Game #49: Minnesota Wild at Colorado Avalanche, Tuesday January 24, 2012, 8:00pm (CST), Pepsi Center [GAME PREVIEW]

  
Is it wrong of me to hope that Saturday night’s healthy scratches will remain the same for tonight’s game?

I was out of town this past weekend, and didn’t have my laptop with me, so I was pleasantly surprised when watching the game in our hotel room when I realized that Marek Zidlicky was not playing.  It was a long time coming, but I have to wonder why it took the powers that be that long to realize that something needed to be done with him.  Just because he’s making $4 million a season is not an automatic pass to be in the lineup.  One still needs to earn their spot.  We’ve always heard about his offensive abilities, but it’s something we definitely have not seen this season.  I’ve said it several times this season, that as a defenseman, if you’re not scoring goals, you have to bring a physical presence.  Needless to say, Zidlicky has done neither.  Reading Michael Russo’s take on the Zidlicky scratch in the Minneapolis Star Tribune, I got a good chuckle.  He mentioned that it was a shock to Zidlicky’s ego.  I have to wonder what he can even have an ego about, because he certainly hasn’t done anything to justify an ego.

Clearly the one person on the team who should have an ego, but seems to be rather humble and taking things in stride is Wild rookie, Nick Johnson.  With the absence of Mikko Koivu in next weekend’s All-Star Game due to a shoulder injury, the team and the league had to make a decision on Koivu’s spot.  For the game itself, his spot will go to Edmonton’s Jordan Eberle.  While Johnson won’t be playing in the main event, he was chosen as a rookie to participate in the skills competition.  Considering how things have been going recently for Minnesota, there truly wasn’t anyone on the team who deserved to take Koivu’s spot in the All-Star Game.  Johnson though has been one of those players who seems to work hard just about every shift.  On night’s when the big name players like Dany Heatley and Devin Setoguchi seem invisible, Johnson would have a hard-working presence.  When things are going poorly, sometimes it helps to have at least one player who plays like he cares.

I’ll admit, I’m not overly optimistic for tonight’s game.  Of course, I wasn’t expecting a game like Saturday’s either.  A four-goal period game is almost unheard of for Minnesota, let alone a four-goal period.  I must say it was a bit of a confidence-booster that call-up and Minnesota-native Chad Rau scored his first NHL goal, and the game-winner no less.  Now it is once again up to the Wild bench how they choose to play tonight.  It would be nice if they can pour on the offense like they did Saturday night.  I know I’d like to see a repeat performance, but I’m not holding my breath.

Hopefully tonight, is another night of addition by subtraction.  I won’t be heartbroken if Zidlicky sits again.   

Injury Report:

Minnesota:     Jarod Palmer (concussion), Guillaume Latendresse (concussion), Pierre-Marc Bouchard (concussion, groin),  Mikko Koivu (left shoulder)    

Colorado:  Mark Olver (head), Matt Duchene (knee), Ryan Wilson (groin, questionable)

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