Its one of my favorite days of the year, Hockey Day Minnesota. It all started in 2007 where they had the first one that featured an outdoor game on frozen Baudette Bay. I remember watching it like it was yesterday, freezing cold (well below zero) and it has steadily grown into the all day hockey festival that it is now. Last year, my hometown of Elk River was fortunate enough to be the host and it is one of the best hockey moments I’ve witnessed in my life. To see the game raised to level of national coverage in the very place where I learned to skate is just unreal. Last year it was pretty frigid out there in ‘the Pit’ (near Handke School), about -5 or -6 below and despite being covered in many layers I could barely feel my toes for most of it. Yet isn’t that kind of the universal experience for any kid playing outdoor hockey? The loud scraping sound of skates on the ice, the dull knock of the puck along the boards and those many hours spent stickhandling and shooting the puck usually onto an empty goal. I think the sport of hockey would be well-served to embrace that simple fun all over again as kids’ lives become so scheduled and regimented with hockey practices, games and seemingly endless amount of weekend tournaments.
As easy as it is to get caught up in the nostalgia of the day (by the way, we got you covered as I have game summaries for all of the Hockey Day Minnesota games below), the Wild have a very important game tonight against the Arizona Coyotes. The Coyotes are on the verge of throwing in the towel and reports are the management is looking to start a complete fire sale of its team as it hopes to re-shape itself. So that may mean good news for the Wild. Minnesota is coming off its most one-sided game in franchise history after a 7-0 beat down of the Sabres on Thursday night. Can the Wild follow that up with a win against the Desert Dogs?
1st Period Thoughts: The Wild seemed to have a lot of jump in its skates to start the period as they were looking to work the long pass to get behind the Coyotes defense and to put some offensive pressure on Mike Smith. Minnesota had the speed it wanted, but passes were not quite connecting and so not many pucks were being sent on goal. Arizona was patient, waiting for opportunities to send shots on goal and the Coyotes directed a few weak shots on Devan Dubnyk. Minnesota’s first quality chance came off a nice initial pass by Mathew Dumba to spring Mikko Koivu in to the offensive zone with speed where he dished it off to Jason Pominville for a big slap shot that was stopped by Smith and Zach Parise just missed on the rebound. The 4th line would follow that up with some good puck pressure as Justin Fontaine helped draw a turnover that turned into a blast from the point by Dumba. Arizona would respond with a solid flurry of their own from in close as he stoned Brandon McMillan twice from point-blank range which drew a nice applause from the appreciative home crowd and as the sequence continued the Coyotes Lucas Lessio would earn a holding call giving Minnesota the first power play of the game. On the man advantage, the Wild had decent puck movement but not many shots were reaching Smith. The best chance came off a backhander by Koivu which was gloved by Smith and Minnesota came up empty on the power play. As if on cue, the Wild would take a penalty right after their failed power play to send the league’s 7th best power play unit onto the ice. Minnesota’s penalty killers was very assertive and not giving any room for Arizona’s power play to breathe and the Coyotes seemed to have difficulty with the puck pressure. The Coyotes would eventually gain control and they set up a great opportunity as Antoine Vermette was all alone in the slot and Dubnyk stopped him cold and the Wild were able to clear the zone and got a big kill. The Wild would try to go back on the attack, and as Pominville made a move towards the net he was hauled down by Tobias Reider giving Minnesota another power play. Minnesota started the power play with its group of vets and despite moving the puck around quickly they were unable to direct many shots from reaching Smith. The youngster group would get some time and once they were able to get control of the puck they’d move up the ice quickly and Nino Niederreiter found a little time and space he’d catch up to a loose puck and then drive towards the goal and dish it to Charlie Coyle who lifted a forehand up and over the shoulder of Smith shortly after the power play expired. 1-0 Wild. Minnesota kept applying pressure and they’d draw another power play as Matt Cooke was held up by Martin Erat. On the power play, the Wild had difficult getting set up as the Coyotes’ penalty kill was more aggressive and applying pressure on the puck. The veteran group basically wasted 1 minute and 15 seconds of power play time just chasing around the ice. The group of youngsters would get their chance with about 40 seconds left int he man advantage and they’d nearly tally as Jonas Brodin stepped into a slap shot that reached Smith but unfortunately the puck was just out of the reach of Jason Zucker. Minnesota would come up empty on the power play but you have to wonder why this coaching staff continues to be resistant to letting the younger players start on the power play instead of always going to the vets right away. The Wild was content to play solid defensively through the closing minutes of the period so they could carry their 1-0 lead to the 1st intermission. Minnesota out shot Arizona 15-8. Dubnyk had some great saves from in close and the Wild need to keep it simple so they don’t become their own worst enemy.
2nd Period Thoughts: Minnesota was looking to add to its lead early and the Wild had some great puck pressure from its 4th line of Kyle Brodziak, Justin Fontaine and Ryan Carter outworked the Coyotes to set up a bunch of chances from the point for Brodin and Christian Folin respectively. Arizona was bottled up in its zone for nearly a full minute. Not too long after that great shift, Charlie Coyle dangled the puck on a string and driving to the crease that was stopped by Smith but Minnesota was unable to pounce on the rebound. The Wild were peppering Smith with shots and the frustration level was building for Arizona as they could feel the pressure Minnesota was bringing to bear. Michael Stone would grab a hold of Coyle looking for a fight while Oliver Ekman-Larsson was alternating between Dumba and Nate Prosser. Stone and Kyle Chipchura as well as the Wild’s Coyle and Prosser would get 2-minute minors for roughing. With the physical tone amplified the Wild would add to their lead as Fontaine made a nice chip pass to Zucker who turned on the jets as he beat Smith on a pretty backhander. 2-0 Wild. The Coyotes were angry and Chipchura would nearly land a big elbow shot to Zucker in open ice. The Coyotes started to hustle as they worked the puck deep in the Wild zone and Minnesota would start to scramble in its own end, and Arizona would draw a holding penalty on Koivu. The Coyotes were not messing around using a well-screened point shot as Ekman-Larsson’s bid was redirected by David Moss and Dubnyk made the initial stop before it was tapped home by Vermette. 2-1 Wild. The Coyotes were causing lots of problems for the Wild after their goal and a long point shot that was redirected and fought off by Dubnyk. The next few minutes would expire with the Wild looking a little vulnerable now that it was back to a one-goal game again. Minnesota again out shot the Coyotes 13-7, but I felt the team used slower veterans way too much. The Coyotes went on the attack when Cooke and Brodziak were on the ice and Minnesota is lucky to still have the lead. Why isn’t Zucker getting more power play opportunities? He has a great release and his speed and movement causes all kinds of problems on the ice.
3rd Period Thoughts: Minnesota seemed cautious to start the 3rd period, sitting back in a passive 1-3-1 hoping to cause some turnovers in the neutral zone and forcing Arizona to dump and chase. The Wild were hustling well to shadow Arizona puck carriers and giving them precious little time and space. Minnesota was not creating much offensively as the preferred to dump it the full length of the ice and change. The Wild would wait almost 5 minutes before really trying to work for a scoring chance as the team set up Marco Scandella for a bomb from the point that was gloved by Smith and Connor Murphy tackled Parise to the ice that had the Wild winger pretty upset. A few minutes later the Coyotes had another push as Lucas Lessio fired a sharp angle shot that Dubnyk stopped and as Lessio followed up the rebound he was shoved off the puck by Prosser. The Wild’s effort started to lag a bit and the team was starting to get caught standing and reaching a bit which was putting them in danger of taking a crucial penalty. The older vets were looking gassed at the beginning of shifts and the Wild were spending more and more time in its own end. Dubnyk would come up huge with a whole host of bodies as Tobias Reider thought he scored only to be denied by the new Wild goalie. Even as the Wild left their zone, their lack of focus had them throwing away the puck needlessly with area passes. The Wild were using its 1st and 4th lines almost exclusively down the stretch. It was all they needed as Minnesota would pad its lead with an empty netter from Parise to seal a 3-1 victory.
Dubnyk was tremendous, making 25 saves in the victory. Especially in the 3rd period as the Wild’s effort started to wane it was Dubnyk who came with a huge save with a ton of pressure near his crease. It is obvious he has been a well of confidence for the team, as he earned a nice welcome from the home fans before and after the game. Defensively the Wild were really solid early on, but when the legs stopped things got more than a little hectic in the Minnesota zone. The penalty kill got victimized once as Dubnyk gave up his firs goal as a member of the Wild but its tough to blame him.
Offensively I thought the kids were the ones that really brought the effort tonight. Niederreiter, Coyle, and Zucker continue to be the catalysts when the veterans seem to be lacking jump. Coyle was in beast mode tonight, using his strength and speed to make some big plays including the 1st goal of the game. Then you have Zucker who still doesn’t get nearly the opportunity ice time-wise that I think he deserves. His speed and his hands at full speed are what make him so dangerous. I still don’t understand why the kids, especially with them playing as well as they did why they have to sit through most of the power plays while the vets get the majority of ice time. In my opinion that needs to change otherwise the Wild are hindering themselves. 2 goals was enough to beat a team like Arizona tonight, but they’re going to need more punch than that if they want to beat some of the better teams in the league.
It was another big 2 points but maybe its just me I think the 2-game winning streak was more a reflection of our goaltender upgrade and the lowly quality of our opponents then the Wild playing so much better. I think the Wild better be prepared to raise their game considerably if they expect to beat Detroit, and I think its time they use they use Jordan Schroeder instead of a slower veteran like Kyle Brodziak. Speed will be helpful against a solid skating team like the Red Wings. It was a fun way to cap off Hockey Day Minnesota but I still think this team has to play a lot better if it wants to crawl its way back towards the playoff race.
Wild Notes:
~ Wild roster tonight is as follows: Mikko Koivu, Zach Parise, Thomas Vanek, Jason Pominville, Jason Zucker, Nino Niederreiter, Erik Haula, Matt Cooke, Ryan Carter, Charlie Coyle, Kyle Brodziak, Marco Scandella, Jonas Brodin, Jared Spurgeon, Mathew Dumba, Christian Folin and Nate Prosser. Niklas Backstrom backed up Devan Dubnyk. Jonathon Blum and Jordan Schroeder was the lone healthy scratches.
~ The 3 Stars of the Game were: 1st Star Charlie Coyle, 2nd Star Devan Dubnyk, 3rd Star Zach Parise
~ Attendance was 19,111 at Xcel Energy Center.
Hockey Day Minnesota Results Summary:
Boys Hockey: St. Paul Johnson 6, Luverne 5
The first high school game of Hockey Day Minnesota started off quiet with both clubs taking the opportunity to figure each other out. St. Paul Johnson was giving Luverne fits by simply playing an in your face style denying the Cardinals from having much in the way of time and space. The game would be scoreless in the first, but the game would open up quickly in the 2nd period. Luverne would strike less than a minute in, but then the Governors would answer 5 times to take a commanding 5-1 lead as the Cardinals’ Connor Crabtree was being victimized. Yet when it seemed as though the Governors were poised to just blow out Luverne they’d ease up a bit in their puck pressure and that was all the opening the Cardinals needed. Luverne struck 3 times in the last 5 minutes of the period to cut the Johnson lead to one, 5-4 going into the 3rd period. In the 3rd period, the Governors were doing their best to defend the lead as they challenged the Cardinals through the neutral zone. However the Cardinals were patient and they’d tie the game on a goal by Chad Smedsrud midway through the period. With the game tied, you could sense both clubs were just patiently awaiting some kind of mistake to exploit. St. Paul Johnson would score the game winner as Ethan Ranum let go of a wrist shot from the point that deflected off a Luverne player and by Crabtree who appeared to have been pushed out of the way inadvertently by a Johnson player. The officials met but ultimately ruled it a good goal. The Cardinals tried to go on the attack to press for the equalizer but they couldn’t get a puck by Sam Moberg as Jaxon Nelson‘s last second shot rang off the post. A huge upset for Johnson over #16 ranked Luverne who probably are still upset over that non-interference call.
Boys Hockey: Hill-Murray 3, St. Thomas Academy 2 OT
Fans at St. Paul’s Holman Field were treated to another superb game in what was more of a goaltending duel between Hill-Murray’s Sean Wendlandt and St. Thomas Academy’s Matt Snow. After a scoreless 1st period, the Pioneers struck early in the 2nd to take 1-0 lead. But St. Thomas Academy would regroup and thanks to some undisciplined play by Hill-Murray gave the Cadets a 5-on-3 power play and they would capitalize as Alec Broetzman scored on a rebound to make it 1-1. The stalemate continued into the 3rd period. In the 3rd, with ice conditions worsening they agreed to split the period into two halves. Hill-Murray would strike with just a few seconds in the 1st half of the 3rd period as a long shot trickled by Snow and rolled in to give the Pioneers a 2-1 lead. The Pioneers played to defend their lead and looked to be closing the distance for a win, but St. Thomas Academy wasn’t done yet as Broetzman beat Wendlandt on a wicked wrist shot which sent the game into overtime. In overtime, it was the Pioneers who would prevail as Jake Wittl bang home a rebound to give Hill-Murray a 3-2 victory.
College Hockey: Minnesota 5, Wisconsin 2
Last night, the Golden Gophers peppered Wisconsin’s Joe Rumpel with shots but at times were guilty of being too fancy with the puck and thus they found themselves blowing a 2-goal lead en route to a 3-2 shootout loss. Tonight, Minnesota was keeping it simple and they would strike early on the power play as Travis Boyd bombed a one-timer by Rumpel to make it 1-0 Gophers. The Gophers continued to hammer away at the Badgers who seemed to be overwhelmed by Minnesota’s speed as Boyd struck again along with Sam Warning to give the home team a commanding 3-0 lead. Connor Reilly would score early in the 2nd and then Minnesota added another as Christian Isackson found the back of the net making it 5-0. Wisconsin would score late in the 2nd as Grant Besse jammed a shot through Adam Wilcox to cut the Gophers lead to four going into the 3rd. The game got pretty chippy in the 3rd as the teams had a bunch of scrums after the whistle that filled up the penalty boxes to standing room only but otherwise was mostly uneventful scoring-wise. Former Burnsville Blaze and current Badgers’ defenseman Eddie Wittchow did his best to try to decapitate 2015 draft eligible Leon Bristedt which incited a donnybrook at center ice. Wittchow would get a game disqualification which mandates a suspension of some kind. Besse would score again late for the Badgers as the Gophers split their weekend series with Wisconsin.
Girls Hockey: Cretin-Derham Hall 5, Duluth 4
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