Last summer, the Nashville parted ways with the only head coach they had ever known Barry Trotz who had served 14 years as the team’s bench boss. Trotz’s teams brought energy and a blue collar work ethic each and every game and the Predators always tried to do their best with a lineup created from one of the NHL’s most frugal franchises. His teams would often manage to beat more talented opponents because they simply worked harder. Yet as the rest of their divisional foes improved the team struggled to find success and then the work ethic that so defined the club started to falter making it very difficult to hold their place in a super tough Western Conference. After 14 years of soldiering on with the same system and identity the organization thought it was time for a change and they brought in Peter Laviolette. Laviolette was going to transform this group of blue collar players into an up-tempo team. Toss in a few young guns, a nice sniper from Pittsburgh, and a few veterans who wanted to prove they still have plenty of game left in the tank and combine that with the return of their wall of a goaltender and you have the surprise of the Central Division.
Currently in 3rd in the Central, the Predators are catching teams by surprise with their newly found skill and their style of play may not make anyone mistake them for the Edmonton Oilers of the 1980’s, but they have that great combination of a reasonable offense with a stifling defense. Meanwhile, the Minnesota Wild can’t seem to string any positive streak together. One step forward, two steps back with a trip and a stumble in between has given the team no real momentum other than just spinning its wheels. Can the Wild somehow earn a win against the Predators or will Nashville gain some more separation in the standings?
1st Period Thoughts: The game got out to a fast start for the Wild as Minnesota struck first as Minneota won a battle for the puck off a lost faceoff that turned into a 2-on-1 and it was Jason Pominville threading a cross ice pass to Jason Zucker who made a quick move and elevated the puck over Pekka Rinne to give the home club a 1-0 lead. The Wild kept applying pressure and they managed to create another odd man rush, this time a 3-on-1 but Matt Cooke‘s pass was poked away by Mattias Ekholm. The Predators’ would answer back as Jared Spurgeon turned the puck over in his own end which was swept up by Calle Jarnkrok and he’d patiently get Darcy Kuemper to bite down low before wrapping a shot around the sprawling goalie. 1-1 now. Minnesota would find the back of the net a few minutes later as Thomas Vanek stole a puck near the Predators’ blue line and he’d dish a pass over to Charlie Coyle who let loose a hard backhander that was stopped by Rinne by directed in by the skate of Zach Parise. The goal would would be reviewed, but with Parise clearly just stopping instead of any sort of a ‘distinct kicking motion’ the goal would stand, 2-1 Minnesota. Minnesota’s Ryan Carter would take an interference penalty that gave Nashville the first power play of the game. The Wild’s penalty killers did a decent job not allowing the Predators to feel comfortable in the Minnesota zone and forcing some turnovers with good puck pressure. Kuemper was also solid as he gloved a bid off a blast from the point by Ryan Ellis. The Wild were having success creating offense off the rush as Jared Spurgeon helped lead the attack and he’d push a puck up to Pominville who then tried to thread a pass back to Spurgeon that he chipped on goal that was steered aside by Rinne. The Predators would tie the game a minute later as Victor Bartley carried the puck down low in the Wild zone where he made a small pass to Matt Cullen who lifted a puck over the shoulder of Kuemper and just like that it was 2-2. Kuemper didn’t hug the post quite well enough with his body on what should’ve been a preventable goal. The goal had Minnesota in a bit of a mental haze, and they started to win the little races for the puck and this led to more scoring opportunities as Taylor Beck found himself set up in the slot that was stopped and covered up by Kuemper. The Wild started to find themselves spending more and more time in their own end as Gabriel Bourque made a pretty play as he was confronted with no other options and he tried a little spin-a-rama backhander that was held onto by the Minnesota goalie. The Wild seemed to be coasting towards the end of the period, and the Predators would find the back of the net late in the period as a faceoff win in the offensive zone was lifted by on a backhand by Craig Smith that went off the cheater of the glove of Kuemper and in, 3-2 Nashville. Another questionable goal for a goaltender who really seems to be struggling with his confidence. The Predators continued to attack in the closing minute and the Wild seemed to just be trying to escape the period without any more mistakes or soft goals as Kuemper stopped a hard shot by Ellis. It was a sad end to what seemed to be a promising start by the Wild. By period’s end, the Wild were outshot 14-6 and the effort or the fire just didn’t seem to be there either. I wouldn’t be surprised if we see a goaltender switch to start the 2nd.
2nd Period Thoughts: The Wild did opt to have Niklas Backstrom to replace Kuemper whose home struggles continue. Minnesota did not wait to acclimate their new goalie as Jonas Brodin was tagged for holding just 42 seconds in. On the Predators’ power play the Wild tried to apply pressure to the puck carrier but Nashville moved it quickly to set up a bomb from the point by Shea Weber that was blocked by Ryan Carter. The power play would get a little hostile as Erik Haula finished a check that left Mike Ribeiro crumpled along the wall. Ribeiro turned into the boards as he saw the hit coming and got the worst of it, while his teammates let Haula know they were not ok with the hit. No penalty was given to Haula. The Wild would escape the power play with no further damage. Minnesota would then have a great chance at even strength as Zucker raced in a ripped a wrist shot off the crossbar and out. The Wild would then take a bad offensive zone penalty as Mikko Koivu earned a hooking call. The Wild’s penalty kill was very aggressive and they’d draw a very rare double hooking penalty to Mike Fisher. Minnesota would answer on the power play in bizarre fashion. Minnesota would work the puck down low and then crash the net as a flurry of bodies and sticks worked away in the blue paint. The whistle was blown and the play would be reviewed, the replay seemed to indicate the puck stayed out but Toronto didn’t feel that way and much to everyone’s surprise they’d call in a goal for Marco Scandella. The strange call was protested by the Predators bench as well as Rinne who skated out to center ice to discuss it with the officials. The Wild still had another power play to work with and they’d again try working the puck in close and Rinne had to make a few big saves. After killing off the long Wild power play the Predators would try to take back the lead as Backstrom dove to rob Fisher near the left goal post. The Wild started to get a little too fancy and nonchalant with the puck and this led to a series of turnovers in their own blueline that the team was fortunate not to have find the back of their net. Minnesota would try to work the puck deep in the Predators’ zone, as Nino Niederreiter almost managed to catch Rinne out of his crease. The Wild a promising rush late as Zucker led the charge, dropping a pass back to Vanek who had a bouncing puck and he sent a pass to Zucker who missed wide. A strange period as the Wild was outshot 8-14 but still tied the game at three.
3rd Period Thoughts: Minnesota started the 3rd with some urgency as they had two quality shots to start the period as Coyle was stopped from in close by Rinne who then gloved a blast from the point by Ryan Suter. The Wild were building momentum steadily until the Predators counter attacked with Filip Forsberg who fired a shot wide that bounced back out front on the lively boards and he deposited the rebound. 4-3 Nashville. The Predators would settle back into a passive 1-3-1 trap as they tried to force a turnover. Minnesota’s Matt Cooke would draw an interference penalty on Bartley to give the Wild a crucial power play. On the power play the Wild were able to generate a few shots on goal, but mostly from the perimeter, with the best one coming off the stick of Vanek as his shot hit the side of the net. Minnesota would set up Niederreiter for a one-timer in the closing seconds of the man advantage as he missed wide of the goal. With another power play coming up empty the anxiety of the sell out crowd started to steadily intensify. Minnesota would create a 2-on-1 between Zucker and Pominville and instead of ripping a shot he tried to thread a pass to Pominville that was deflected off target by a diving Ellis. Coyle would get a hooking penalty as he hot caught up with Roman Josi. As the delayed penalty continued, Weber would deliver a lat check to Parise in front of his bench to no call. The penalty would prove costly as the Predators lit the lamp as Josi stepped into a slapper that deflected off the skate of a diving Zucker to beat Backstrom, 5-3 Nashville. Minnesota would draw a penalty soon after the Predators’ power play goal, as Olli Jokinen was given a holding penalty. The Wild would light the lamp on the man advantage as a wrist shot from the point by Pominville was redirected perfectly by Parise and over the shoulder of Rinne to make it a one goal game. Pretty play, 5-4 Nashville. The Wild would try to press for the equalizer as Niederreiter set up Spurgeon for a one-timer that shattered his stick giving the Predators a 2-on-1 the other way. Niederreiter would hustle back as would a stick-less Spurgeon who managed to keep Nashville from even taking a shot on the odd-man opportunity. With about 5 minutes left the Wild seemed to relax just a bit, as players seemed to be waiting for someone to step up. The Wild were content to simply play keep away and valuable time was just evaporating from the clock. With 1:39 left to play, Wild Head Coach Mike Yeo would call a timeout to talk things over with his club as Minnesota wanted one last push to tie the game. An icing call off the initial draw foiled a potential chance to bottle up the Predators in their zone right away. The Wild would eventually get the zone entry they were seeking and after a few wrist shots from the point that drew a few saves as Scandella sends a puck from the top of the right faceoff circle that Rinne stopped and Vanek buried the rebound to tie the game at 5-5. In the closing seconds the Wild would look for the go-ahead goal as Coyle tried to set up Matt Cooke from in close but he was knocked down before he could get a shot off and this game would go to overtime.
Overtime Thoughts: The Wild surprisingly did not use that rope-a-dope strategy that worked so well against the Bruins earlier in the week. But they’d go back to it on the next shift as the Predators were able to work the puck down low as Mattias Ekholm was able to protect the puck and he simply kept buying time and worked his way back out front before beating Backstrom with a quick wrist shot. 6-5 Nashville.
Darcy Kuemper was terrible, sporting a .786% save percentage and helping squander the team’s early momentum. Niklas Backstrom was better, but unfortunately his defenseman left him out to dry too many times and he ended up earning the loss despite making 27 saves. I think its time to let Backstrom carry the mail, especially at home where Kuemper seems to be a nervous wreck. With the team languishing in the standings and throwing away games in hand, now is not the time to be experimenting with your goaltender. I thought Nate Prosser was terrible tonight, and in general the Wild defense was way too passive as they seemed to be doing a lot of gliding and reaching with the stick instead of taking the body against the Predators. Few people are talking about the fact the Wild’s defense has been far more porous lately and even though the team is scoring more its more than offset by the amount of goals they’re giving up these days.
Minnesota got some decent contributions offensively. Zucker’s first goal was a great way to start the game and you can’t put a lot of blame on the power play who managed to light the lamp twice tonight. Sure, the first one was a complete gift as I saw nothing that told me the puck was completely over the line in the replays I saw but beggars can’t be choosers. I still felt there were passengers on the roster. Most notably was Mikko Koivu. Inexplicably, despite a strong game by Charlie Coyle, Mike Yeo tabbed Koivu down the stretch and the Kaptain did his best to just float around the ice. When I watched Koivu be muscled off the puck by Calle Jarnkrok late in the 3rd when the team needed a goal I knew it wasn’t ‘angry Finn’ night. Koivu was also a step too slow to knock away the puck from Jarnkrok on the Preds first goal of the game. The Wild cannot afford to give a player like Koivu so much time on the power play and top line time if he’s not going to be a factor offensively. Vanek had a great goal to tie the game but it simply wasn’t enough.
Overtime again burns the Wild as they again allowed themselves to be pinned in the zone allowing Mattias Ekholm to look like Rick Nash as he powered around the Minnesota zone before netting the game winner. In my opinion that comes down to heart and want. Great teams are aware of the importance of the situation and don’t give in that easily. While one can say the fight to send the game to overtime was valiant the truth is the Wild surrendered two points to a team ahead of them in the Central Division standings. The Wild have earned 2 points out of a possible 6 in this current homestand. That’s not going to get it done as the Winnipeg Jets continue to make every game count. Wild fans are tired of excuses and its time this team either start playing like a contender for the playoffs or just admit its a pretender and start making some personnel moves because its obviously not working the way it is right now.
Wild Notes:
~ The Wild roster was as follows: Mikko Koivu, Thomas Vanek, Charlie Coyle, Zach Parise, Jason Pominville, Jason Zucker, Justin Fontaine, Nino Niederreiter, Ryan Carter, Kyle Brodziak, Erik Haula, Matt Cooke, Ryan Suter, Jonas Brodin, Jared Spurgeon, Marco Scandella, Nate Prosser and Christian Folin. Niklas Backstrom and Darcy Kuemper shared the duities between the pipes tonight. Stu Bickel, Justin Falk and Mikael Granlund were the healthy scratches.
~ The 3 Stars of the Game were: 1st Star Shea Weber, 2nd Star Zach Parise, 3rd Star Filip Forsberg
~ Attendance was 19,017 at Xcel Energy Center.
Iowa Wild Report:
Recent Score: Iowa 5, Chicago 1
The Wild seemed to be dictating the pace right from the opening faceoff in Chicago against a Wolves squad they’ve traditionally struggled against. Iowa would light the lamp first as Danny Syvret ripped a wrist shot off a faceoff win in the offensive zone that was redirected by Brett Sutter to beat Matt Climie to put the Wild up 1-0. The Wild would add to their lead a few minutes later as Michael Keranen missed a shot way wide and as the puck bounced off the boards it came back out front and was tapped home by an alert Jason Gregoire to make it 2-0 for Iowa going into the 2nd period. Iowa would add to its lead in the 2nd as Tyler Graovac lifted a backhander over the shoulder of Climie to make it 3-0 just a few minutes in. Chicago would finally get on the scoreboard as Mathieu Brodeur found the twine behind Johan Gustafsson to make it 3-1. Iowa would then push their lead back out to two, as Gregoire scored on the rebound to make it 4-1 for the Wild going into the 3rd. The Wild didn’t let up in the 3rd period as Graovac added another goal on the power play to seal a rare 5-1 victory over Chicago. Gustafsson had 24 saves in the victory. The two clubs play tomorrow in Des Moines.
High School Hockey Report:
As we approach the holidays, which is a time of tournaments both the boys and girls teams are about 1/4th through their respective seasons thus far. Still a long way to go, but there have already been some epic showdowns that have shaped up the rankings. Here are the rankings as done by Let’s Play Hockey for December 17th for both Class A & AA Boys and Girls Hockey.
Class AA (Girls)
1. Eden Prairie
2. Maple Grove
3. Roseau
4. Edina
5. Dodge County
6. Hill-Murray
7. Minnetonka
8. Lakeville South
9. Wayzata
10. Cretin-Derham Hall
Class A (Girls)
1. Blake
2. Breck
3. Thief River Falls
4. Warroad
5. East Grand Forks
6. St. Paul United
7. Orono
8. Red Wing
9. South St. Paul
10. New Prague
Class AA (Boys)
1. Lakeville North
2. Edina
3. Wayzata
4. St. Thomas Academy
5. Hill-Murray
6. Elk River-Zimmerman
7. Eden Prairie
8. Benilde-St. Margaret’s
9. Prior Lake
10. Grand Rapids
Class A (Boys)
1. Hermantown
2. Duluth Marshall
3. East Grand Forks
4. Mahtomedi
5. Warroad
6. Breck
7. New Prague
8. St. Paul Academy
9. Thief River Falls
10. Delano / Rockford
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