| Record | Pts | Div. Rank | G/G | GA/G | PP% | PK% | |
| Minnesota Wild | (25-24-9) | 59 | 4th Northwest | 2.14 (29) | 2.53 (9) | 15.0% (25) |
83.1% (12) |
| Boston Bruins | (35-19-2) | 72 | 1st Northeast | 3.27 (2) | 2.30 (4) | 18.3% (11) | 85.1% (7) |
| Minnesota Wild | |||
| Top 5 Scorers: | G | A | Pts |
| 1. #15 Dany Heatley | 19 | 22 | 41 |
| 2. #9 Mikko Koivu | 10 | 27 | 37 |
| 3. #21 Kyle Brodziak | 15 | 14 | 29 |
| 4. #7 Matt Cullen | 11 | 18 | 29 |
| 5. #10 Devin Setoguchi | 14 | 10 | 24 |
| Top 3 Penalty Minutes: | PIM | ||
| 1. #22 Cal Clutterbuck | 89 | ||
| 2. #4 Clayton Stoner | 47 | ||
| 3. #21 Kyle Brodziak | 43 | ||
| Goaltenders: | GAA | SV% | |
| 1. #32 Niklas Backstrom (14-15-6) | 2.38 | .921 | |
| 2. #37 Josh Harding (9-9-3) | 2.59 | .919 | |
| 3. #31 Matt Hackett (2-0-0) | 0.85 | .977 | |
| Boston Bruins | |||
| Top 5 Scorers: | G | A | Pts |
| 1. #37Patrice Bergeron | 17 | 31 | 48 |
| 2. #19Tyler Seguin | 20 | 26 | 46 |
| 3. #17 Milan Lucic | 20 | 22 | 42 |
| 4. #63Brad Marchand | 19 | 21 | 40 |
| 5. #46David Krejci | 12 | 28 | 40 |
| Top 3 Penalty Minutes: | PIM | ||
| 1. #22 Shawn Thornton | 117 | ||
| 2. #17Milan Lucic | 109 | ||
| 3. #54Adam McQuaid | 88 | ||
| Goaltenders: | GAA | SV% | |
| 1. #1 Tim Thomas (24-11-0) | 2.22 | .928 | |
| 2. #41 Tuukka Rask (11-8-2) | 2.11 | .928 | |
| . | . | . | |
| . | . | . |
I’d like to say to Wild fans everywhere to enjoy “Hockey Day Across America” however I’m not feeling too good about this one. Sure, it’s the Boston Bruins, a team the Wild have a winning record against over its history, but the fact that the game has been hyped up and we’re less than spectacular right now, I’m not holding out for that success to continue. In fact, I’m thinking more of a repeat of yesterday’s performance in St. Louis. But hey, I’ve been wrong before.
If there’s one positive about today’s game, is that once again, Marek Zidlicky has been scratched. In a normal world, the “lower body” ailment that Mike Lundin is suffering from would automatically mean that Zidlicky would be back in, but it’s clear his antics in the press are keeping him out of the lineup. Personally, I’m glad to see the powers that be (meaning Mike Yeo and Chuck Fletcher)flex their muscle with their players. You can’t let the inmate run the assylum. If Zidlicky was allowed to play, it would be same as letting the inmates run their facility with no one in charge. If you want to play, you need to demonstrate that you should play. I can’t go to my boss and tell them that I deserve more hours simply because I think so.
So try to enjoy today’s game. It may be hard. But look at it this way. It is mid-February. With that in mind, it means it’s almost March. And when March rolls in, it means that it’s almost April and the end of the regular season. I have accepted the fact that there will be no post-season for the Minnesota Wild, and I suggest that you prepare for the inevitible. If you really need to think of playoff hockey, you just need to turn to other the leagues. Sectional playoffs for the boys’ Minnesota state hockey tournament are just around the corner. Add that to the fact that the University of Minnesota mens’ team will be heading to the WCHA Final Five, you should be able to find a hockey fix in there somewhere. Good hockey is available. Sadly you’re going to have to look somewhere else than the Minnesota Wild.
Injury Report:
Minnesota: Mikko Koivu (undisclosed, questionable), Mike Lundin (lower body), Carson McMillan (lower body), Clayton Stoner (hip), Guillaume Latendresse (concussion), Pierre-Marc Bouchard (concussion, groin), Clayton Stoner (leg)
Boston: Marc Savard (post-concussion syndrome), Nathan Horton (concussion), Rich Peverley (knee)
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