Lots Familiar Faces in town for Islanders Vs Wild at the X.
Tonight’s game between the New York Islanders 11 - 21 - 7 (29 points) and the hometown Minnesota Wild 20 - 15 - 5 (45 points) is best described as a homecoming Sunday afternoon show down. It will be the first time fan favorite
Cal Clutterbuck will take the ice at the Xcel energy center in a jersey other than that of the Wild. On display tonight will be Islanders winger
Thomas Vanek a former Gopher who has been heavily rumored to join the Wild via free agency this summer. Also other Minnesota connected players on the roster for the Islanders are
Kyle Okposo(Gopher),
Aaron Ness (Gopher),
Brock Nelson(Warroad), and
Pierre-Marc Bouchard(Wild) currently in the AHL.
Return of Hurricane Clutterbuck to the Twin Cities
In trading Clutterbuck to the Islanders, general manager Chuck Fletcher was able to address multiple issues for the Wild. Clutterbuck was a restricted free agent this past offseason which usually points to a salary increase. Clutterbuck was a polarizing player in his Wild career, with his most tangible asset as a hockey player being his energy. Clutterbuck would buzz around the rink at the X, delivering excitement generating hits for Wild teams that struggled to put on much of an entertaining brand of hockey.
Clutterbuck was selected by the Minnesota Wild in the 2006 NHL draft with 72nd overall pick. It is hard to imagine a player that just scored 30+ goals in back to back seasons for the Oshawa Generals of the OHL, lasting into the 3rd round of the draft. Clutterbuck has flashed goal scoring ability in his career but mostly he is an energy player that most influences the game with hard work and effort.
In turning Clutterbuck and a 3rd round pick into a return of 20 year old top prospect Nino Neiderreiter at the 2013 NHL draft, Fletcher had effectively in my opinion maximized the value and possibly completed a game changer type of transaction. Both Wild and Islanders fans have intently monitoring the seasons of each player with healthy skepticism of who got the better of the deal or which franchise would be right about the evolution of each player.
Clutterbuck has bounced around the Islanders line combinations this year in addition to battling injuries. Clutterbuck is a very appealing to the eye type of player because he generates excitement and draws in the causal hockey fan. Also ladies love them some Clutterbuck and he adeptly plays into it with his shenanigans. Clutterbuck can also as Wild fans know all too well drive you absolutely insane with his wild shots on the break and reckless puck handling and inconsistent play. In looking at the makeup of the Wild’s roster after the end of last season Clutterbuck looked to be the most likely to depart in a trade because of his perceived value and his actual role with the team.
For the Wild El’Nino has Been in Full Effect
In the 20 year old Swiss winger Nino Neiderreiter, the Wild has a player with a skill set they were lacking and the opportunity to develop a young player with immense potential. El’ Nino has worked hard from his very first moment with the Wild, to protect his spot on the team and earn the trust of the coaching staff and his team mates. Neiderreiter has just barely scratched the surface of his potential in my opinion to this point.
Neiderreiter came to the Wild as nothing more than a highlight package on Youtube and some hard to decode tails of why it had not worked out between him and the Islanders. To this point rumors of attitude issues or unwillingness to play a role within the system have been so far from the truth for him in his first year with the Wild. If anything my main critique of Neiderreiter’s game this year has been him being too complimentary with the puck and not looking enough to take his shot.
I certainly am not going to commit myself to either team getting the better of this trade yet but I think at least at this point but fan bases for each franchise have a better understanding of each of these players involved. This was certainly a more significant trade than it was publicized at the time it was agreed upon. There definitely will be a continuance of monitoring of both players careers by Wild and Islanders fans for years to come.
Garth Snow Seems to Always be Lurking in Minnesota
So many ties currently exist between Minnesota hockey and the Islanders franchise. Not long ago general manager Garth Snow made national news for his criticism of the Gopher hockey program and head coach Don Lucia. Snow made the bold move to sign Okposo in the middle of the collegiate season citing Lucia’s ability to develop Okposo as a reason to interrupt his college career. The move was seen as a shot across the bow of the Gopher hockey program. It also made Okposo the bad guy with the Gopher hockey fan base for abandoning his team mates. Okposo is an interesting kid, no one can deny his abilities but he seemed to be okay playing the villain role.
Another player with ties to the opposing franchise tonight is
Jared Spurgeon. The slight of build defensemen is a native of Edmonton, Alberta and was selected by the Islanders with 156th overall pick in the 2008 NHL draft. Spurgeon played five seasons with the Spokane Chiefs of the WHL. The Islanders never signed Spurgeon allowing him to accept a training camp invite by the Wild for the 2010-11 season. Spurgeon was able to earn a 3 yr entry level contract with the Wild and has since become an important part of the present and the future for the franchise.
VanekWatch Important for Both Wild and Islanders fans
The elephant in the room is obviously Vanek as both fan bases will be eagerly awaiting the outcome of what is sure to be a highly contested fight for his services this summer in free agency. In acquiring Vanek before his impending free agency, Snow and the Islanders seem to have gambled that they can convince him his future should be in Long Island. Well actually the Barclays center but I was waxing poetic a bit haha.
The Islanders despite this season not being an overly positive or productive one so far, seem to have many important pieces in their prospect pipeline and currently contributing young players on their roster. I could see Vanek being convinced that he could be a part of something special with their franchise. The interesting question in my mind is who will be guiding the Islanders by this summer? I venture to guess Snow will not.
Individual Leaders
New York Islanders Minnesota Wild
Points: J. TAVARES (39),K. OKPOSO (34),F. NIELSEN (30) J. POMINVILLE (28),M. KOIVU (28),Z. PARISE (27)
Goals: F. NIELSEN (13),T. VANEK (13),J. TAVARES (13) J. POMINVILLE (17),Z. PARISE (15),D. HEATLEY (8)
Assists: J. TAVARES (26),K. OKPOSO (22),F. NIELSEN (17) R. SUTER (22),M. KOIVU (20),Z. PARISE (12)
PP Goals: J. TAVARES (3),T. VANEK (2),K. OKPOSO (2) Z. PARISE (8),J. POMINVILLE (5),D. HEATLEY (3)
SH Goals: C. CLUTTERBUCK (2),F. NIELSEN (1),M. GRABNER (1) Z. PARISE (1)
GW Goals: J. TAVARES (2),T. VANEK (1),K. OKPOSO (1) J. POMINVILLE (4),M. KOIVU (3),M. COOKE (2)
3+ Goals:
PIM: M. CARKNER (82),M. MARTIN (52),E. BOULTON (48) Z. KONOPKA (55),C. STONER (35),K. BALLARD (29)
Shots: J. TAVARES (114),T. VANEK (108),K. OKPOSO (97) Z. PARISE (144),J. POMINVILLE (109),M. KOIVU (91)
+/-: E. BOULTON (+3),L. VISNOVSKY (+3),R. MARTINEK (-1) M. COOKE (+5),M. SCANDELLA (+5),N. NIEDERREITER (+5)
Last Game –Wild 4 at Jets 6: The Jets earned a 4-3 edge in first-period goals en route to a 6-4 victory Friday night in Winnipeg.
Jason Pominville led Minnesota with two assists, while Dany Heatley, Justin Fontaine, Stephane Veilleux and Mikko Koivu scored
for the Wild. Niklas Backstrom stopped 32-of-37 shots for the loss in his fourth straight start.
Next Games (all times Central)
12/31 vs. STL 5 p.m. –FSN, KFAN 100.3 FM
1/2 vs. BUF 7 p.m. –FSN, KFAN 100.3 FM
1/4 vs. WSH 7 pm –FSN, KFAN 100.3
CURRENT WILD INJURIES
LW Zach Parise –2 games (lower body)
D Clayton Stoner (IR) –2 games (lower body)
G Josh Harding –4 games (illness)
TOTAL MAN GAMES LOST: 93
Recent Transactions
12/28 - Reassigned G Johan Gustafsson to Iowa (AHL); Placed LW Zach Parise on IR
12/27 –Recalled F Stephane Veilleux from Iowa (AHL); Placed D Clayton Stoner on IR
Wild vs. Islanders
All-Time Wild Record: 8-5-1 (5-1-1 at Xcel Energy Center, 3-4-0 at New York)
2012-13: Did not play.
2011-12: The Islanders won 2-1 at Nassau Coliseum (10/17/11) and 2-1 in a shootout at Xcel Energy Center (12/17/11)…C Matt Cullen
and RW Cal Clutterbuck scored the Wild goals...G Niklas Backstrom was 0-1-1 with a 1.46 GAA and a .940 SV% in two starts...D
Andrew MacDonald scored a goal in each game...C Frans Nielsen scored a goal in the first game and netted the deciding shootout
tally in the second meeting...G Al Montoya was 2-0-0 with a 0.96 GAA and a .952 SV%.
WILD LEADERS: LW Zach Parise has 39 points (17-22=39) –his most against any NHL team –in 42 games vs. the Islanders...LW
Dany Heatley has 26 points (14-12=26) in 26 contests...RW Jason Pominville has 25 points (5-20=25) in 27 games.
WILD GOALIES: Backstrom is 4-2-1 with a 2.17 GAA and a .921 SV% in seven starts vs. New York...G Josh Harding has not faced
the Islanders.
ISLANDERS LEADERS: D Lubomir Visnovsky has 12 points (3-9=12) in 34 contests against Minnesota…LW Thomas Vanek owns
eight points (5-3=8) in seven games...D Andrew MacDonald has three goals in four games.
ISLANDERS GOALIES: G Evgeni Nabokov is 16-8-3 with a 2.09 GAA, a .919 SV% and three shutouts in 27 starts against the
Wild…G Kevin Poulin has not faced Minnesota.
CONNECTIONS: RW Nino Niederreiter was selected by the Islanders with the fifth overall pick in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft and
skated in 64 games with New York (2010-12)...C Zenon Konopka skated in 82 games with the Islanders (2010-11)...LW Mike Rupp
was the ninth overall pick in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft by the Islanders...Darby Hendrickson skated in 16 games with the Islanders in
1995-96...RW Cal Clutterbuck was selected by Minnesota in the third round (72nd overall) of the 2006 NHL Entry Draft and collected
110 points and 1,457 hits in 346 contests with the Wild (2007-13)...RW Kyle Okposo is from St. Paul and played one season at
University of Minnesota (2006-07)...D Aaron Ness is from Roseau and played three seasons with the Gophers (2008-11)...C Brock
Nelson is from Warroad…Vanek played two seasons at the University of Minnesota (2002-04).
FAST FACT: Five of the seven all-time meetings at Xcel Energy Center have been decided by one goal.
13 Things to Know:
1. Minnesota returns to home ice to begin a four-game homestand, tied for its longest this season. The Wild’s 14-3-2 record in Saint
Paul this season is tied for the second most wins at home in the Western Conference. The Wild has won 10 of its last 12 games and 14
of its last 17 contests on home ice.
2. The Wild is expected to host its 10 millionth fan at Xcel Energy Center during Sunday’s home game. Entering the game, a total of
9,986,408 fans have attended 493 regular season games, 36 preseason contests and 15 playoff games at Xcel Energy Center,
including 486 sellouts. The lucky fan will receive a prize package including a custom Wild 10 Millionth Fan jersey, a team-autographed
hockey stick, four tickets to the Wild’s game against Detroit on March 22 at 1 p.m. and four tickets to the Big Ten Championship Game
on March 22 at 7 p.m. at Xcel Energy Center.
3. Josh Harding leads the NHL in GAA (1.51) and SV% (.939), ranks T-2nd in shutouts (3), and T-5th in wins (18-5-3), allowing two
goals or less in 23-of-27 games this season. 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. He has allowed a total of 25, 5-on-5 goals in 27 games this season
Minnesota Wild: Media Notes
and his .948 even-strength SV% is tops amongst NHL goalies that have played more than nine games. He is 14-1-0 on home ice this
season, posting a 35-10-2 record in his career starts at Xcel Energy Center, including 28-5-1 since Jan. 27, 2010 and 17-2-0 in his last
19 starts in Saint Paul.
4. Ryan Suter saw a career-best seven-game assist streak (7) end Friday, the longest assist streak by a Wild defenseman in franchise
history. His 22 assists this season lead the Wild and rank T-5th amongst all NHL defensemen. He leads the NHL in TOI/game (29:34),
more than two minutes more than any other player. He’s topped the 30-minute mark in five of the last seven games, 14 of the last 25
contests and 19 times overall this season –surpassing his 10 games of 30-plus minutes in 48 games last season. 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 this
season –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.
5. Jason Pominville registered two assists Friday and is tied for the Wild lead with 28 points (17-11=28) this season, including 11
points (4-7=11) in the last 13 games. His 17 goals lead Minnesota and rank T-12th in the NHL. His four game-winning goals lead the
Wild (T-8th in NHL), and he ranks second on the team in shots (109) and PPGs (5), 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.
6. Mikael Granlund has three points (1-2=3) in three games since returning from an upper-body injury that saw him skate just 29
seconds in the span of 14 game (Nov. 23-Dec. 19). The 21-year-old has 15 points (3-12=15) in 27 games with the Wild this season
after totaling eight points (2-6=8) in 27 games during his rookie year with Minnesota last season.
7. Nino Niederreiter ranks T-6th on the Wild in goals (6), T-5th in assists (11), fifth in points (17) and second in hits (91) in 40 games
this season. He previously totaled three points (2-1=3) in 64 games over parts of two seasons with the Islanders (2010-12).
8. The Wild is 12-2-5 in one-goal games this season (.632) –only Anaheim (14-1-5) has more wins from one-goal games. Nine of the
last 11 Wild wins have been decided by one goal, as Minnesota has claimed victories in five of its last six shootouts.
9. Mikko Koivu sits at 299 career assists, and will become the first-ever Wild player to register 300 assists on the all-time charts
(Bouchard, 241). Minnesota’s captain is tied for the team lead in points (8-20=28) in 40 games this season, including 20 points (7-
13=20) in the last 25 games. He ranks third amongst all NHL forwards in TOI/game (21:33) and sixth in faceoffs won. He registered his
14th career shootout game-deciding goal Dec. 14 at COL, T-1st for most amongst all NHL players, and his 33 career shootout goals
rank fifth for most amongst all players.
10. Minnesota has scored at least one third-period goal in 10 straight wins, dating back to a 2-1 shootout win vs. Toronto on Nov. 13. In
that span, the third-period goals have been a game-winning goal in five games and have tied the game to force extra time before
winning in a shootout in four contests.
11. 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.
12. Two players with Wild ties are skating in the 2014 IIF World Junior Championship in Malmo, Sweden, Dec. 26-Jan. 5. Minnesota
assigned D Matt Dumba to Canada’s National Junior Team Dec. 11 and he was named an alternate captain Dec. 19. He’s tallied an
assist in two preliminary-round games as Canada topped Germany and lost in a shootout to the Czech Republic. Wild prospect D
Gustav Olofsson will represent Sweden in the tournament and has earned a plus-three rating as Sweden topped Switzerland and lost
to Russia in the preliminary round. C Christoph Bertschy was named to Switzerland’s preliminary roster but will not participate due to
an ankle injury.
13. Iowa Wild Update
Last Game: 5-2 win vs. Rockford (12/26)
Goal Scorers: Tyler Graovac, Erik Haula (1-1=2), Jake Dowell, Steven Kampfer (1-1=2), Zack Phillips
Goalie: John Curry (37-of-39)
Upcoming Schedule: vs. Milwaukee (12/29)
Leading Scorers: Erik Haula (8-8=16) , Jonathon Blum (3-13=16), Brian Connelly (1-14=15)
Just My Take,
Tony Dean
@Tony Dean1204
Minnesota Wild Blogger • 
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