One of my favorite shows in the fall as teenager was NFL Primetime on early Sunday evenings on ESPN. It basically was your weekly in-depth highlight show where they used spot shadows to give you a good feel for the games in case you didn’t have a chance to watch it. In the days before things like NFL Sunday Ticket and access to streaming video online this was about as good as it could be. I have to admit, I always loved listening to Chris Berman and while I know for some his style of highlights can be annoying I always thought they were kind of cool and had energy and all of his Bermanisms for example Eric “Sleeping with” Bienemy and Mike “your in good hands with” Alstott made his style unique. Yet I guess why I liked him was that he seemed to be more like a fan than sports reporter and you could tell he enjoyed his job. Berman would always remind fans that what can seem like a one-sided match up on paper doesn’t always turn out that way when he’d say “but that’s why they play the games.” This is especially true the last few weeks of the season where teams who are basically out of contention for the playoffs embrace the role of spoiler.
If the Wild chose to stay up a little later and watch Hockey Night In Canada it could’ve seen one of those spoiler type performances as the 30th place Edmonton Oilers handed the President’s Trophy winning Vancouver Canucks 4-1 with a lineup that was more akin to what you can find in Oklahoma City playing in the American Hockey League than an NHL team. Edmonton hustled, and outworked the Canucks from start to finish and earned the rout. Minnesota needs to channel the same type of effort if it wants to beat the mighty Detroit Red Wings. With injuries to Marek Zidlicky and Nick Schultz giving opportunities to farmhands Justin Falk and Maxim Noreau as well up front where bumps and bruises have combined to take out Martin Havlat and John Madden giving Colton Gillies and Carson McMillan a taste of the NHL this season. This needs to be seen as audition, showing the organization you deserve to be back or given a better shot for next season so hopefully they dedicate themselves to outwork the Red Wings. Detroit is coming off a come-from-behind overtime victory over division rival Nashville so Minnesota will have its work cut out for themselves.
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1st Period Thoughts: I thought Minnesota had reasonable energy to start the game, moving their feet ok but I noticed right away that they were playing right into Detroit’s hands with their use of area passes. Detroit drives opponents crazy because they turn those area passes into giveaways and then do a great job at limiting the times they make those kinds of plays. An area pass leads to a turnover and as Minnesota scrambles about its zone trying to chase down Patrick Eaves who was being shadowed by Maxim Noreau who was just unable to get the puck away from him and Eaves threaded a pass to the slot to Darren Helm who promptly rips a wrist shot over the shoulder of Jose Theodore to give Detroit a 1-0 lead. Minnesota tried to answer back with some hustle of its own and the modified 2nd line of Matt Cullen, Colton Gillies and Chuck Kobasew were flying around, with Gillies nearly destroying the Red Wings’ Ruslan Salei. The Wild were trying to put shots on goal to test Jimmy Howard but most were coming from long range. The Wild stopped using the area passes and instead opting for tape to tape passes and puck possession became more even. Minnesota was even able to establish the forecheck a bit as Pierre-Marc Bouchard showing some good strength on his skates down low before setting up a chance from the point by Brent Burns who was pulling the trigger with great frequency. Burns was also getting involved physically as he put a pretty decent hip check on Tomas Holmstrom. Yet the Red Wings were up to their usual tricks, as Kyle Brodziak was tagged with an absolutely terrible tripping call when Holmstrom more or less skated next to him and then leaped Superman style to draw the call. It was a blatant and obvious dive and seeing the camera angle at ice level it shouldv’e been even more obvious yet no diving call was made and Brodziak protested as he went to the sin bin. Minnesota’s penalty kill would scramble a bit as Henrik Zetterberg rifled a shot that was stopped beautifully by Jose Theodore. The Wild would negate the power play with some good hustle of their own as Brian Rafalski tripped up Mikko Koivu. With the ice a bit more open 4-on-4, Brent Burns started to pour it on as he dangled a bit before unleashing a heavy wrist shot that was absorbed by Howard. Minnesota was moving its feet well and skating with the Red Wings pretty well; but penalties would again move to the forefront. The Wild had to have felt it got a break when Jakub Kindl was called for high sticking as he knocked down Cal Clutterbuck after some excellent forechecking work by Brodziak and Bouchard. The power play would be short-lived as Matt Cullen would be given an interference penalty for a bogus trip to Patrick Eaves who more or less skated by Cullen who was trying to stay onsides and as he skated past him he fell to the ice drawing the call. Another ridiculous call and Detroit would strike just seconds into the 4-on-4 as Zetterberg drew it back to Niklas Lidstrom who stepped into a slapper that beat Theodore with perhaps a tip from Pavel Datsyuk to put the Red Wings up 2-0. The Wild would go back to work trying to cut into the Red Wings’ lead and their hard work would draw a tripping penalty on Valterri Filppula. Unfortunately, Minnesota’s hard work was counteracted by two terrible calls. Just once I’d like to see an official call diving without also calling a tripping call. It amazes me officials call anything in Tomas Holmstrom’s favor, he flops as much as Peter Forsberg did. Pathetic.
2nd Period Thoughts: The Wild started the 2nd period with a 4-on-3 power play and even at this point Detroit seemed to be able to scare Minnesota off from taking shots on goal. Minnesota was continuing to hustle and its hard work would pay off with an early goal as Justin Falk carried the puck deep into the Red Wings’ zone before sliding a shot on goal that Howard initially stopped but as Carson McMillan and Brad Staubitz stormed the crease hacking a whacking at the puck until it slid in, cutting Detroit’s lead in half 2-1. The goal was credited to Falk, but I think upon further review it will be given to Brad Staubitz. The Red Wings and the hometown fans were not happy the officials didn’t give their team another gift and blow the whistle early and so they came out determined to go back up by two. Minnesota’s hustle continued to cause Detroit fits and Johan Franzen would cut off a forechecking Chuck Kobasew earning him a 2-minute sit in the penalty box. With more boo’s from the geriatric crowd, the Wild went on the power play. The Wild’s power play unit struggled to get in sync, and the only player that really seemed intent on shooting the biscuit was Brent Burns. Burns was perhaps a little too greedy, not taking chances to set up wide open teammates while forcing a few shots from the point that never even made it on goal. With a failed power play the Red Wings went back on the attack and nearly scored when Henrik Zetterberg set up a crashing Todd Bertuzzi as Jared Spurgeon dove to try to break up but it was Theodore coming up with a huge save. Detroit would be given another gift of a power play when Jakub Kindl high sticked Brad Staubitz in the face and then Staubitz went back after him and was given a high sticking call for his trouble. The Red Wings would take full advantage of the power play and Tomas Holmstrom would dangle around a diving Brent Burns and then pulled the trigger on a snap shot that just snuck underneath the arm of Theodore and in, 3-1 Detroit. I have no doubt Theodore would want that goal back as it was a bit soft. Minnesota would go back to work to try to cut into the Detroit two-goal lead and they would draw another late period power play but again the team was a little too passive with the puck at the point and not putting enough shots on goal. Detroit isn’t really trying but that still more than the Wild can handle at this point.
3rd Period Thoughts: One thing you have to say is that the Wild didn’t give up. They kept battling and working until the bitter end. That is a credit to the players but in the end they just didn’t have enough. Detroit, even as they went through the motions were too much for the Wild. Minnesota kept its feet going and skating with the Red Wings as best as they could. Detroit was sick of battling the Wild and they tried to take their heart out by adding to their lead and a great shift where Johan Franzen was simply too much for Jared Spurgeon to handle allowed him to have an easy goal on the doorstep to give the Red Wings a commanding 4-1 lead. The Red Wings tried to quickly add another and for a moment it appeared as though they did when Todd Bertuzzi out muscled Antti Miettinen for a puck along the wall before sliding a pass out to Brad Stuart who blasted a bullet from the point that found the back of the twine. Jose Theodore protested the call and apparently he was pretty convincing because NHL referee Greg Kimmerly gave Minnesota a huge gift in waiving off Stuart’s goal. The only goaltender interference (which was presumably why he waived off the goal) was on Justin Falk who inadvertently pushed Theodore out of the way. Minnesota would have to defend another furious Red Wings storm but they circled the wagons around Theodore and then went on the attack themselves. The Wild got a nice pride goal late, set up by the assertiveness of Brad Staubitz who went wide right and fired a wrist shot that was stopped by Howard but Carson McMillan was there to bang home the rebound to cut the lead to 4-2. Minnesota would pull Theodore with almost a 1:30 left, but to no avail as Detroit got sticks into passing and shooting lanes and they would earn their 4-2 victory.
Jose Theodore gave the Wild a chance to win this game, giving up just one ‘bad’ goal after making 30 saves in the loss. I felt he bailed Minnesota out several times despite having Franzen and Holmstrom hanging out near his crease. Defensively the Red Wings make it very tough because they hold the puck so well, and I felt the Wild did a reasonable job supporting their goaltender. Theodore even ended up making a save using Justin Falk’s body, talk about taking one for the team.
Offensively the Wild’s best line was its 4th line who took a very simple approach and took their opportunities to take the puck to the crease. That is precisely what the other lines needed to do but they chose not to. If Minnesota needed to point to a reason it lost the game was as easy as understanding they went 0-for-5 on the power play. The Wild had a few moments where the power play worked to create some good scoring chances but they were too few and far between to really allow the team to build some momentum. Lastly, what’s gotten into Brad Staubitz? 3 goals in his last 8 games and a 2 point night tonight. Give that man a cookie!
Wild Head Coach Todd Richards didn’t seem as down as he has even in the last two Wild victories when he said, “We had 4 young guys playing defense, and right now its playing for each other, for the franchise and for the fans right now.” Richards felt the young players like Colton Gillies added an element of speed whenever he was on the ice. I am not sure if I agree with Richards on Gillies though. I didn’t think he was overly physical and while he had a few flashes where he was moving well he also had a lot of instances where he was just floating about the zone and not moving his feet to get to the puck or at least be physical with Detroit’s skaters. I have to say I was fairly happy with the effort. It did show pride, and perhaps the team should’ve been calling up farm team players sooner. Sometimes you need to have some guys around who want it the most. Not many games left but the young guys are providing some level of hope.
Wild Notes:
~ The Wild roster this afternoon is as follows: Mikko Koivu, Antti Miettinen, Andrew Brunette, Matt Cullen, Kyle Brodziak, Brad Staubitz, Eric Nystrom, Colton Gillies, Carson McMillan, Chuck Kobasew, Pierre-Marc Bouchard, Jared Spurgeon, Justin Falk, Clayton Stoner, Maxim Noreau, Greg Zanon and Brent Burns. Niklas Backstrom backed up Jose Theodore. Cam Barker, Marco Scandella, Marek Zidlicky and Guillaume Latendresse were the ‘healthy’ scratches. Nick Schultz (post-concussion syndrome), Josh Harding (knee) and James Sheppard (knee) are on injured reserve.
~ The 3 Stars of the Game were: 1st Star Tomas Holmstrom, 2nd Star Darren Helm, 3rd Star Brad Staubitz
~ Attendance for this afternoon’s game was 20,066 at Joe Louis Arena.
~ The State of Hockey News would like to send its most sincere condolences to the family of Mandi Schwartz who lost her battle with mykeloid leukemia. Mandi Schwartz was a hockey star at Yale University and the older sister of St. Louis Blues 1st round selection Jaden Schwartz.
~ Aeros finished off their weekend with a big victory over the Chicago Wolves, 6-1 on Saturday night at Allstate Arena in Rosemount, Illinois. Houston jumped out to a 1-0 lead on a power play goal from Casey Wellman but the good feelings were short-lived as Chicago tied the game about 5 minutes later on a goal from AHL scoring machine Darren Haydar who notched his 26th goal of the season. In the 2nd period, the wheels would come off for the Wolves who suffered greatly for a lack of discipline that turned into 3 power play goals for the Aeros as Robbie Earl, Patrick O’Sullivan and Jon DiSalvatore as well as two even-strength goals from Chad Rau and enforcer Matt Kassian. With a 6-1 lead going into the 3rd period the Aeros were content to sit back and keep Chicago off the scoreboard and collect another victory. Matthew Hackett was excellent, making 32 saves in the victory. Houston now has to sit and wait as they do not play their last game of the regular season until next week Sunday and that will ultimately determine their position in the post-season.
Wild Prospect Playoffs Rundown:
RW – Dylen McKinlay ~ Chillwack Bruins (WHL)
Playoff Stats: 5GP 2G 2A = 4pts 0 PIM’s -1 ~ Its the end of the road for Dylen McKinlay and the Chilliwack Bruins after falling 6-4 at the hands of the Spokane Chiefs. The speedy right winger did all he could in the deciding game, giving his best performance of the post season with a 2 goal night. It was not a great year overall for McKinlay as he struggled through injuries so it will be interesting to see if Minnesota decides to call this year a mulligan and give him another chance where he’d be more likely to play a starring role on the Bruins. Here are some videos of just what McKinlay can do.
Here is a clip of McKinlay dropping the gloves with Kamloops’ J.C. Lipon, pretty feisty I must say.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=IvebCoHcer4
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