Have you ever had an air travel day from hell? I know I did when I was in college. I was on a college field trip to the eastern United States for a Civil War history course I was taking and everything was going well until I was supposed to fly back home to the Twin Cities. We were flying out of Ronald Reagan International in Washington D.C., and our group arrived in plenty of time to go through security and check our bags but when we arrived at the gate the flight was inexplicably delayed. Eventually, after 4 separate hour-long delays the flight was canceled. Normally, a traveler would seek out a hotel to spend the night, but no rooms were to be found since it was the 1998 Stanley Cup Finals where the Washington Capitals and Detroit Red Wings were playing Game 4 (which ended in a Red Wings sweep) so that meant I had to sleep in the airport. Trust me, sleep was something that is near impossible in an airport. From the constant 24 hour announcements over the PA system about the security of your bags stating you have to be in physical contact with your bags at all times otherwise it will be confiscated to the buffing machines zooming by all through the night. I know that is an extreme example but I have no doubt that some people have even worse air travel stories. Either way, if you’ve ever traveled by air you can understand the basic headaches that come along with it. The delays, the security checkpoints, the waiting, and the luggage checks. It is that last part which was featured for tonight’s game between the Minnesota Wild and the Washington Capitals. Individual players will occasionally have equipment woes, usually not as bad as the Wild did last year when the majority of its equipment burnt up in a bizarre fire in Ottawa last season but very rarely do we hear about a player missing his equipment. Why? A part of NHL Equipment Manager’s job is to make sure every players’ gear gets on the plane when they travel, but the same cannot be said of the league’s officials. NHL officials are changed up frequently so their travel is far more complicated and the only one that is making sure its equipment gets to where it needs to is the official themselves or at least that’s what NHL linesman Mike Cvik thought. Cvik, the 6’8″ linesman arrived in the Twin Cities only to find out his luggage did not make it to the Twin Cities with him. The situation caused the NHL to frantically call another linesman in Thor Nelson who was on a layover flight in Minot, North Dakota of all places to make his way to St. Paul to take Cvik’s spot. When Nelson arrived, his luggage was also nowhere to be found but luckily for him the Wild was actually able to outfit him with everything he needed from skates to helmet. Cvik, at 6’8″ simply is not a guy that standard-sized gear will work for so he got to watch the game instead while the officiating crew went nearly half the game with just 2 referees and one linesman. For Nelson, he will likely have to borrow gear from the Anaheim Ducks when he works as a linesman there tomorrow. Poor guy, he has my sympathies.
Travel challenges aside the Wild’s biggest challenge will be to shutdown one of the most potentially explosive offenses put together since the lockout. The Wild cannot expect to play the way it did Monday and be able to keep the game close the way it did against the Los Angeles Kings. The poor play prompted Wild Head Coach Todd Richards to ease up a bit by having an optional practice and an intensive film session to point out the team’s mistakes. This homestand is crucial for the Wild as they find themselves currently sitting in 13th in the Western Conference. So will the Wild respond with a better effort tonight or will Minnesota look like a deer in headlights as they are caught standing still against the star-studded Capitals?
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Minnesota started the game with great hustle and right from the drop of the puck they were forechecking well and keeping the high powered Capitals contained in their own zone. From the reconfigured top line of Mikko Koivu, Chuck Kobasew and Andrew Brunette to the energy line of Cal Clutterbuck, Eric Nystrom and John Madden the Wild were able to win the races to the puck against the Capitals who appeared a little sluggish. Minnesota was also getting great support from their defense who was holding the offensive zone and stepping up to prevent the Capitals from mounting a counter attack. The Wild were causing Washington to have some problems, but the pressure was not always translating to shots on goal; and it was the Capitals who had the first quality scoring chance as a long-range shot by former Blaine Bengal Matt Hendricks was steered aside by Niklas Backstrom. The Wild would answer back with a quality scoring chance of their own as Andrew Brunette rang a shot off the post and out. Minnesota would keep working hard and their first goal was the result of its hard work as Clayton Stoner helped hold the zone and he pushed the puck back deep where Andrew Brunette won the race for the puck and he turned a slid a great cross-ice pass to Chuck Kobasew who buried it past Michal Neuvirth to give the Wild a 1-0 lead. The Capitals, most notably Alexander Ovechkin was becoming frustrated by the tight checking of the Minnesota Wild who always seemed to be nearby to deny time and space. Kobasew looked like a different player as he was using his quickness to find open areas on the ice and looked very natural on the top line. At times the Capitals seemed a bit careless with the puck and a perfect example of that was the result of the forechecking pressure the Wild had going all night, as Eric Nystrom caused Washington’s Tyler Sloan to cough up the puck and as Jesse Schultz moved over to pick up the loose biscuit Sloan would cut off Nystrom from getting to it first and he’d earn himself an interference penalty. On the power play the Wild struggled to get set up in the offensive zone as the Capitals were pressuring the puck carrier. Would open up a few opportunities from the point as Nick Schultz found some open space as he stepped into a slapper that missed wide of the mark. The Capitals pressure would nearly give them a shorthanded goal as Mike Knuble would disrupt a pass near the point and he’d race into the Wild zone where he’d drive a shot on goal that was held onto by Backstrom. Minnesota would resume its tight checking style that had brought it success thus far and the Wild fans would serenade their club with an appreciative cheer as they carried their 1-0 lead into the 2nd.
Minnesota started the 2nd with the same blue collar effort that had served them so well in the 1st period. The hustle was working well but they had to feel a little tense when Brad Staubitz was sent to the sin bin for interference. The Wild’s penalty kill was rock solid as John Madden and Eric Nystrom helped deny the Capitals from simply setting up Alexander Ovechkin and then it was Niklas Backstrom to get the crowd on their feet with a jaw dropping save on Mike Knuble who one-timed a shot that was denied by the leg pad of the Wild goaltender as he went post-to-post. Minnesota would put the Capitals back on the power play a few minutes later when Mikko Koivu would earn a slashing minor. Again the Wild’s penalty kill was rock solid as they took away passing and shooting lanes with good active sticks. You could see the Wild’s style of play was really starting to get to Ovechkin who was throwing water bottles as he sat on the bench as well as him giving a few choice words for Minnesota’s Brent Burns who seemed to be his shadow almost all game long. Burns, would try to get involved offensively and he would wind up and unleash a slapper which struck the crossbar by a well screened Michal Neuvirth. A few minutes later there would be a little controversy as Jason Chimera would use hi speed and 6’2″ frame to take the puck into the net where he tried to help his cause by pushing Backstrom into the goal which was immediately waived off by NHL referee Kyle Rehman. The goal would be reviewed briefly before it was confirmed that contact was made by Chimera causing the puck and goaltender to be pushed over the goal line. Washington’s Matt Bradley would get tagged with an interference penalty and Minnesota would make them pay for their carelessness. The Wild’s power play moved the puck quickly and efficiently from out high to down low as Mikko Koivu tried to thread a pass to Chuck Kobasew who was hauled down by Karl Alzner (who would be called for hooking) and the puck worked out to Marek Zidlicky who fired a shot on goal that Neuvirth stopped but the rebound would skitter out to the slot where Matt Cullen fanned on a shot but Mikko Koivu was there to fire it by the Washington goaltender to give Minnesota a crucial 2-0 lead going into the 3rd.
In the 3rd period the Wild were unable to take advantage of an early power play that carried over from the 2nd period. The Capitals were pinching more defensively as they attempted to cut into the Wild’s two-goal lead. Washington would find themselves denied on some terrific saves by Backstrom, the first coming off the stick of Nicklas Backstrom who pounced on a rebound near the Wild crease and watched helplessly as his wrister was snagged out of the air by an amazing glove save by Niklas Backstrom. A few minutes later, Alexander Ovechkin would try to spark some offense as he dished a pass to Mike Knuble who quickly relayed a pass to a wide open Mike Green who pulled the trigger on a one-timer that was stonewalled by Backstrom. The Capitals’ frustration would result in two Wild power plays, but Minnesota seemed more content to simply kill time than to pepper Neuvirth with shots and the Capitals would go back on the attack. With just over 2 minutes left to play, Capitals Head Coach Bruce Boudreau pulled Neuvirth for an extra attacker and Minnesota would sit back and wait for Washington to attack. Mike Green would pass the puck up to a charging Alexander Ovechkin who moved into the Wild zone and then went across the ice before flinging a wrister that beat a well-screened Niklas Backstrom to cut the Minnesota lead in half, 2-1. Neuvirth would remain on the bench as the Capitals worked for the equalizer but Minnesota’s defense was able to muck the play up along the boards and Minnesota would hold on for a victory.
Niklas Backstrom had 21 saves in the victory, but he delivered a number of high quality saves to keep the Capitals from gaining any momentum. He was seeing the puck very well tonight and showcasing tremendous lateral mobility as he denied a few Capitals players by moving post-to-post. His tremendous glove save on Nicklas Backstrom was another sign he was on his game and was a deserving 1st star of the game. Defensively the Wild did a good job at denying time and space all over the ice and Minnesota did a terrific job on the penalty kill as well. Minnesota’s blueliners were playing physical and taking every opportunity to throw their body around which seemed to bother the Capitals’ skill players who struggled to sustain much offense against the Wild. Greg Zanon, Nick Schultz, as well as young defenders Justin Falk and Clayton Stoner kept things simple and was not chasing Washington all over the ice. It is unfortunate that the Caps were able to ruin Backstrom’s shutout bid, but the Wild must feel proud at the way they limited the scoring opportunities throughout most of the game.
Offensively the Wild did not create all that many scoring chances, registering just 17 shots on goal which is a source of concern but it was enough to get the job done. Chuck Kobasew looked very good on the top line and I think he gives the line a little more jump in its skates as well as more of a willingness to go to the corners for pucks and he looked like a hungry player all game long. On the other hand, there was not many others that were consistently able to create scoring chances on the other lines. Cal Clutterbuck and Matt Cullen were the only other non-top line players that were able to creat offense. One player who looked a little more assertive but not all that effective was Martin Havlat. Havlat, a player who according to his agent Allan Walsh is an under utilized player was attempting to dangle and create some offense but the puck never seemed to settle for him and he didn’t accomplish much at all registering just one shot on goal. So much for one of the “elite” talents in the NHL.
Todd Richards was predictably rather happy after tonight’s game saying that he felt his team put forth a 60-minute effort and that they recieved contributions from everyone. He asked reporters if they felt the team looked faster, and Richards attributed that to an increased level of trust from the players that their teammates were going to do their part on the forecheck. While that sounds nice, the team did gain some speed by playing speedy youngsters Casey Wellman and Colton Gillies and in an up-tempo forechecking system speed is everything and while Richards may wish to say that’s trust I would say adding speed certainly didn’t hurt the team either. The Wild will need to take a similar approach Saturday when the defending Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks come to town.
Wild Notes:
~ Wild roster tonight is as follows: Mikko Koivu, Andrew Brunette, Chuck Kobasew, Casey Wellman, Colton Gillies, Eric Nystrom, Brad Staubitz, Matt Cullen, John Madden, Martin Havlat, Kyle Brodziak, Brent Burns, Greg Zanon, Nick Schultz, Clayton Stoner, Marek Zidlicky and Justin Falk. Jose Theodore backed up Niklas Backstrom between the pipes. Cam Barker, and Guillaume Latendresse were out of the lineup with groin injuries while Antti Miettinen was out with the flu.
~ The 3 Stars of the Game as selected by Let’s Play Hockey were: 1st Niklas Backstrom, 2nd Star Chuck Kobasew, 3rd Star Eric Nystrom
~ Tonight marked John Madden’s 800th NHL game of his career.
~ Tonight’s attendance was 17,352, the Wild still have recorded just one sellout this season (the season opener).
Wild Prospect Report:
G – Darcy Kuemper ~ Red Deer Rebels (WHL)
2010-11 Stats: 13GP (9-4-0) 1.60GAA .936%SP 2 Shutouts
The Minnesota Wild have to feel awfully good about drafting Kuemper who is off to a tremendous start with the Red Deer Rebels this season. The 6’4″, 205lbs puck stopper is a big reason the Rebels are currently sitting in 2nd place in the Central Division of the Western Hockey League. Kuemper has good athleticism and moves well from post-to-post and has made significant progress in improving his puckhandling which was a trouble area for him last season. The Saskatoon, Saskatchewan-native had 31 saves in the Rebels most recent 4-2 win over the Spokane who even demonstrated his feisty side after earning a roughing minor for getting into it with a Chiefs’ player who got a little too close to his crease.
F – Mikael Granlund ~ HIFK Helsinki (Sm-Liiga)
2010-11 Stats: 12GP 3G 8A = 11pts 4 PIM’s
Mikael Granlund is having another solid year playing in the Finnish Elite League (Sm-Liiga) for HIFK Helsinki, producing nearly a point per game. Granlund wow’ed Wild management when the team started its season in Finland and he hasn’t registered a lot of goals but his on-ice vision and offensive awareness is undeniable. He has tremendous hands, and even though he is quite small at a diminutive 5’8″, 169lbs he is extremely shifty and is very difficult to check. The Oulu-native looks to be confirming why the Wild chose to make him their 1st round selection this summer.
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