Game #80: Minnesota Wild at Vancouver Canucks, Thursday April 7, 2011 at 9:00pm CDT, Rogers Arena [GAME PREVIEW]

Injuries, injuries everywhere.  If you were looking for a theme for the end of the Wild’s season, that would be it.  With all the missing faces and now the fresh-faced, new faces, I think of the Beatles’ song, “Hello, Goodbye.”    For prospects of any team, they generally look forward to the call up, and hope that they can make an impact, or at least be memorable in a positive way.  And for all the prospects called up right now, they are aware that this is the last chance to make an impression until training camp.  Somewhere in the back of their minds, I’m sure they’re thinking that sometimes what starts out as a short-term call up can become a full-time job.  The most famous example for the Wild comes in the form of Cal Clutterbuck. 

The newest call up, is forward Carson McMillan.  With the injuries to Martin Havlat and John Madden the Wild had to call up yet another player.  McMillan joins the recent additions of Maxim Noreau, Justin Falk, and Colton Gillies.  Also in that youth mix is defenseman Jared Spurgeon.  He’s spent enough time in St. Paul these days that it’s hard to consider him a call up anymore.  Although it has been reported that Spurgeon will re-join the Houston Aeros for their playoff run once the Wild’s season is completed on Sunday against Dallas.  Playoff experience is playoff experience, and is important to have at whatever level it comes.  One can only hope that the Aeros will go far in their post-season, because it would be nice to see the youth of this team use their experience in Houston to create playoff runs in St. Paul in the near future.

Sadly, the Wild will be without John Madden.  His absence has far greater ramifications.  At this point, he’s not even sure if he’ll be able to return for Sunday’s game against the Stars in St. Paul.  Normally, you want to play the final game of the regular season, however for Madden it’s even more important.  When the Wild signed Madden, it was a one-year deal.  The Wild have to decide whether or not to re-sign the almost 38 year old.  With the Wild’s tight salary cap and the team wanting to try and bring in more of their young players, it will be a tough call.  Like the young players who have been called up, veteran players also need to leave a positive impression with their bosses.  Madden has stated, that if the Wild choose not to re-sign him, he will most likely retire.  While he feels that he could still be an asset to another team, he’s at a point in his life where he doesn’t want to move his family yet again.  It seems that the family has fallen in love with Minnesota, and they would like to make Minnesota their permanent home.

You say yes, I say no
You say stop and I say go, go, go
Oh, no
You say goodbye and I say hello
Hello, hello
I don’t know why you say goodbye
I say hello
Hello, hello
I don’t know why you say goodbye
I say hello.

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