Yardbarker: Minnesota Wild

Canucks wallop Wild at XCel

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 23:12:20 -0500

ST. PAUL, Minn.(AP) Tough guy Darcy Hordichuk and newly signed Matt Pettinger each scored their first goals of the season, forming an unlikely pair to lead the short-handed Vancouver Canucks to a 5-2 victory over the Minnesota Wild on Thursday night.

The 5 best and 5 worst NHL jerseys of the last decade

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 11:13:55 -0500

(No, the first decade of the 21st century doesn't technically end until 2011. Save your bellyaching. But we've had nine NHL seasons and one stolen from us since 1999-2000, and Yahoo! Sports has decided it's time to rank the best and worst of the last "decade." Enjoy, and snark freely in the comments.)It's been an exciting and confusing 10 years for NHL fashion, and not just because hockey fans' Jersey Fouls have become the subject of academic discourse on blogs....

Boogaard Keeps Waiting To Score

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 10:12:19 -0500

from Michael Russo of the Star Tribune, The next time Derek Boogaard scores a goal, the NHL should allow the game to be stopped for a ceremony. The Hall of Fame should swoop in and collect Boogaard’s stick, gloves and skates. The beaten goaltender might want to consider early retirement. And if the Wild bruiser’s next goal comes at Xcel Energy Center, like maybe tonight against the Vancouver Canucks, bring some plugs to protect your eardrums from rupturing. “It’ll be sick,” Boog...

Break's Over

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 12:00:00 -0500

The jargon used around the Minnesota Wild locker room to refer to the last four game-less days is as follows: Sunday: Off Day Monday: Fun Day Tuesday: Work Day Wednesday: Prep Day Thursday is Game Day, so it made perfect sense to yours tr...

Harding Practices

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 12:21:00 -0500

The Minnesota Wild is currently on the ice at the Xcel Energy Center for a "work day" practice. Goaltender Josh Harding is out with his team for the first time since experiencing lower body soreness a week ago. Anton Khudobin is also ...

A Fun Day At The Rink

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 15:42:00 -0500

Smiles and laughter. There hadn’t been a lot of those following Minnesota Wild practices at the Xcel Energy Center in the past couple of weeks. Even after wins at home, there seemed to be an edginess surrounding the team due to its inabi...

I LOVE to See Sid Get Fired Up!!

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 04:32:00 -0500

Unfortunately (maybe fortunately), I missed Saturday's game against the Minnesota Wild (and the return of Sykie) except for a few minutes of the end of the first period which is probably pretty much all I needed to see since the score at that point ended up being the final score of the game.I've read / heard that this game the Penguins played well for the majority of all three periods which differed from the game last Friday against the Blue Jackets even though they won. But isn't...

Wild earn first road win of season in Pittsburgh

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 21:28:34 -0500

Niklas Backstrom made 34 saves and the Minnesota Wild won on the road for the first time this season, beating the Pittsburgh Penguins 2-1 on Saturday night.

Backstrom, Wild edge Pens for first road win

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 21:22:12 -0500

Niklas Backstrom made 34 saves and the Wild won on the road for the first time this season, beating the Penguins 2-1 on Saturday night.

Wild edge Rangers for first win in regulation

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 22:00:05 -0500

Petr Sykora had a goal and an assist, and Eric Belanger and Antti Miettinen also scored to help the Minnesota Wild win for the first time in regulation this season, 3-2 over the New York Rangers on Friday.

Gaborik misses Minnesota return as Rangers fall

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 21:52:56 -0500

Big Shocker: Gaborik doubtful for Wild game

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 13:06:00 -0500

Honestly, you can not make this stuff up. This is poetic justice that Marian Gaborik is doubtful for the game against the Wild. I guess Gabby doesn't want to be booed in Minnesota.

NEW YORK — Minnesota Wild fans anticipating the return of erstwhile superstar Marian Gaborik on Friday night likely are in for a disappointment.

The first-year Rangers right-winger will travel to Minnesota for his team's only game in 2009-10 at Xcel Energy Center, but a leg injury threatens to ruin the homecoming.

Gaborik injured his leg late in Tuesday night's 5-2 victory over Phoenix, a game in which he scored two goals and added an assist.

He and the team emphasized the problem is unrelated to his hips or groin muscles, which have plagued him most of his career. Gaborik will not play tonight against the Islanders and his status for Friday is doubtful.

Gaborik, the Wild's first draft choice who played eight seasons in Minnesota, signed a five-year, $37.5-million contract with the Rangers after Minnesota declined to make him an offer upon becoming a free agent July 1.

In the Big Apple, he is off to his best start in seven years. Gaborik is tied with Anze Kopitar of Los Angeles for the league lead in goals with 10, and his 18 points are second only to Kopitar's 21.

Minnesota Ain’t Wild About the Road

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 13:38:18 -0500

I am here to state, I’m here to relate, to explain and make it plain that: I`m just wild about Harry and Harry’s wild about me. -Judy Garland Public Service Announcement: Ok, here we go! Hockey Krishnas rejoice! It’s hockey talk! Hooray hockey talk! I’ll tell you who ain’t rejoicing. The Minnesota Wild, that’s who. Not [...]

Minnesota's Koivu latest victim of embarrassingly awful bobblehead

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 08:55:23 -0500

Last season, we blogged about some of the most embarrassingly awful bobblehead dolls in recent hockey history, from Ken Daneyko with teeth to Eric Staal's(notes) blow-up doll face to the year-round tan on the ghostly white Brian Leetch.Blake from Wild Nation referenced that post in sending over this image of an upcoming Mikko Koivu(notes) bobblehead doll from the Minnesota Wild, writing "I thought you'd like to see the Wild's failed attempt at capturing Mikko Koivu's like...

THIS MAKES ME WANT TO WATCH HOCKEY

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 12:28:46 -0500

Big ups to Terry for sending in this online ad of an upcoming Chicago Blackhawks-Minnesota Wild game, inspired by the new film, Where The Wild Things Are. My favorite part is when the guy in the suit was beaten into oppression by whoever that guy was. Is he a real Blackhawk? Is he in the [...]

Video: The Wild Things are in pain, thanks to Dustin Byfuglien

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 10:04:46 -0500

It would appear the Boston Bruins and their mischievous bear have some competition for the most ingenious NHL commercials. The Chicago Blackhawks released this ad hyping their game against the Minnesota Wild, and it's a brilliant (and timely!) play on the Maurice Sendak kid-lit classic "Where the Wild Things Are."Watch Hawks winger Dustin Byfuglien(notes) stare into their yellow eyes without blinking once ...Best one-off commercial for a regular season game ... ever?Obviously, t...

Wild acquire Kobasew in trade with Bruins

Sun, 18 Oct 2009 19:50:42 -0500

The Minnesota Wild acquired right wing Chuck Kobasew from Boston on Sunday in a deal that sent right wings Craig Weller and Alexander Fallstrom to the Bruins. The Wild also sent the rights to their second-round pick in the 2011 draft. The 27-year-old Kobasew had one assist in seven games with the Bruins this season. He had 21 goals and 21 assists in 68 games last season, reaching the 20-goal mark for the third time in his career.

Wild's Early Stink Can't All Be Blamed on Coaching, System Changes

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 09:36:45 -0500

by Bruce CiskieFiled under: Wild, Western, NHL CoachingWhen you watched the Minnesota Wild the last eight years, there were some things that could be counted on almost every game. The teams coached by Jacques Lemaire weren't known for being lazy, uninspired, or unprepared. In fact, Lemaire has developed a reputation for getting the absolute maximum out of even the most marginal NHL players. They might not have been the most exciting team in the league, but they were competitive.Wild's...

The first round dead weight known as James Sheppard.

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 20:20:00 -0500

I am wondering how long the Wild are going to keep coming back with this kid? As a Wild fan I have tried to look for something in this kids game that leads me to believe he was worthy of a first round pick in 2006. Through four games this season he has put up a big zero on the score sheet. Through two seasons and including the beginning of this one Sheppard has played in 164 games, scored 9 goals 34 assist for 43 points. Funny thing is Sheppard is one of the more productive ones of his 2006 draft class that where taken after him.

Richards again reiterated that with no Cal Clutterbuck, Pierre-Marc Bouchard and Sykora, it’s essential Benoit Pouliot and James Sheppard step up. He liked Pouliot’s game in San Jose, but he said Sheppard is going through spells of not moving his feet on the ice, which leads to ineffectiveness all over the ice.

Really, there’s a lot of pressure on Sheppard now. I mean, he’s going to get ice time now. He’s going to get responsibility. If you can’t do it now, when are you going to, in other words. And remember, this is the guy assistant GM Tom Thompson guaranteed publicly this offseason would have a breakout year. He’s got no points in four games.

I meant to mention this yesterday, but I had sort of a weird interview with Sheppard yesterday. With Clutterbuck, Bouchard and Sykora out, both Chuck Fletcher and Richards singled out Sheppard and Pouliot as two guys who must step up with the extra ice time and responsibilities. Pouliot said it is a must and he can’t mess it up.

I threw three or four questions at Sheppard about stepping up specifically, and he consciously made it a point to never use the first person during the back and forth. Here’s two examples of back-to-back questions and answers:

Russo: With all the injuries now, how much do you feel you’re going to need to step up now with the extra ice time you’re going to get?

Sheppard: “Everyone’s got a bigger job. We’d love to have everyone playing, but for the guys who get more minutes or get into the game more, they’re going to be more focused because they’ve got a bigger job and they’re going to be in the game, touching the puck more and getting more minutes. It works both ways. There’s negatives and positives to both things. but for the most part, the guys who are going to play are going to play more intense.”

Russo: Chuck and Todd mentioned you and Pouliot specifically, so do you feel you need to be the guy who steps up?

Sheppard: “Just like I said, the guys who do get these minutes are going to touch the puck more and get more ice time. Hopefully for those guys, they can use them well and not take them for granted and make sure they … I think what I’m trying to say is that it’s not really a big deal for quote-unquote these guys.”

You kinda needed to be there to actually understand what I’m saying, but Sheppard tried hard, and I mean hard, to make it a point to never personalize it. I don’t know what the motivation there was. Maybe he’s sensing the pressure, but I just didn’t see a very confident player there.
[Russo's Rants]