Minnesota Wild (29-10-5) 63pts 1st in the Central
3.27 Goals For Per Game (3rd in the NHL)
2.20 Goals Against Per Game (3rd in the NHL)
21.4% Power Play (10th in the NHL)
84.4% Penalty Kill (5th in the NHL)
Top 5 Scorers:
1. #12 Eric Staal ~ 16G 24A = 4opts
2. #64 Mikael Granlund ~ 10G 27A = 37pts
3. #3 Charlie Coyle ~ 13G 23A = 36pts
4. #9 Mikko Koivu ~ 13G 20A = 33pts
5. #22 Nino Niederreiter ~ 14G 17A = 31pts
Top 3 PIM’s:
1. #7 Chris Stewart ~ 56 PIM’s
2. #24 Mathew Dumba ~ 39 PIM’s
3. #3 Charlie Coyle ~ 22 PIM’s
Top Goaltenders:
1. #40 Devan Dubnyk (24-8-3) 1.88GAA .936%SP 5SO
2. #35 Darcy Kuemper (5-2-2) 3.30GAA .901%SP
Vs.
Anaheim Ducks (26-13-9) 61pts 1st in the Pacific
2.60 Goals For Per Game (20th in the NHL)
2.44 Goals Against Per Game (5th in the NHL)
21.3% Power Play (11th in the NHL)
82.5% Penalty Kill (12th in the NHL)
Top 5 Scorers:
1. #17 Ryan Kesler ~ 18G 20A = 38pts
2. #15 Ryan Getzlaf ~ 6G 28A = 34pts
3. #10 Corey Perry ~ 8G 25A = 33pts
4. #33 Jakob Silfverberg ~ 13G 16A = 29pts
5. #67 Rickard Rakell ~ 19G 9A = 28pts
Top 3 PIM’s:
1. #40 Jared Boll ~ 58 PIM’s
2. #42 Josh Manson ~ 57 PIM’s
3. #74 Joseph Cramarosa ~ 42 PIM’s
Top Goaltenders:
1. #36 John Gibson (19-10-8) 2.26GAA .922%SP 3SO
2. #1 Jonathan Bernier (7-3-1) 2.82GAA .904%SP 1SO
Lines:
Anaheim Ducks
Cogliano~Kesler~Silfverberg
Rakell~Getzlaf~Perry
N. Ritchie~Vermette~Kase
Cramarossa~Shaw~Boll
Fowler~Vatanen
Lindholm~Manson
Holzer~Bieksa
Gibson
Bernier
Minnesota Wild
Niederreiter~Staal~Coyle
Granlund~Koivu~Zucker
Parise~Haula~Schroeder
Stewart~Graovac~Pominville
Suter~Spurgeon
Scandella~Dumba
Reilly~Folin
Dubnyk
Kuemper
Happy Hockey Day Minnesota 2017 everyone! Eleven years since the first one held up in Baudette Bay It might be a bit drizzly in Stillwater today as the get this great annual celebration of hockey going but as we all know playing outdoor hockey is unpredictable like that. In fact, you normally don’t have referees, or lines and you’re just happy to have some boards and enough players to have two teams. You toss your sticks into a pile and someone throws them left and right and you play until whatever. If people show up mid-game you let them join in and its just fun. That was my experience growing up in Elk River and skating down in ‘the Pit’ which was the host-site for Hockey Day Minnesota 2014 so I can definitely imagine all the euphoria (no matter the weather conditions) of hosting your own event. Outdoor hockey is where it started for virtually all of us and the memories of skating on the frozen lakes, ponds, outdoor community sheets are indelible and timeless.
With the high school and college hockey games, there is plenty to watch on the nearly all day celebration of Minnesota’s proud hockey heritage on Fox Sports Net North. Its capped off with this big showdown between the Minnesota Wild and the Anaheim Ducks; two 1st place clubs in their respective divisions battling for the top spot in the Western Conference. Anaheim is hoping to pay the Wild back for a loss to the Wild a few weeks before.
The Ducks are not the Ryan Getzlaf–Corey Perry show anymore, at least not this season as they’ve been supplanted by the Ryan Kesler. Kesler is no stranger to games against the Minnesota Wild and no doubt he’ll look to spoil Hockey Day Minnesota this evening. Rickard Rakell has emerged as one of the Ducks more dangerous players but the Wild may have a bit of good news as Jakob Silfverberg is questionable for the game. Anaheim has plenty of speed in its lineup and that should be a big challenge for Minnesota’s reconstituted defensive corps in the wake of Jonas Brodin‘s broken finger.
Anaheim’s defensive corps is mobile but also likes to lay the lumber. From puck movers like Cam Fowler and Sami Vatanen and Hampus Lindholm the Ducks like to activate their defense. Josh Manson and Kevin Bieksa like to hit and both will look to slow the Wild down this evening with their physical play. John Gibson will most likely get the start against the Wild this evening.
Minnesota is going into this game after two sub-par efforts against two lower tier clubs in New Jersey and Arizona respectively. Offense is still going well, but the team’s defensive coverage has suffered a bit and that will need to be cleaned up if the Wild expect to earn another 2 points in the standings tonight. Up front, Nino Niederreiter, Eric Staal and Chris Stewart have been the hot hands lately. Mikael Granlund has really come into his own as a set up man.
Defensively the Wild must improve their play in front of Devan Dubnyk who I think will get the start this evening. It hasn’t be determined if Nate Prosser will play this evening or if Chanhassen’s Mike Reilly gets the opportunity to show what he can do on Minnesota’s 3rd pairing. Reilly certainly brings more of an offensive flair to the game than Prosser but his safe and steady style might be what a struggling defense needs. Reilly is going to get his chance to show what he can do on a pairing with Christian Folin.
Bruce Boudreau will no doubt want to win, regardless of the fact its against the Ducks. The former World Hockey Association Fighting Saint will care more about his team collecting a victory than worrying about the additional story lines.
So what must the Wild do to win the game tonight?
- Be tough around the crease – No matter if its the offensive zone or their own the Wild must play tough near the blue paint. This is where the game becomes as much a physical battle as its one of will power and the Wild must own the area in and around the goal.
- Keep it simple offensively – At times the Wild get a bit fancy with the puck in games at home. Minnesota must simplify their game and take the opportunities the Ducks give to them. Ugly goals count as much as the pretty ones do.
- Do not let up – Part of the Wild’s struggles as of late has been its tendency to let up in situations where the team has felt a bit ‘too comfortable’ which has led to scoring chances. If the Wild manage to get a lead, they must maintain their focus and intensity to avoid another costly let down.
It should be an exciting game, so I end this game preview with a bit of a programming note. We will not have a post-game report this evening. In full disclosure is my family is in town celebrating some birthdays so we’ll be spending that time with them. I assure you we will reward you with a post-game report tomorrow (after our game against the Predators) that will be absolutely full of extras. Enjoy your Hockey Day Minnesota and feel free to go put on some skates and celebrate it on the ice yourself, just like the good ‘ol days!
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
