MNWild: Wild Battle the Ducks in Anaheim
By: Tony Dean
@TonyDean1204
The Minnesota Wild (18-9-5 41 Points) begin their most seemingly brutal stretch of their 2013-14 NHL schedule with seven of the next eight games on the road versus opponents likely to be participants in the Stanley Cup Playoffs this season. Tonight the host is the Anaheim Ducks (21-7-5 47 Points) who are the only remaining team without a regulation loss on their home ice. The Ducks feature a home record of 11-0-2 at the Honda Center in Anaheim. Tonight will definitely be a significant opportunity for the Wild to build some confidence and momentum towards the next eight games.
The Ducks are playing lights out hockey right now so I am not going to flex the positivity or sell the hope here. I do think that the Wild has the potential to beat any team in the NHL if they can impose their will and possess the puck like they did in the early weeks of the season. The Wild’s puck possession numbers have significantly decreased which does not bode well for this evening.
The Ducks currently rank second in the NHL in goals (104) and in even strength goals (76) with only Chicago accounting for more in the NHL. Ducks winger
Corey Perry is currently playing arguably the best hockey of his NHL career. He is riding a career-best 6 game goal streak with 7 goals total and 9 points during that stretch. Those numbers alone from Perry could be easily what is propelling Anaheim’s success but centermen
Ryan Getzlaf currently has a 12 game point streak going with 6 goals and 15 points total which is an NHL best. It is hard not to fall victim to the perfect storm theory in trying to diagnose Getzlaf and Perry huge production this year given that they have been reunited with winger
Dustin Penner. That trio led Anaheim on their historic 2006-07 Stanley Cup Run and it looks as if they have recaptured the magic.
Tonight for the Wild victory will be achieved if they are able to move the puck in all three zones with confidence and clarity of what they are trying to accomplish. Turnovers have been a detrimental factor in why this squad has seen their puck possession numbers fall off the cliff. Head Coach Mike Yeo conducted a detailed film work session with his team to illustrate the point that without the costly turnovers the system creates opportunities to dictate the play to their opponents. Also during the film session the writing on the wall became clear for embattled winger
Dany Heatley. Yeo sent a clear message to Heatley identifying his many turnovers as the reason for demoting him to the 4th line and limiting his ice time and role with the team.
Jason Zucker got the call to return the Wild as Yeo looks to his second line to add secondary scoring that has been completely absent since losing
Mikael Granlund to injury. The new look second line will have Zucker on the left wing centered by
Charlie Coyle and anchored by winger
Nino Niederreiter. All three young forwards need to contribute points and play solid in both ends should the Wild come out ahead in the standings during this nasty 8 games stretch. Time to pay up on the potential boys, belief must become reality for the Wild to thrive.
Mathew Dumba officially assigned to the Canadian World Juniors team today but maybe more significant was his Canadian Juniors rights being acquired by the Portland Winterhawks yesterday. Dumba clearly was unable to translate his energetic punishing style of play in his limited NHL action with the Wild this year and now it is getting clearer what his future holds after the WJC. Dumba could represent his home country and play lights out hockey getting his season back on track, the more realistic result though seems to be getting valuable experience playing top pairing minutes in the WJC then joining Portland for a run at the Memorial Cup. Certainly not what Dumba or Wild fans had in mind for his first season as a pro but certainly a calculated and insulated protection of his development by Chuck Fletcher and the Wild organization.
Individual Leaders
Minnesota Wild Anaheim Ducks
Points: Z. PARISE (26),M. KOIVU (24),J. POMINVILLE (21) R. GETZLAF (37),C. PERRY (35),D. PENNER (23)
Goals: J. POMINVILLE (14),Z. PARISE (14),M. KOIVU (7) C. PERRY (20),R. GETZLAF (16),D. PENNER (9)
Assists: M. KOIVU (17),R. SUTER (15),Z. PARISE (12) R. GETZLAF (21),C. FOWLER (16),C. PERRY (15)
PP Goals: Z. PARISE (7),J. POMINVILLE (4),D. HEATLEY (3) R. GETZLAF (4),C. PERRY (4),D. PENNER (4)
SH Goals: Z. PARISE (1) C. FOWLER (1),E. ETEM (1)
GW Goals: J. POMINVILLE (4),M. KOIVU (3),M. COOKE (2) R. GETZLAF (6),C. PERRY (5),K. PALMIERI (2)
3+ Goals: R. GETZLAF(1)
PIM: Z. KONOPKA (37),C. STONER (33),N. NIEDERREITER (20) T. JACKMAN (58),B. ALLEN (34),C. PERRY (32)
Shots: Z. PARISE (126),J. POMINVILLE (87),N. NIEDERREITER (70) C. PERRY (119),R. GETZLAF (81),A. COGLIANO (68)
+/-: M. SCANDELLA (+9),M. COOKE (+7),Z. PARISE (+7) D. PENNER (+18),F. BEAUCHEMIN (+15),R. GETZLAF (+14)
Last Game –Wild 3 vs. San Jose 1: LW Zach Parise scored two goals and G Josh Harding made a season-high 37 saves to lead
Minnesota to a 3-1 victory Sunday evening in Saint Paul. C Mikko Koivu notched his third game-winning goal of the season and 20th
career game winner for Minnesota, as the Wild moved to 13-3-2 on home ice.
Next Games (all times Central)
12/12 at SJ 9:30 p.m. –FSN, KFAN 100.3 FM
12/14 at COL 9:30 p.m. –FSN, KFAN 100.3 FM
12/17 vs. VAN 7 p.m. –FSN, KFAN 100.3 FM
CURRENT WILD INJURIES
C Mikael Granlund (IR) –6 games (upper body)
TOTAL MAN GAMES LOST: 80
Recent Transactions
12/11 - Assigned D Matt Dumba to Canada's National Junior Hockey Team
12/10 –Recalled F Jason Zucker from Iowa (AHL)
Wild vs. Ducks
All-Time Wild Record: 23-20-5 (10-13-1 at Honda Center)
2013-14: The Ducks took the first season meeting between the two teams as Anaheim claimed a 4-3 OT victory at Xcel Energy Center
(10/5)…LW Zach Parise scored the tying goal 1:15 into the third period to force overtime, he also leads the Wild with two points (2-0=2)
this season against the Ducks while RW Jason Pominville also scored for Minnesota…G Niklas Backstrom stopped 26-of-30
shots…C Mathieu Perreault (1-1=2) netted the game-winning goal with five seconds left in overtime…D Francois Beauchemin (0-
2=2) also leads with two points while G Jonas Hiller made 30 saves in the win.
WILD LEADERS: LW Dany Heatley has 22 points (10-12=22) in 27 games against the Ducks...C Mikko Koivu owns 22 points (8-
14=22) in 29 contests...LW Matt Cooke has 15 points (9-6=15) in 34 games.
WILD GOALIES: Backstrom is 8-7-1 with a 2.53 GAA, a .912 SV% and one shutout in 16 career starts against Anaheim...G Josh
Harding is 3-4-0 with a 2.61 GAA, a .915 SV% and one shutout in seven starts.
DUCKS LEADERS: RW Teemu Selanne (11-21=32) has 32 points against Minnesota in 42 games...RW Corey Perry (15-14=29) and
C Ryan Getzlaf (8-21=29) each have 29 points against the Wild in 30 contests.
DUCKS GOALIES: Hiller is 10-4-1 with a 2.37 GAA, a .915 SV% and one shutout in 17 games (15 starts)...G Viktor Fasth is 1-0-0 in
one start versus Minnesota and G Frederik Andersen has not faced the Wild.
CONNECTIONS: C Zenon Konopka made his NHL debut with Anaheim in 2005-06 skating in 23 contests...Chuck Fletcher worked
for the Ducks from 2002- 06, serving as Director of Hockey Operations, Assistant General Manager and Vice President of Amateur
Scouting and Player Development...Brent Flahr served as an Amateur Scout for the Ducks from 2003-07...C Saku Koivu is the older
brother of Wild captain Mikko Koivu.
FAST FACT: The Ducks swept the Wild in the 2003 Western Conference Finals and defeated the Wild 4-1 in the 2007 Western
Conference Quarterfinals... Minnesota played its first-ever game at Anaheim and lost 3-1 (10/6/00).
15 Things to Know:
1.Minnesota hits the road after posting a 13-3-2 record on home ice, tied for the best home record in the NHL. The Wild has posted a 5-
6-3 road record this season, going 3-3-1 in its last seven games away from Saint Paul, and begins a stretch where seven of its next
eight games are on the road. Minnesota plays in the Pacific Time Zone for the first time this season, Wednesday at Anaheim, before
visiting San Jose Thursday and Colorado Saturday.
2. Josh Harding leads all NHL goalies in GAA (1.50), is 2nd in SV% (.938), T-1st in shutouts (3) and T-3rd in wins (16-4-3). He’s
already set career highs for most wins and shutouts in a single season (13-12-4 and 2 shutouts in 2011-12), and a personal-best
131:36 shutout streak that ended Thursday vs. Chicago. He is 13-1-0 on home ice this season, posting a 34-10-2 record in his career
starts at Xcel Energy Center, including 27-5-1 since Jan. 27, 2010 and 16-2-0 in his last 18 starts in Saint Paul.
3. Kyle Brodziak is set to skate in his 500th career game. The 29-year-old has 193 points (83-110=193) and 240 PIM through 499
games and leads the Wild this season in shorthanded TOI/game (2:48) and takeaways (26). He was selected by Edmonton in the
seventh round (214th overall) of the 2003 Entry Draft and posted 59 points (26-33=59) in 175 games in four seasons with the Oilers,
before being acquired by Minnesota on June 27, 2009.
Minnesota Wild: Media Notes
4. The Wild has allowed a total of 40, 5-on-5 goals this season –the second-fewest in the NHL. Josh Harding has allowed a total of 20,
5-on-5 goals in 24 games this season and his .950 even-strength SV% is tops amongst NHL goalies that have played more than four
games.
5. Minnesota begins its fifth of 13 sets of back-to-back games Wednesday. The Wild is 2-2-0 on the first night of consecutive games this
season, and is looking for its first sweep. Minnesota is 1-2-1 on the second night.
6. Minnesota continues a stretch where it faces Western Conference opponents in 11-of-13 games (Nov. 23-Dec. 17). The Wild has
posted a 9-5-3 record against the Western Conference this season, while going 9-4-2 against the East.
7. Mikko Koivu netted his third game-winning goal of the season and his 20th career Sunday, moving into sole possession of third
place on the Wild’s all-time charts, just one behind Brian Rolston’s 21 for second place. He played in his 566th career game Thursday,
claiming second place on the Wild’s All-Time Games Played list, shy of only Nick Schultz (743). Minnesota’s Captain leads the Wild
with 17 assists this season, and is second on the team with 24 points. He also ranks sixth amongst all NHL forwards in TOI/game
(21:28) and fifth in faceoffs won.
8. The Koivu brothers face off for the 18th time in their careers, only missing one game when their teams faced each other –Saku did
not play against the Wild in Anaheim on Dec. 12, 2010. Mikko leads the duo in head-to-head points, garnering 11 points (4-7=11), 18
PIM and a minus-3 rating, while Saku has totaled seven points (3-4=7), 10 PIM and a plus-8 rating. Saku’s teams have the advantage
in the 17 games, posting a 10-3-4 record, while Mikko has gone 7-9-1 with the Wild.
9. Marco Scandella tallied two assists Sunday to earn his first career multi-point game. He scored his second career game-winning
goal with 1:48 left in regulation Thursday against Chicago and has four points (1-3=4) in his last four games. The 23-year-old
defenseman leads Minnesota with a plus-9 rating and has totaled nine points (1-8=9) in 29 games this season.
10. Zach Parise leads the Wild with 26 points (14-12=26) and six multi-point games this season. His two goals in Sunday’s matchup
were his third multi-goal game of the season, 32nd of his career. Six of his 14 goals have been the Wild’s first goal of the game. He
netted his seventh power-play goal in Thursday’s win against Chicago and ranks T-3rd for most PPG in the NHL this season. He has
eight points in his last nine contests (4-4=8) and at least one point in 15 of his last 22 games –totaling 21 points (10-11=21) in that
span. The Wild alternate captain ranks fourth in the NHL with 126 shots this season. He is T-2nd amongst all NHL players with 34
career shootout goals, going 34-for-75 (45.3%).
11. Minnesota has earned points in 15-of-16 games decided by one goal this season (10-1-5). Entering play Tuesday, only Los Angeles
(11-3-4) has more wins and points from one-goal games. Seven of the last nine Wild wins have been decided by one goal.
12. Ryan Suter leads the NHL in TOI/game (29:19). He’s topped 30 minutes in nine of the last 17 games and 14 contests overall this
season –surpassing his 10 games of 30-plus minutes in 48 games last season. His 15 assists this season ranks second on the Wild
and T-13th amongst NHL defensemen. Since 2007-08, there have been 10, 35:00-plus performances in the NHL (regular season), and
Suter totaled three of them in the span of six days –the top three TOI of his career. According to Elias Sports Bureau, his 108:19 TOI in
three games Nov. 7-13 (36:06 average) is the most by any NHL player in three consecutive games since TOI started being tracked in
2000-01. He set a Wild franchise record with a career-high 36:51 TOI Nov. 7 in Washington.
13. Jason Pominville is T-1st on Minnesota with 14 goals this season, T-11th amongst all NHL players. His four game-winning goals
lead the Wild and ranks T-6th in the NHL. He ranks thirdon the Wild with 21 points (14-7=21) this season, including 18 points (11-7=18)
in his last 23 games. He was named the NHL’s First Star of the Week (Oct. 28-Nov. 3) after ranking T-1st in the NHL in goals and
scoring (4-2=6), becoming the fourth Wild player to be named First Star. The former Sabres captain was acquired by the Wild April 3
and signed a five-year contract extension on Oct. 3. He skated in his 600th career NHL game Oct. 26 and, after scoring the game
winner in his return to Buffalo Oct. 14, has scored against all 30 NHL franchises. He tallied his 200th career goal Nov. 9 at Carolina.
14. Seven Wild players were named to pre-Olympic rosters for their native countries: Zach Parise and Ryan Suter (USA), Niklas
Backstrom, Mikael Granlund and Mikko Koivu (Finland), Jonas Brodin (Sweden) and Nino Niederreiter (Switzerland). The 2014
Winter Olympics are set to take place in Sochi, Russia, with an NHL Olympic break from Feb. 9-25.
15. Iowa Wild Update
Last Game: 2-1 loss at Texas (12/7). Goal Scorer: Tyler Grovac (1-0=1)
Goalie: Darcy Kuemper (44-of-46)
Upcoming Schedule: at Abbotsford (12/11)
Leading Scorers: Brian Connelly (1-14=15), Jason Zucker (7-6=13), Jonathon Blum (3-9=12)
Courtesy of wild.com/pressbox and @mnwildPR
3 Keys To Victory for Wild
1. The second line has to get on the board tonight, the top line has been carrying the Wild since Granlund went out of the lineup. Coyle specifically will need to lead his wingers. Coyle needs to carry the puck in and get his line setup for the Wild to win tonight.
2. The Ducks are so good at knowing what they want to accomplish in the Wild’s zone and making it happen. For the Wild to earn a victory tonight they need to disrupt the Ducks entering the zone and limit opportunities to extend possession in the defensive zone.
3. The third line of
Torrey Mitchell, Kyle Brodziak, and Matt Cooke has to be the best line on the ice tonight as they will draw the unbelievably tough assignment of Penner, Getzlaf, and Perry. The Wild’s third line needs to somehow cool off the hottest line in the NHL for tonight’s game to be within reach.
Just My Take,
Tony Dean
@TonyDean1204
Minnesota Wild Blogger • 
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