Who doesn’t love a friendly wager? For some people, they love to bet on just about anything and everything. I am not talking about the compulsive gambler; I am talking about the person who manages to take any personal challenge and loves to turn it into a bet. Whether it be for a small monetary sum, some measure of humiliation or for a drink / beer of their choice the wager itself is often inconsequential to the opportunity to say to the person you made the bet with, “I told you so.” I am sure some psychologist would say it has something to do with the ego, but let’s face it that moment is often more sweet than whatever your reward may be for winning the bet. Perhaps its only fitting that on the classic hockey film Slap Shot, the players of the Charlestown Chiefs appeared to be making wagers almost constantly. Whether it was over who a contestant on a game show may wish to say “hi” to, or on the outcome of a race with electric Tycho cars (which according to Dave Hanson, that really did happen) pro athletes often use the per diem money they receive in small wagers or card games they may play during team travel. A few years ago, I was lucky enough to have won a trip to Don Laughlin’s Riverside Resort & Casino in Laughlin, Nevada as part of a contest run by the Minnesota Wild. Like any casino in Nevada I decided to go place a few bets on NHL games at the local sports book. You should have seen the look I got when I asked to place a bet on a hockey game, but that’s a whole different story. With Minnesota still (as of this moment) sitting in 1st place in the league’s standings, what if a Wild fan were to have placed a bet on Minnesota winning the Stanley Cup and they managed to do just that? Well, that fan would be in for a very nice pay day considering Las Vegas gave the Wild 30-1 odds. Even if you placed a bet for the Wild to win the Western Conference you’d make a nice chunk of change as they stand with 16-1 odds. In all honesty, I am not a gambler. I don’t even buy lottery tickets, but wouldn’t it be cool if the Wild were to beat the odds?
So far (knock on wood) Minnesota is doing a fine job of making those odds makers a bit nervous. The Wild are having to reshuffle their lineup a bit as Matthew Hackett is brought up to replace Niklas Backstrom who appeared to tweak his groin on Friday, as well as Nate Prosser as the Wild put Justin Falk on injured reserve. Will Minnesota continue to beat the odds by earning a victory in Anaheim or will the Ducks take their first step towards respectability in the new Bruce Boudreau era?
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1st Period Thoughts: With a very sparse crowd in attendance, the Wild had the first great opportunity as a defensive breakdown by the Ducks gave Dany Heatley an uncontested shot but Jonas Hiller was able to come up with a nice shoulder save. The Wild’s defense was poised and efficient, not a lot of wasted effort as they won the battles for the puck along the wall. A few minutes later, the Ducks finally had their first quality scoring chance as Ryan Getzlaf set up Corey Perry with a centering pass that he pushed wide of Josh Harding. Getzlaf would get crunched into the Wild’s bench door and despite being banged up a bit he’d stay in the game. Anaheim’s top line again would threaten on a long range shot by Bobby Ryan that Harding just got a piece off to direct it to the corner. The Ducks’ were using their body to protect the puck well, and they would draw a penalty when Nick Schultz was tagged with a high sticking call. Anaheim did not waste much time on the power play, as Corey Perry would misplay the redirect but his error turned into a perfect set up for Getzlaf who buried an easy tap in goal to put the Ducks up 1-0. Minnesota tried to answer back and a nice little play by Matt Cullen to step around a defender, he’d drop a pass back to Pierre-Marc Bouchard who wound up and uncorked a slap shot that drew a nice rebound off of Hiller and Cullen tried to jam it by the Swiss-born goaltender but he steered his bid aside. Minnesota would have another excellent chance as Marco Scandella showed some finesse as he dropped a pass back to the point where Cullen fired a shot that was redirected by the defenseman that Hiller stonewalled. The Ducks would respond with some pressure of their own and on a hit along the wall that seemed to stun Greg Zanon, and Teemu Selanne would sweep behind the Wild goal and draw the defense towards him before threading a perfect back door pass to fellow Finn Saku Koivu for an easy gaol, 2-0 Anaheim. Predictably, Brad Staubitz would challenge Jean-Francois Jacques in an effort to get something going for the Wild. Staubitz was at a disadvantage in height and reach and Jacques took control right away. The Wild tough guy would attempt to switch hands as he weathered a barrage of quick jabs by Jacques before throwing a wild left handed hook that failed to land. Eventually Staubitz would be tackled to the ice and it was a clear cut win for Jacques. Minnesota was showing a little more spark after the fight as a few minutes later Devin Setoguchi used his speed to race around the Ducks’ defense and he got a quick shot on goal and tried to stuff home a rebound but Hiller held on to make the stop. The Wild had a nice shift from its top line, as Koivu, Heatley and Setoguchi cylced the puck well but despite the control of possession they were unable to generate many shots on goal. Minnesota had another nice scoring chance, as the top line set up Jared Spurgeon with an open shot as he fired a snap shot that Mikko Koivu narrowly missed on a re-direct attempt. The Wild’s pressure would draw an interference on Bobby Ryan, and about 30 seconds into the power play Minnesota would draw an additional minor as Toni Lydman got his stick up underneath the visor of Devin Setoguchi. With just over a minute left in the period, the Wild worked the two-man advantage where a point shot by Heatley created some havoc near the crease but they were able to push a puck by Hiller. Minnesota was able to regroup and showing a sense of urgency, Dany Heatley took matters into his own hands as he wound up and blistered a slap shot from the high slot by Hiller who had no chance to cut the Ducks lead in half 2-1. The goal was also scored early enough to give Minnesota nearly a minute of power play time going into the 2nd period. Not a great start, and they must try to match the Ducks’ physicality but a big goal late that may serve to turn this game around.
2nd Period Thoughts: The Wild were not able to get anything going on their minute of remaining power play time. Minnesota would renew its assault on the Anaheim goal, and the top line again would get things started on a fine play by Mikko Koivu to hold off a defender to get off a hard wrist shot which Hiller blocked to the corner. Minnesota would gather up the rebound and Koivu passed the puck out to the high slot where Nick Schultz was waiting to take a hard wrist shot that was stopped by Hiller but he’d sprawl to hold onto the puck. The Wild followed up that great shift with an even better one by the 3rd line of Kyle Brodziak, Nick Johnson and Cal Clutterbuck who created a ton of chances through sheer effort on the wall and the assertiveness to put the puck on the net. Brodziak especially was active, firing 4 shots on the shift and despite the hooks and holds by the Ducks, Minnesota kept swarming but were not able to light the lamp. The Ducks would try to answer back as Teemu Selanne raced into the Wild’s zone which drew a hooking penalty on Clayton Stoner. Anaheim’s power play was adept at maintaining possession and keeping the puck moving but did not create a lot of shots on goal. The Ducks’ Luca Sbisa would take an interference penalty, but Minnesota would struggle to get set up in the Anaheim zone. The Wild were not able to register a single shot on goal on the man advantage despite some nice work by Devin Setoguchi to hold the zone. The fact of the matter is Minnesota didn’t exhibit much in the way of puck movement or employing quick passing which usually makes for a successful power play. The Wild’s top line, would create some havoc as Mikko Koivu had a little time and space but he waited too long and when he attempted a cross-ice pass to Setoguchi that failed to click. Minnesota kept persisting, and the 2nd line would get the equalizer where Matt Cullen raced into the Anaheim zone and he delivered a perfect saucer pass to the stick of Casey Wellman who tapped a shot from the top of the crease by Hiller to make it 2-2. With the sparse crowd in a state of stunned shock, the Wild would strike again as the 2nd line added the go-ahead goal when Pierre-Marc Bouchard took a long pass from Matt Cullen and he moved in and he lifted a pretty backhander over Hiller to give Minnesota a 3-2 lead. New Ducks Head Coach Bruce Boudreau would call a timeout, in a fairly calm but f-bomb riddled speech as he tried to re-focus his team. The Ducks would try to assert itself on the forecheck as their 3rd line of Devante Smith-Pelly, Andrew Cogliano and Niklas Hagman had Minnesota pinned in its own zone for about 30 seconds, and Smith-Pelly took a puck and went to drive the net only to have the biscuit swept from his stick by a nice diving play by Zanon. You could sense the frustration on the Ducks as the period ended with them now trailing 3-2. Minnesota was absolutely dominating Anaheim, out shooting the Ducks 13-4 in the period and were leading 30-13 for the game to this point.
3rd Period Thoughts: The Ducks would create a solid scoring chance in the opening seconds of the 3rd period as Cam Fowler wound up and hammered a slap shot that caromed off the boards right to Getzlaf for a quick shot that Harding was able to get across on to make a save. Minnesota’s top line would cause a little trouble on the forecheck, and the Wild would have a good scoring chance of their own as Koivu drove deep and dropped a pass back to Heatley who ripped a slap shot that was steered wide by Hiller. The chances were coming fast and furious as Cody Almond tried to deliver a big hit to Ryan Getzlaf and the Ducks’ captain nearly got the last laugh as he found himself set up for a great bang-bang chance but his shot would ring off the right post and Minnesota was able to clear the zone. Minnesota answered right back with a great chance of its own as Cullen attempted another saucer pass towards the crease for a crashing Wellman that just failed to connect. The Ducks continued to swarm, and a big point shot by Kurtis Foster reached Harding who made the stop and then had to make another fine save on a rebound chance by Selanne. Anaheim was really pouring on the pressure and another crazy flurry near the Wild crease had the puck bouncing around in the blue paint but Harding would sprawl and somehow keep the puck out of the Minnesota net. The replay confirmed it was another Ducks shot that hit a post. The Ducks were more or less occupying the Wild zone, and Minnesota was content to try to keep Anaheim to the perimeter and chip it out of the zone and go for a change. The Wild were really playing rope-a-dope and a failed clearing attempt was picked up by Cam Fowler who fired a shot that deflected off the stick of Marco Scandella and by Harding to tie the game at 3-3. Minnesota would send out its 3rd line to create some havoc and they did just that as Cal Clutterbuck got things started by intercepting a pass deep in the Ducks zone and he attempted a wrap around which was stopped by Hiller, and a few moments after that it was Nick Johnson flinging a shot on goal which had Kyle Brodziak chipping away at it near the crease looking to poke home a rebound. Josh Harding would add a little drama of his own as he tried to play a puck and his pass was intercepted and Cogliano ripped a quick shot that Harding deflected aside. The 3rd line would provide the answer, as Cal Clutterbuck centered a pass towards Nick Johnson and the puck would glance off his skate as he was stopping and by Hiller to make it 4-3. After a fairly short review, Johnson’s goal would stand and Minnesota keeps finding ways to respond. Minnesota’s 2nd line would nearly add another as Pierre-Marc Bouchard stole a puck on the forecheck and he passed it back to Casey Wellman who rifled a shot just wide of the mark. The Ducks would re-group and go back on the attack in search of the equalizer, and Bobby Ryan was really working hard as he nearly found the back of the net on a sharp angle shot that was stopped by the shaft of Harding’s paddle. Anaheim was continuing to pour it on as they worked put bodies near the crease and worked the play down behind the Wild goal, only to settle for a point shot by Sheldon Brookbank that was held onto by Harding. Mikko Koivu would get a cross checking call for a pretty weak push on Matt Beleskey that sent him falling to the ice giving the Ducks a power play for the rest of regulation. Kyle Brodziak was causing the Ducks trouble early on, and Anaheim was setting up point shots with lots traffic but it was missing wide. Minnesota was scrambling and clearing the puck and making Anaheim re-set, and ultimately it was Cal Clutterbuck stuffing home an empty netter to seal a 5-3 victory.
Josh Harding was again very solid, making 24 saves in the win. The 3 goals Harding gave up were all on high quality shots and he again provided great play down the stretch to give Minnesota another come-from-behind victory. Sure, he got the help from two post shots in the 3rd period but good goaltenders get those kinds of breaks. Defensively I thought the Wild were solid down the stretch, sweeping away rebounds and preventing the Ducks from pouncing on those 2nd chance opportunities. Marco Scandella would block a shot late in the 3rd period that had him reeling, we’ll have to see if that is an injury that keeps him out of Tuesday’s game against San Jose.
Offensively was a classic example in how Minnesota has managed to win as many games as it has as it was a scoring by committee approach. The 1st line had a goal, the 2nd line had two goals and the 3rd line added two more. They may not scare anyone on the score sheet, but this team is getting production from its top 3 lines on a fairly regular basis and that makes up for the fact they don’t have a true go to line / player. The speed of the 2nd line created some problems for the Ducks and Casey Wellman’s best attribute is his speed and so he is a natural fit for Bouchard and Cullen. Cullen also continues to be great at both ends, this time adding 3 assists for the first time since 2007. Piling up 35 shots on goal was also pretty impressive and its persistence is what allowed them to get back into this game. Heatley’s goal in the last few seconds of the 1st period was huge and I am liking to see him comfortable enough to just pull the trigger and that can only mean good things for the Wild.
In the previous two years, I felt the story was painfully the same where Minnesota’s inconsistency of effort would either spell success or doom. I got sick and tired of writing that story again and again, but this year the story has been remarkably the same but its not been at all boring / painful to write. The Wild spotted the Ducks a 2-0 lead and then rallied back to take the lead. Then after nearly losing that lead they pulled it together to gut out another road victory. The perseverance of this team continues to amaze me, but I have to admit when this team goes down by a goal or two I still have hope. That really has not been true ever in this franchise’s history where the first goal almost predetermined the outcome 90% of the time. Not anymore, the Wild are the kids that just do not quit and they again clawed their way back atop the NHL standings.
Wild Notes:
~ The Wild lineup this evening was as follows: Mikko Koivu, Dany Heatley, Devin Setoguchi, Matt Cullen, Pierre-Marc Bouchard, Casey Wellman, Cody Almond, Darroll Powe, Brad Staubitz, Cal Clutterbuck, Kyle Brodziak, Nick Johnson, Nick Schultz, Greg Zanon, Clayton Stoner, Mike Lundin, Jared Spurgeon and Marco Scandella. Matthew Hackett backed up Josh Harding. Healthy scratches were Colton Gillies, Niklas Backstrom and Nate Prosser.
~ The 3 Stars of the Game were: 1st Star Matt Cullen, 2nd Star Teemu Selanne, 3rd Star Francois Beauchemin
~ Attendance was 14,002 at Honda Center.
Wild Prospect Report:
C – Erik Haula (Minnesota, WCHA) ~ Haula continues to help lead the way for the Golden Gophers as he chipped in a goal in Minnesota’s 4-2 win over in-state rival Minnesota State on Friday night. Haula had no points on Saturday as the Golden Gophers swept the Mavericks for the first time since 2005. The Pori, Finland-native’s totals are 9 goals, 22 points and 10 PIM’s in 18 games.
C – Charlie Coyle (Boston U., H-East) ~ Charlie Coyle had a huge opening night in the Terriers 5-3 win agaisnt their cross-city rival Boston College. Coyle had a goal and an assist and was a +1 on Friday. On Saturday, Coyle was held scorless and ended the night even despite his team’s 6-1 loss to the Eagles. The East Weymouth, Massachusetts-native’s totals are 3 goals, 13 points and 14 PIM’s in 14 games.
LW – Jason Zucker (Denver, WCHA) ~ You can’t blame Wild prospect Jason Zucker for the Pioneers’ Friday 4-3 loss to in-state rival Colorado College. Zucker had 2 goals and a helper and was a +1 in the opening game of the series. The Las Vegas-native’s totals are 8 goals, 20 points and 16 PIM’s in 14 games.
D – Sean Lorenz (Notre Dame, CCHA) ~ Sometimes you have a game you just want to forget. That was Friday night’s game against the Northeastern Huskies. The Huskies absolutely crushed the Fighting Irish 9-2, and for Lorenz he had the dubious distinction of having the team’s worst +/- rating at a -6! It was only slightly better in Saturday nights’ game where the end result was the same but a more respectable 2-1 defeat and Lorenz was only a -1 but going -7 for the weekend is pretty painful. The Littleton, Colorado-native’s totals are 2 goals, 8 points and 2 PIM’s in 17 games.
LW – Brett Bulmer (Kelowna, WHL) ~ I hope Brett Bulmer isn’t too tired from trying to carry the Kelowna Rockets on his back all by himself. Bulmer had an assist and 2 PIM’s in the Rockets’ 2-1 loss to the Victoria Royals on Friday. On Saturday night, Bulmer’s contributions again were not quite enough as he scored goal in a 3-2 loss to the Prince George Cougars. The Prince George-native’s totals are 9 goals, 19 points and 26 PIM’s in 13 games.
C – Zack Phillips (Saint John, QMJHL) ~ Minnesota’s second 1st round pick (28th Overall) in 2011 found the back of the net Saturday night against Shawinigan to extend his scoring streak to 21 games. On Sunday afternoon, Phillips kept his scoring streak alive at 22 games by recording two assists in an ugly 8-3 loss to Chicoutimi. The Fredericton, New Brunswick-native’s totals are 17 goals, 51 points and 17 PIM’s in 29 games.
D – Colton Jobke (Regina, WHL) ~ The 6’0″, 189lbs defenseman continues to have a strong season for the Pats as he added a goal and an assist in Regina’s 5-3 win over Red Deer on Saturday night. The Delta, British Columbia-native had an assist against the Brandon Wheat Kings on early Sunday evening as he continues to be an all situations workhorse for the Pats. This brings Jobke’s totals to 5 goals, 12 points (both career highs) and 43 PIM’s in 28 games for Regina.
D – Nick Seeler (Muskegon, USHL) ~ The offensively gifted defenseman and future Nebraska-Omaha Maverick is slowly finding his stride as he had a helper and was a +1 in the Lumberjacks’ 4-2 loss to the Youngstown Phantoms Saturday night. The Eden Prairie-native’s totals are 2 goals, 8 points and 6 PIM’s in 18 games.
F – Mario Lucia (Penticton, BCHL) ~ The Minnesota-born forward with great hands continues to shine in the BCHL as he was 3rd star of the game Friday night after banging home 2 goals and adding an assist in a 7-2 throttling of the Westside Warriors. The Wayzata-native’s totals are 20 goals, 50 points and 14 PIM’s in 24 games.
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