Today’s game sort of remind me of the World War II-film Kelly’s Heroes. If you’re unfamiliar with this film, Lieutenant Kelly (Clint Eastwood) leads a rag-tag band of Army misfits behind enemy lines in order to steal $40 million dollars worth of gold bars from a bank in France. Part of that band of misfits is Oddball (played by Donald Sutherland) who has 3 specially modified Sherman tanks to give the group some much-needed firepower. Once they get to the town where the bank is located, there are 3 German Tiger tanks waiting for them. The Tiger is all but invincible to American tanks weapons. With their tank out of action due to mechanical problems, and the Tiger literally standing in the way of their path to the bank with the gold Lt. Kelly, Oddball and the pragmatic, wise-talking Master Sergeant Big Joe (Telly Savalas) confront the Tiger tank old Western gunfight style. The premise is ludicrous, 3 men armed with a few guns going against the most deadly tank in the world during that time. The German tank commander is impressed by the bravado of the American soldiers and a deal is reached to split some of the gold with them and let bygones be bygones. This scene was in my head as I thought about the Wild facing the offensively potent Dallas Stars today, led by their star Tyler Seguin. While they won’t be able to negotiate a compromise with Dallas with the way Lt. Kelly did, they will have to play with some bravado and ingenuity to shut him down.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Csv1wXOr5tY] The Wild ended a 4-game skid on Thursday night with a 6-3 win over Buffalo. The victory was nice, but you have to keep in perspective who they were playing. As Buffalo Head Coach Ted Nolan said to reporters after the game, “its kind of sad to watch team after team go through us in the defensive zone like we don’t know what we’re doing.” So with that being said the Dallas Stars have had their share of struggles defensively too. That could mean there might be another high scoring affair between these two clubs.
Dallas and the Wild are virtually tied in the Central Division standings so barring a game that goes to overtime (knock on wood) this game has the potential to bring about a 4-point swing. So the stakes are high, which club is going to come away with a coveted two points and which one will leave disappointed and disillusioned? Will members of the Wild step up the way Lt. Kelly, Oddball, Big Joe did to give Minnesota a victory?
1st Period Thoughts: The Wild got lucky early as Justin Falk fell as he lost an edge turning for the puck deep in the Minnesota zone that turned into a turnover for Jamie Benn but Darcy Kuemper was able to bail out the team with a big save. The ice seemed to be giving both teams trouble as players were falling all over the place. Falk tried to get involved physically as he laid out Curtis McKenzie that drew the ire of Antoine Roussel who skated over to challenge the Wild defenseman but just prior to him doing so he was challenged by Stu Bickel. The officials would break it up before any punches were thrown and Bickel was given an unsportsmanlike penalty in the process. On the penalty kill, the Wild were absolutely superb, challenging the entry to the zone very effectively. The Wild’s timely puck pressure never allowed Dallas to get comfortable in the offensive zone and they’d neutralize the Stars’ power play. The Stars’ would get their forecheck going, and I have to admit it looked scary out there as Kuemper played a puck he shouldn’t and the Wild ended up being bottled up in their own end and it nearly wound up in the back of their net. The Wild had spent very little time in the offensive zone through the first half of the period and no one seemed interested in taking any shots on goal. The first shot came just before the 10-minute mark of the period as a shot from the point by Ryan Suter was redirected by Jason Zucker that forced Kari Lehtonen to make a save. The Wild were using a lot of area passes and most of them were not connecting with anyone with a friendly sweater. The area passes were resulting in a lot of giveaways. The Stars started to have more success entering the Wild zone with speed and they were able to create more scoring opportunities. The Wild did start to pick up their game slightly, but they passed up chances to shoot the puck instead opting for a low-percentage pass that would fail to click. A great example of this was an opening for Thomas Vanek who had the time and space to shoot but instead of pulling the trigger the sniper tried to thread a pass that was intercepted. Broken sticks would help thwart what should’ve been two prime scoring chances as Nino Niederreiter‘s stick disintegrated after being struck by a rocket slap shot from Mathew Dumba. Moments after that it was Mikko Koivu shattering the lumber on an attempted slap shot after a bad turnover by Dallas in their own end. The Wild would draw a penalty, and on the delayed whistle Suter made a pretty play to walk by the Dallas defense but unfortunately for him the puck would dribble a bit as he got close to the net robbing him of the opportunity to get a shot off. The Wild had just a few seconds of power play time but did nothing with it as they failed to hold the zone after winning the initial draw. So the score remained knotted at 0-0 going into the 1st intermission with the Stars holding a 8-6 edge in shots on goal. The Wild are being their own worst enemy right now, by passing up on chances to shoot the biscuit.
2nd Period Thoughts: The Wild started the period with almost a full power play, but it most demoralizing for Minnesota. Very predictable zone entries made it easy for the Stars apply timely puck pressure that deprived Minnesota of virtually any time in the offensive zone. The Wild didn’t even attempt a shot on goal during the power play while the Stars had one attempt shorthanded told the story of a team that wasn’t mentally or physically ready to play at the start of the 2nd. Compounding the Wild’s poor power play effort was a lazy tripping penalty taken by Kyle Brodziak. The Stars had a much more effective power play this time around, setting up in the offensive zone and creating some opportunities with strong play along the wall. The Wild were not anticipating well at all, as they were spending their time chasing the Stars around their own end. They were just leaning and reaching for the puck and even though the Wild were able to kill off the power play it was only a matter of time before that lethargic play would cost them on the scoreboard. It didn’t take too much time after the Stars failed power play as Vernon Fiddler chased down a puck behind the Wild goal and he’d attempt a wrap around that slipped off his stick but went right out front to Roussel who scored on an easy shot as Kuemper had dropped to all fours trying to reach for the puck. 1-0 Dallas. The lazy play continued for the Wild as Dallas was outhustling and outworking Minnesota in just about every facet of the game. Time spent in the Wild zone resembled a power play as Minnesota aimlessly chased around the ice and even when they did manage to break out of their own end they’d ruin those attempts at creating the rush with ill-timed passes. The Wild would finally register a shot on goal just a little prior to the 10-minute mark of the period as Jason Zucker sent a pass to Jason Pominville who fired a wrist shot on goal that Lehtonen stopped as Mikko Koivu crashed towards the crease. Its a shame this game wasn’t played in St. Paul because it would’ve draw a very nasty Bronx cheer. The Wild tried to raise their game a bit, but not nearly enough pucks were being sent towards the goal and despite some possession time it wasn’t amounting to any sort of tangible offensive pressure. Yet it was still a one-goal game and the Wild started to show a tiny bit more fire as Jason Zucker set up Koivu near the crease and his shot trickled by Lehtonen but unfortunately no one could get to it before it was swept out of danger by Jamie Oleksiak. The Wild had another great chance as Charlie Coyle put his shoulder down and drove to the net before feeding a pass across to Niederreiter but he couldn’t jam it by Lehtonen. The Wild would finally strike as Ryan Carter intercepted a pass near the point and raced up the ice in a 2-on-1 as he fed a pass to Erik Haula who beat Lehtonen with a wrister and just like that it was all tied up at 1-1. The goal seemed to awaken both clubs; especially the Wild as they went on the attack as Vanek had two nice deflections that forced Lehtonen to come up with a few saves. Minnesota started to funnel pucks on net and they were entering the Dallas zone with speed and pretty soon Lehtonen found himself under siege. The Wild tried to work a few shots through traffic near Lehtonen’s crease but just couldn’t put it on goal and Dallas would escape the period still tied at 1-1. Odd period where the effort was downright embarrassing through the first half, but they turned it around nicely after Ryan Carter sparked the club with his turnover and set up of Haula. Wild were out shot 8-9 in the period. This is anyone’s game, how bad do the Wild want it?
3rd Period Thoughts: The Stars would go after the Wild early that left them pinned in their own end a bit as Kuemper gloved a Cody Eakin shot. The Wild would counter with a rush out of the zone as Granlund fed a pass up to Coyle who got off a weak shot on goal that Lehtonen bobbled a bit as Granlund tapped it home to make it 2-1 Minnesota. A simple play that stunned the home crowd. The Stars seemed a little punch drunk by the goal and Minnesota continued to outwork Dallas in their own end as the line of Niederreiter, Coyle and Granlund created some more havoc along the wall. Minnesota continued to create problems for the Stars as the line of Zucker, Koivu and Pominville had a bunch of great chances as Pominville and Koivu just couldn’t finish from in close after some nice hustle by Zucker to set them up. The Stars’ most dangerous line was their 3rd line of Roussel, Eakin and Ryan Garbutt and Dallas’ head coach Lindy Ruff kept sending them out trying to push for the equalizer. The Wild seemed content to sit back a bit and defend their lead, dumping the puck into the Dallas zone and quickly changing to force the Stars to tire themselves bringing the puck up the full length of the ice. At times the effort of the Wild was a bit scrambly, but they were quick to collapse down around near the crease to take away passing and shooting lanes so they could sweep the puck out of danger. The Wild would counter attack a bit with the Granlund, Niederreiter, Coyle line as Granlund found himself set up for a chance that was deflected wide. The token offensive pressure by the Wild forced Dallas to waste valuable time defending in their own zone. The Wild had great diligence in their own end, taking steps to mark passing options and this led to a plethora of turnovers in the offensive zone that prevented Dallas from sustaining much pressure. The Stars started to show more desperation late as one would expect, looking for the long stretch pass and hoping to catch the Wild’s defense by surprise. At times the Wild got some very lucky bounces as pucks seemed to elude the sticks of the Stars players in front of the Minnesota crease at key moments late in the game. Dallas would pull Lehtonen with about a 1:30 left in the game for an extra attacker but the Wild’s diligent defense did a pretty good job of forcing the Stars to settle for shots from the perimeter. Coyle had 2 failed clearing attempts that nearly came back to haunt the Wild, but Dallas couldn’t manage to put a shot on goal and Minnesota would escape with a 2-1 victory.
Darcy Kuemper had a solid outing tonight in Dallas, making 27 saves in the victory. He was seeing the puck very well and being very efficient in his movements in the blue paint. Kuemper certainly benefited some nice support from his defenseman who were doing a pretty good job of sweeping away troublesome rebounds before they could end in disaster. Still, Kuemper was sharp early making a key early save on Benn and then holding the fort long enough for the Wild to wake up and start playing hockey. Defensively I thought the Wild had a great day from Nate Prosser, Ryan Suter and Jared Spurgeon. The team was able to turn Tyler Seguin into a complete non-factor and they kept the Stars power play in check. Early on the defense had a rough time but they recovered nicely to be a factor in the Wild’s victory.
Offensively the Wild really were awful for most of the first half of the game. The team wasn’t moving its feet and that translated into being held without a shot for the first half of both the 1st and 2nd periods. Once they finally got a shot on goal the Wild started to cause Dallas some problems with some good pressure on the forecheck. It all started with a single turnover forced by Ryan Carter to set up Erik Haula’s goal that really awakened this club. Carter continues to be a catalyst for the team much the way Haula was last year in the playoffs. The line of Coyle, Niederreiter and Granlund were arguably the Wild’s most dangerous line and its only fitting they came away with the game-winning goal. You could sense the relief in Granlund in his post-game interview with Fox Sports Net’s Kevin Gorg. He had a smile on his face, the sign of a guy who was really feeling snakebitten for so long. The power play was a disaster but that’s nothing new. It was the first time the Wild were outshot all season, as the Stars had 28 shots to Minnesota’s 22.
It wasn’t a pretty game, but thanks to some strong play between the pipes the Wild were able to hang around long enough to turn it around and earn a huge road win in a place where they’ve not had much success. The Wild got big plays by keeping it simple. Good hustle by Ryan Carter created the chance that really swung momentum in Minnesota’s favor. Then a simple play by Coyle to just direct a shot on goal set up the game winner for Granlund. Haula and Granlund both had been pretty quiet offensively and were due for goals. Now the Wild have to regroup and ready themselves for what will be a battle against the Jets tomorrow early evening. Hopefully they come out with a better effort to start the game than they did this afternoon.
Wild Notes:
~ The Wild roster tonight was as follows: Mikko Koivu, Nino Niederreiter, Charlie Coyle, Mikael Granlund, Thomas Vanek, Erik Haula, Kyle Brodziak, Jason Zucker, Ryan Carter, Justin Fontaine, Jason Pominville, Ryan Suter, Justin Falk, Nate Prosser, Jared Spurgeon, Mathew Dumba, Keith Ballard and Stu Bickel. Niklas Backstrom backed up Darcy Kuemper. Jordan Schroeder was the lone healthy scratch while Jonas Brodin and Marco Scandella were out with injuries.
~ The 3 Stars of the Game were: 1st Star Darcy Kuemper, 2nd Star Mikael Granlund, 3rd Star Antoine Roussel
~ Attendance was 17,453 at American Airlines Arena.
~ Stu Bickel wore number 4 for the Wild joining Clayton Stoner, Shawn Belle, Maxim Noreau, Curtis Leschyshyn, Brad Brown on having worn the number.
~ The State of Hockey News would like to extend its sincere condolences to the family of Patrick Schoonover and the members of the Eastview hockey program on the loss of their son, friend and teammate. Schoonover was playing bantam hockey for Eastview when he collapsed suddenly early in a hockey game in Brainerd on Friday.
Iowa Wild Report:
Recent Score: Iowa 4, Oklahoma City 2
The Wild wasted little time jumping out to a lead as the club tried to impress for John Torchetti‘s debut in Des Moines on Friday night. In front of 4,989 fans Iowa jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the 1st on goals from Alex Gudbranson, Brett Sutter and Tyler Graovac. The Barons would push back with an early power play goal in the 2nd from Matthew Ford and then about 10 minutes later from Kale Kessy to cut the Wild lead to one, 3-2. Iowa would push that lead back to two goals on a pretty goal by Marc Hagel who continues to provide offense for the Wild with his 6th tally of the season. The Barons would throw everything they had down the stretch, including cheap shots, trying to get back into the game but Johan Gustafsson just shut the door. Gustafsson’s denial of Ryan Hamilton‘s breakaway in the 3rd was a gamebreaker as Iowa prevailed 4-2. The big Swedish-born goaltender had 26 saves in the victory. Iowa plays Oklahoma City again on Saturday night. The win gives the Wild a 4-10 record.
Wild Prospect Report:
RW – Alex Tuch (Boston College, H-East) ~ The power forward is playing on the Eagles’ top line as Boston College prevailed 3-2 over Michigan State on Friday night with Tuch tallying an assist and was a +1 with 3 shots on goal. Tuch is the 2nd leading scorer for the Eagles with 3 goals, 8 points and 6 PIM’s in 10 games this season.
G – Stephen Michalek (Harvard, ECAC) ~ The goaltender is off to a great start to the 2014-15 season, having another solid outing as he had 33 saves in a 6-2 Crimson victory over Ivy League rival Brown. Michalek has a 3-0-2 record, 1.94GAA and a .931% save percentage in 5 starts.
D – Nolan De Jong (Michigan, Big 10) ~ The defenseman lit the lamp for the first time this season as the Wolverines rolled to a 5-2 win over American International on Friday night. DeJong has a goal and 2 assists to go along with 2 PIM’s in 8 games this season.
C – Reid Duke (Brandon, WHL) ~ The Calgary-native continues to exhibit consistency with his new club as he had an assist in the Wheat Kings’ 6-4 loss to Seattle. Unfortunately, Duke’s cross-checking penalty led to the Thunderbirds netting the go-ahead goal and they’d pull away soon after that. Duke has 5 goals, 16 points, is a +10 and has 18 PIM’s in 16 games.
RW – Chase Lang (Calgary, WHL) ~ The Nanaimo, British Columbia-native seems to have some solid scoring touch as he added a goal in a hard fought 7-6 overtime loss to Kootenay. Lang has 9 goals, 18 points, 14 PIM’s in 17 games this season.
C – Pavel Jenys (Sudbury, OHL) ~ He’s not known as a bruising player, but sometimes a player has to defend themselves. No, I’m not talking about the Connor McDavid fight, but Jenys had an assist and his first OHL fight when he dropped the gloves with Niagara’s Everett Clark. Unfortunately the fight didn’t help his team win as they fell 5-2 to the Ice Dogs. Jenys has 4 goals, 15 points, 18 PIM’s in 19 games this season.
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