it yet, here's the YouTube clip of Foster's car-crash-like collision with the boards while chasing the puck:

More good news: The Wild committed to re-signing Foster when he recovers:

It's not known when, or even if, defenseman Kurtis Foster will be able to play next season after breaking his femur last week, but Wild General Manager Doug Risebrough said Friday he plans to re-sign the free-agent-to-be.

"I don't have to qualify him [to retain his rights], but I will," Risebrough said. "It's a bad message not to do that. He's a good player. He needs a motivation [to rehab], and he doesn't need that stress in his life."

That's a standup move by Risebrough, and more evidence that hockey remains one of the few sports that values personal honor.

Posted by Kevin Hoffman at March 28, 2008 8:41 PM | Comments (1)

 

Fine feathered fiends

Filed under: Wild

Exhibit A on why we need players like Derek Boogaard

Our recent cover story on hockey fighting sparked a debate about why the NHL continues to tolerate fisticuffs. Some even went so far as to suggest it was racist, since fighting is heavily penalized in African American-dominated sports such as basketball, but earns just a short stay in the penalty box in the majority-white NHL.

But anybody wondering whether fighting serves a legitimate purpose in hockey need look no further than Game 4 of the Wild's playoff game against the referees the Mighty Ducks.

After the Wild went up 4-1 in the third period, the game began to resemble a streetfight more than an organized sport. Wild defenseman Brent Burns (above) admirably showed up for his second scrap of the series, thoroughly trouncing the overmatched Corey Perry.

Then all hell broke loose.

With less than two minutes to play in the all-but-decided game, the refs lost control and the Ducks decided to take out their frustrations via cheap shots and sucker punches. Ducks left winger Shawn Thorton was the third man in during a fight between teammate Kent Huskins and the Wild's Adam Hall. While the cowardly Ducks were going two-on-one with Hull, Anaheim agitator (read: chickenshit) Brad May cold cocked Wild pacifist Kim Johnsson, who'd done nothing to provoke the blindside attack. Johnsson collapsed to the ice with a head injury in what was a scary moment for the home crowd, which had earlier made its feelings about the piss poor officiating with a rousing chorus of "bullshit."

The jeers turned to cheers when Coach Jacques Lemaire took action where the refs would not, sending Wild enforcer Derek Boogaard onto the ice to restore order. Showing their yellow bellies, the Ducks ducked and covered, refusing to engage the Boogeyman and finishing the game in a defensive crouch. Afterwards, Boogaard made his feelings clear.

"Brad May is supposed to be a tough guy and everybody sits there and says he's one of the toughest guys in the league," Boogaard said. "I don't think tough guys go around suckering guys that don't fight. If he deserves respect and does stuff like that, he's not going to get respect in this series... if he even plays again. He's done for the rest of the playoffs as far as I'm concerned."

Which is to say there's a lot of bad blood that might be spilled on the ice tonight during Game 5, which starts at 9:30 p.m. in Anaheim. The Ducks better come prepared to drop the gloves and fight like men, because the Boogeyman certainly is.

Posted by Kevin Hoffman at April 19, 2007 10:59 AM | Comments (3)

 

The Wild go Duck hunting

Filed under: Wild

NHL teams often bench their tough guys during playoffs, because the game is so much different than the regular season.

There's a sad irony in the fact that the guy who takes the lumps for his team day in and day out often doesn't share the glory of post-season play.

Last month, when I interviewed Wild Head Coach Jacques Lemaire for my cover story about Derek Boogaard, I asked if there was any chance The Boogeyman would see ice during the playoffs.

"If we play Anaheim, he will probably play," Lemaire said.

Evidently, Lemaire is a man of his word, because Boogaard took his regular shift last night in Game 1 against the Ducks.

The Boogeyman has his work cut out for him. Anaheim led the NHL in fighting majors with 71 this year—20 more than the next closest team—and has enough tough guys to start a street gang, led by 6-foot-5, 230-pound George Parros.

Meanwhile, the Wild has an Army of One.

Last night's game was a mixed bag for Boogaard. He took a penalty for charging early in the first period that swung momentum to the Ducks. But in the second period, the Boogeyman played disciplined hockey and drew a holding penalty that put the Wild on a power play right after they scored to go up 1-0.

Unfortunately, the Wild wasn't able to seize the advantage. That left the door open for the Ducks to eke out a 2-1 heartbreaker, despite the Dyson-like goalkeeping of Niklas Backstrom, who got run by his own teammate in the third to give Anaheim a cheap goal and a victory in Game 1.

Game 2 of the best-of-seven series will be played at Anaheim on Friday at 9:30 p.m.

Posted by Kevin Hoffman at April 12, 2007 3:16 PM | Comments (0)

 

"The Boogeyman" vs. Edmonton Oilers' Zack Stortini

Filed under: Wild

City Pages cover boy Derek "The Boogeyman" Boogaard dropped the gloves last night against Zack Stortini of the Edmonton Oilers. Off the face off, the players bear hugged and ripped off each others hats. Boogey started dropping overhand rights on the back of Stortini's skull, and the overmatched Oiler was clearly looking for a way out. Stortini hooked Boogaard's leg (what is this, Ultimate Fighting?) and the two men fell to the ice, ending the fight prematurely, but not before the Wild's enforcer had notched another victory.

Posted by Kevin Hoffman at April 4, 2007 4:40 PM | Comments (0)