|
Wild Put Practice to the Test in Chicago |
|
|
|
|
|
Wild Game Day number 3
Wild Record (0-1-1 1 pts)
Road Record (0-1-1)
Opponent: Chicago Blackhawks (3-0-1 7 pts)
Home Record (2-0-0)
Site: United Center, Chicago, Il
Time: 7:30PM CT
TV: Fox Sports North (FSN)
Last season results:
1/15 Wild 3 @ Blackhawks 2
2/8 Blackhawks 4 @ Wild 3 (OT)
2/21 Blackhawks 3 @ Wild 5
3/12 Wild 2 @ Blackhawks 4
After a four day break in the early season schedule the Wild get back at it tonight full bore as the face their Central Division nemesis, the Blackhawks. Chicago is off to a great start (3-0-1) including two wins on home ice in convincing fashion 10-1 over Pittsburgh and 5-1 over Eastern Conference power, Columbus.
The Wild on the other hand have stumbled a bit out of the gate dropping their opener 4-2 in Detroit and a disappointing shootout loss in Carolina, after captain Mikko Koivu had tied the game with 0.1 seconds showing on the clock.
Both Minnesota and Chicago, are coming off consecutive years of first round playoff exits. That did not sit well with either club, with both making offseason roster changes in an attempt to make a deeper run this season.
Last season it appeared that these two teams would be on a collision course to meet in the playoffs with the winner having the edge to represent the Western Conference in the Stanley Cup Finals. That all changed just after the trade deadline for the Wild as they went 4-10-2 in March, and for Chicago it was a bit later, but all too similar as they won just 3 of their final 10 regular season contests to end the season.
So back at it tonight in Chicago for the first of five meetings that surely should not disappoint in the entertainment department. The Hawks are retooled with some fresh new faces and a couple of returning not so new faces in longtime Blackhawk, Patrick Sharp, signed as a free agent and Brandon Saad, reacquired in a trade with Columbus for Artemi Panarin.
Saad (5 goals, 7 pts), Patrick Kane (2 goals, 6 pts), and Richard Panik (3 goals, 6 pts) are leading the way for Chicago through the first four games. But this Blackhawk team has a fresh new look about it, gone are Niklas Hjalmarsson, Marian Hossa, and Panarin and in are Lance Bouma, Tommy Wingels, rookie Alex DeBrincat up front, and on defense Connor Murphy, Cody Franson and Czech import Jan Rutta who has 2 goals and 4 points through 4 games and is a plus 7.
For the Wild it does not look as though Zach Parise is ready to play just yet and with Mikael Granlund still nursing injury, it appears that Bruce Boudreau will once again use the same lineup he had in Carolina, featuring just 11 forwards and dressing 7 defensemen.
Devan Dubnyk will be back between the pipes as he looks to get win number 100 in a Wild uniform.
An early season test tonight for sure. Let's see how the extended practice work plays out against one of the league's best, on the road.
It's always Hockey Day in The State of Hockey!
Minnesota Wild Blogger • 
Join the Discussion:
»