The Minnesota Wild currently sit in 11th place in the Western Conference. Most of the time, at this point on the calendar, most hope of making the post-season would be gone. But, given the shortened season, the Wild have 14 points and are only 2 points out of the 8th spot in the West, currently held by today’s opponent, the Detroit Red Wings.

For a lot of fans, this season so far has felt a bit disappointing. However, as the L.A. Kings showed us last year, just make the playoffs and the Stanley Cup could be yours. So, for the Wild, the turn around has to begin today. Coming off of a tough shootout loss to a very bad Colorado Avalanche squad, look for a big bounce back by the Wild today, stats notwithstanding.

First off, the Wild have called up two more young guns from Houston: Jason Zucker and Johan Larsson in response to Bouchard and Falk being out sick. Does it seem odd to anyone else that 2 forwards are being recalled for one forward and one defenseman being out sick?

Zucker, 21 (1/16/92), leads the AHL Houston Aeros with 41 points (19-22=41) and 10 power-play markers and has recorded 43 PIM in 47 contests this season. The 5-foot-11, 186-pound forward was born in Newport Beach, Calif., and raised in Las Vegas, Nev. He leads the AHL in shots (175), ranks third in power-play goals, tied for tenth in goals and tied for 14th in scoring. Zucker ranks second amongst AHL rookies in goals and scoring. He recorded a goal and an assist in the Western Conference’s 7-6 win in the AHL All-Star Game.

Zucker recorded two assists in six games with the Wild last season after signing an entry-level contract on March 27, 2012. He made his NHL debut on March 29 against Florida. Zucker collected 46 points (22-24=46) in 38 games during his sophomore campaign at the University of Denver last season. He also served as team captain for Team USA at the 2012 World Junior Championship and tallied seven points (3-4=7) in six games. He was selected by Minnesota in the second round (No. 59) of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft and wears sweater No. 16 with the Wild.

Larsson, 20 (7/25/92), has collected 27 points (13-14=27), five power-play goals and 24 penalty minutes (PIM) in 50 games with the AHL Houston Aeros this season. The 6-foot, 198-pound native of Lau, Sweden, notched 36 points (12-24=36) and 34 PIM in 49 games with Brynas IF Gavle in Sweden’s Elite League last season. He added nine points (2-7=9) in 16 playoff games to help lead Brynas to the playoff championship. Larsson captained Sweden’s gold medal team at the 2012 World Junior Championship and tallied six assists in six games. He also skated in seven games for Sweden at the World Championship and recorded two assists. Larsson was selected by Minnesota in the second round (56th overall) of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft. He has not appeared in an NHL game and will wear sweater No. 47 with the Wild.

On the other side of the coin, the Redwings will be without Franzen and Bertuzzi today. Not that this will hinder their offensive firepower too much, but it does take 12 points out of their lineup (Franzen has 3 goals and 6 assists this season; Bertuzzi has 2 goals and 1 assist this season). Notwithstanding, they still have Zetterberg (5 goals and 13 assists), Datsyuk (6 goals and 8 assists), Brunner (6 goals and 4 assists) and Kronwall (1 goal and 9 assists). Franzen is 5th in scoring for the Redwings; Bertuzzi is 9th from a total point production standpoint.

While Detroit does not have anyone scoring goals at an obscene rate with Datsyuk and Brunner leading the Wings with 6 each followed by Zetterberg’s 5 goals, the Wild only have one player in that market and leads all of them with 7 goals on the season. Yes, I am speaking of none other than Zach Parise. What the Red Wings have that the Wild don’t is a more well balanced scoring threat. The Wild only have 11 players that have registered a goal this season. The Red Wings have 16. That may not seem like a big difference, but consider this: The Red Wings have 10 more goals so far this season that the Wild do in the same number of games. Granted, 6 of the 8 players for the Wild who have not scored are all defensemen (the other two are Torrey Mitchell and Zenon Konopka). However, it points out a glaring weakness for the Wild when one defenseman has registered a goal for your team this season and it’s Tom Gilbert (who has 3 goals on the season). Meanwhile, Detroit has 5 defensemen that have scored, totalling 6 goals for the Wings from the blue line (twice as many as the Wild have). Combine that with three players with more than 5 goals each and there is the difference between the Wild and the Red Wings, in my opinion.

The Red Wings are 2-2-1 on the road this year. The Wild are 5-2-1 at home. Interestingly, the Wild have earned a point in 8 of their last 9 games played against Detroit at Xcel Energy Center (3-1-5), albeit mostly losing in overtime or shootouts, but points are points. However, the Wild need a clean win today to pull even with Detroit in the standings and have the exact same record as the mighty winged wheel.

Backstrom should start for the Wild today and is 2-0-1 in his last three starts with a 1.54 GAA and a .939 SV%. All three starts were decided after regulation. Russo reports that back-up goalie, Petr Mrazek, will get the start for Detroit. Mrazek is 1-0 this season in his only game against the St. Louis Blues and has a GAA of 1.00 and a SV% of .963 in that one game. Apparently, per Russo, Mrazek has been a very good AHL goalie for the Red Wings during the lockout.

Mikko Koivu will pass Marian Gaborik for sole possession of third place on the Wild’s all-time games played list with is 503rd career contest today.

Zach Parise leads the NHL in shots (68) ranks T-4th amongst NHL forwards with 16 blocked shots and T-6th in TOI/ game. He is 2-for-3 in shootout attempts this season and 31-of-66 (46.9%) in his career. His 31 shootout goals ranks T-1st in the NHL (Datsyuk).

Ryan Suter has tallied four assists in the last four games and ranks tied for first on the team with eight assists. He ranks second in the NHL in TOI/game at 27:29.

Mikael Granlund has scored a point in consecutive games for the first time in his career. He tallied an assist and won 9-of-12 faceoffs at Vancouver Tuesday and logged a season-best 19:14 in ice time at Calgary Monday.

Devin Setoguchi had his three-game point streak snapped vs. Colorado. He tallied a goal at Vancouver (2/12) for his 200th career NHL point and ranks second on the team in hits with 29.

Getting solid performances from Backstrom, Parise and Koivu with Suter, Granlund and Setoguchi continuing to progress their play will be key to the Wild winning today’s match against Detroit.

Also, it will be interesting for fans to get a taste of Zucker and Larsson so soon after the departure of Coyle. After these most recent call-ups, the Wild roster now features five players 22-and-under: D Jonas Brodin (19), F Mikael Granlund (20), F Johan Larsson (20), F Jason Zucker (21) and G Darcy Kuemper (22).

But, do try to keep it all in context folks. In this 46th meeting between these two teams, Detroit’s all-time record against the Wild is 30-7-3-5 and a very impressive 14-4-2-2 in Minnesota with Detroit having gone 7-1-2 in its last 10 games against the Wild. The sliver of hope is that in their last 5 road games at Minnesota, the Red Wings are a pedestrian 3-2-0.

Should be fun getting a couple more looks at the kids called up yesterday for the Wild. What’s the line from that song? “The future’s so bright, I gotta wear shades!” The only problem is that the future isn’t right now and it will still take time to develop these young guys into the future NHL studs that they are projected to become. Hockeysfuture.com has the Minnesota Wild as the number 1 ranked team in terms of prospects and lists Granlund, Brodin, Coyle, Dumba and Larsson as it’s top 5 prospects. Zucker, no doubt, would be in the top 5 but-for the young Mr. Dumba. The website has Zucker listed with Coyle and Phillips as “offensively minded forwards”, while Larsson is in the category with Brett Bulmer and Erik Haula as “very talented group of two-way forwards.” With trade rumors swirling current Wild NHL players like Bouchard, Setoguchi and Heatley, the future may be closer than you think for a couple of these AHL guys. Who wants it? Let’s see it!

Note: Russo projects that Zucker will play 2nd line wing with Cullen and Setoguchi, moving Granlund to a wing on the 3rd line with Brodziak and Clutterbuck, leaving Larsson to play on the 4th line!?!?!?! Not sure that makes much sense, but it is what it is if Yeo/Fletcher decide to do that. On the blueline, Russo reports that Suter and Spurgeon will play together, so Prosser plugs in for Falk and will play with Brodin.

From a personal standpoint, I would love to see Larsson center a line with Zucker and Granlund. What line combinations would you implement with the two young forwards being called up? Let's hear it Wild fans! Your opinion matters.

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