WildHBcommunity: Wild Rolls into Colorado to Battle an Avalanche
Minnesota Wild Arrives in Colorado to Matchup With Avalanche Both Teams Playing Well
The Minnesota Wild 29 - 20 - 6 (64 points) will battle the Colorado Avalanche 33-14-5 (71 Points) at the Pepsi Center this evening in the last meeting between these teams during the regular season. The Avs have defeated the Wild in 3 of 4 meetings this season including the most recent a 4-2 win at the X. Colorado is 17-7-3 on their home ice this season, and 7-2-1 in their last 10 games. The Wild improved their road record to 10-13-4 with a huge win in Anaheim Tuesday and 6-3-1 in their last 10 games.
Colorado's Speed Has Been Problem for the Wild
The Avalanche bypassed addressing their perceived need in their defensive corps with the first overall selection in the draft last year to select lightning quick slight of build Nathan Mackinnon. The Avalanche in just one offseason has completely changed their fortunes and outlook. Nobody has played better for the Avs against the Wild than impending restricted free agent
Ryan O'Reilly. Currently O'Reilly has scored a career high in goals with 19 all while playing a new position on the left wing. It has been rumored that Avs brass has balked at paying O'Reilly north of the $6 million per year the team recently agreed with young superstar center
Matt Duchene a 5 year extension beginning next year.
The Avs kid captain
Gabriel Landeskog has collected points in the last 3 games and 5 points in the last 5 games. Landeskog has been a point per game player in the last 17 games and it seems with each game he gets stronger and smarter. Landeskog just 21 years old in his 3 NHL season is on pace to shatter his rookie year production in addition to playing a major role for Team Sweden in the upcoming olympics.
Semyon Varlamov has taken a huge step forward in his NHL career since the arrival of fiery head coach
Patrick Roy a legendary netminder and huge personality behind the bench. Varlamov had the domestic charges against him dropped which has to come as a great relief to not only Colorado but also the olympic host nation Russia which is committed to Varlamov as their top netminder in Sochi. The Avs defensive corps needs to do a better job helping out their goaltender who has given up 14 goals in 5 games and was made ot make 41 saves in Dallas.
In Darcy We Trust Backstrom Is a Bust
What a change of fortunes for 23 year old
Darcy Kuemper from his limited appearances in the first 2 months this season to his current stretch of starting 10 games in a row. Kuemper has looked every bit the part, he is not only the netminder of the future for the Wild but it is becoming abundantly clear he gives the team a better chance to win than 35 year old
Niklas Backstrom. With each strong performance from Kuemper that 3 year deal Backstrom was signed to this summer looks like a dark cloud over the franchise. Obviously
Josh Harding is a very difficult player to forecast given the circumstances surrounding his absence and illness in general.
If Harding is able to get his treatment of multiple sclerosis and associated illness to a point he is comfortable returning and capable of contributing like he had during the first two months of the season then I think Backstrom should be the odd man out. Thats a lot of interdependent scenarios to have line up which is why Backstrom deal was most likely agreed to by Wild general manager Chuck Fletcher this summer. Backstrom I have to believe will be made available should another team need a netminder before or after the olympics and into the trade deadline.
I continue to believe the best course for the Wild this season is addition by subtraction as the team gets healthy. By that I mean pandora's box has been busted wide open so let the kids play. PLEASE FLETCHER clear the roster of obstruction to keeping the kids in the lineup.
Dany Heatley specifically once
Mikko Koivu returns belongs on the 4th Line or in the press box.
Mike Rupp needs to be on waivers, he wont get claimed but could add vet presence in Iowa. If Backstrom has a suitor via trade you gotta pull the trigger.
My greatest nightmare is a return to the sluggish bottom of the roster uninspired dwindling capability veterans and backstrom in the net against teams that are battling for their playoff lives. I am not pretending that I know what options have been presented to Fletcher on the market but I think it is a huge mistake to limit the same young lineup that has been empowered and responded with major contributors out of the lineup. I think here in the State of Hockey we have seen something similar take place far too many times. It's time to trust the kids!
GP RECORD HOME ROAD L10 G/G GA/G PP% PK% PIM/G S/G SA/G FO%
Minnesota Wild
55 29-20-6 19-7-2 10-13-4 6-3-1 2.31 2.38 17.4 79.3 9.5 26.7 27.9 51.2
Colorado Avalanche
52 33-14-5 17-7-3 16-7-2 7-2-1 2.88 2.58 19.3 81.8 10.5 29.1 32.2 49.5
Individual Leaders
Minnesota Wild Colorado Avalanche
Points: J. POMINVILLE (37),M. KOIVU (35),R. SUTER (32) M. DUCHENE (44),G. LANDESKOG (40),P. STASTNY (38)
Goals: J. POMINVILLE (21),Z. PARISE (16),J. FONTAINE (12) R. O'REILLY (19),N. MACKINNON (18),M. DUCHENE (17)
Assists: M. KOIVU (27),R. SUTER (26),M. GRANLUND (20) M. DUCHENE (27),G. LANDESKOG (26),P. STASTNY (23)
PP Goals: Z. PARISE (8),J. POMINVILLE (5),D. HEATLEY (3) N. MACKINNON (7),R. O'REILLY (5),M. DUCHENE (5)
SH Goals: Z. PARISE (1) A. TANGUAY (1),M. TALBOT (1)
GW Goals: J. POMINVILLE (5),M. COOKE (3),M. KOIVU (3) R. O'REILLY (4),M. DUCHENE (4),N. MACKINNON (4)
3+ Goals: R. SUTER(1),J. FONTAINE(1)
PIM: C. STONER (62),M. COOKE (34),K. BALLARD (31) C. MCLEOD (87),P. BORDELEAU (52),E. JOHNSON (39)
Shots: Z. PARISE (151),J. POMINVILLE (147),N. NIEDERREITER (111) M. DUCHENE (157),N. MACKINNON (149),G. LANDESKOG (137)
+/-: M. SCANDELLA (+12),N. NIEDERREITER (+11),J. FONTAINE (+9) J. HEJDA (+10),G. LANDESKOG (+10),A. TANGUAY (+8)
Last Game –Wild 4 at Ducks 2: LW Zach Parise netted his 28th career three-point game (1-2=3) to lead Minnesota to a 4-2 victory
Tuesday in Anaheim, just the Ducks’ second regulation loss at home this season. RW Jason Pominville and C Mikael Granlund each
tallied a goal and assist, while D Marco Scandella registered two assists and a game-high plus-3 rating. G Darcy Kuemper made 31
saves to earn the win in his eighth straight start.
Next Games (all times Central)
2/1 at CGY 9 p.m. –FSN, KFAN 100.3 FM
2/4 vs. TB 7 p.m. –FSN, KFAN 100.3 FM
2/6 vs. NSH 7 p.m. –FSN, KFAN 100.3 FM
Current Wild Injuries
G Josh Harding (IR) –13 games (illness)
D Jared Spurgeon (IR) –12 games (lower body)
C Mikko Koivu (IR) –11 games (ankle fracture)
TOTAL MAN GAMES LOST: 144
Recent Transactions
1/23 –Reassigned D Jonathon Blum to Iowa (AHL)
Upcoming Milestones
LW Mike Rupp –99 career points (54-45=99)
WILD vs. AVALANCHE
ALL-TIME WILD RECORD: 37-31-10 (20-14-5 at Xcel Energy Center, 17-17-5 at Colorado)
2013-14: The Wild is 1-2-1 through four games this season against the Avalanche…Colorado claimed a 3-1 victory at Xcel Energy
Center (11/29) and a 3-2 shootout win at Pepsi Center (11/30)…The Wild won the third contest 2-1 in a shootout at Colorado (12/14)
while the Avalanche won the last match, 4-2, in St. Paul (1/11)… LW Dany Heatley leads Minnesota with three points (1- 2=3)…RW
Nino Niederreiter (1-1=2), RW Jason Pomin-ville (0-2=2) and C Charlie Coyle (2-0=2) have two points apiece…G Josh Harding is
1-1-1 with a 1.59 GAA and a .931 SV% in three starts while G Niklas Backstrom earned the loss in the last contest making 17
saves…LW Gabriel Landeskog (3-2=5) leads Colorado and is T-1st in the NHL in scoring against Minnesota this season with five
points… C John Mitchell (0-4=4) has tallied four assists while C Nathan MacKinnon (2-1=3), C Ryan O’Reilly (2-1=3) and C Max
Talbot (2-1=3) each have two goals and an assist…G Jean-Sebastien Giguere started the first game and made 27 saves…G
Semyon Varlamov is 2-0-1 with a 1.58 GAA and a .945 SV% in three starts this season.
WILD LEADERS: C Mikko Koivu has 38 points (15-23=38) in 49 games against Colorado...Heatley owns 28 points (8- 20=28) in 28
contests...C Kyle Brodziak has 21 points (7- 14=21) in 41 games.
WILD GOALIES: Backstrom is 24-6-3 with a 2.25 GAA, a .924 SV% and four shutouts in 33 starts against Colorado... Harding is 4-3-2
with a 1.89 GAA, a .930 SV% and one shutout in 11 matches (nine starts) and G Darcy Kuemper has not faced the Avalanche.
AVALANCHE LEADERS: LW Alex Tanguay has 46 points (16- 30=46) in 58 games vs. Minnesota, the fifth highest total by a Wild
opponent...C Paul Stastny has 28 points (9-19=28) in 45 contests…Landeskog has 13 points (6-7=13) in 14 matches.
AVALANCHE GOALIES: Giguere is 11-12-5 with a 2.34 GAA, a .912 SV% and three shutouts in 29 regular season starts vs. the
Wild...Varlamov is 6-4-1 with a 1.96 GAA, a .933 SV% and one shutout in 11 games (10 starts)…G Sami Aittokal-lio has not faced
Minnesota.
CONNECTIONS: Wild Assistant Coach Darby Hendrickson skated in 20 games with Colorado in 2003-04...D Erik Johnson hails
from Bloom-ington...LW Patrick Bordeleau was selected by Minnesota in the fourth-round (114th overall) of the 2004 NHL Entry Draft.
FAST FACTS: The Wild recorded its first-ever playoff series win rallying from a three-games-to-one deficit over the Avalanche in the
2003 Western Conference Quarterfinal... The Avalanche defeated the Wild in six games in the 2008 Western Conference Quarterfinal.
13 Things to Know:
1. The Wild is 9-3-1 in 2014, earning points in five of its last six games (4-1-1). Minnesota has earned five of a possible six points in its
last three games, facing the No. 1, 3 and 5 teams in the NHL. Minnesota won in Anaheim Tuesday, fell in overtime at San Jose
Saturday and defeated Chicago in Saint Paul Thursday.
2. Minnesota has gone 13-2-3 in its last 18 games at Pepsi Center. The Wild plays its third contest in a four-game road trip, tied for its
longest this season. Minnesota is 10-13-4 on the road, having earned points in five of its last six contests away from Saint Paul (4-1-1).
Minnesota Wild: Media Notes3. Darcy Kuemper has started eight straight games for the Wild, a franchise record for most consecutive games played by a rookie
goalie (previously four). If he plays Thursday, he will join Josh Harding (29, 2007-08) and Matt Hackett (12, 2011-12) as the only
rookie goalies to ever play at least 12 games in a single season with Minnesota. Since being recalled from Iowa (AHL) Jan. 2, he has
posted a 6-2-1 record, stopping 269-of-286 shots for a .941 SV%, a 1.85 GAA and one shutout. His six wins rank second all-time for
most victories by a Wild rookie goaltender (11, Harding, 2007-08).
4. Jason Pominville used a goal and assist Tuesday to claim the Wild point lead, having posted 37 points (21-16=37) this season,
including 20 points (8-12=20) in the last 28 games. He used an assist to earn his 500th NHL point Saturday in San Jose, becoming the
52nd active NHL player to hit the milestone. He’s hit the 20-goal mark in seven of his nine NHL seasons and is the 15th player in Wild
history to net 20 goals in a season –the 25th time the feat has been accomplished. The former Sabres captain was acquired by the Wild
April 3 and signed a five-year contract extension on Oct. 3.
5. Mikael Granlund used a goal and assist Tuesday to record his fourth multi-point game this season. The Finnish Olympian has 12
points (2-10=12) in 18 games since returning from an upper-body injury that saw him skate just 29 seconds in the span of 14 games
(Nov. 23-Dec. 19). He has registered 24 points (4-20=24) in 42 games this season after totaling eight points (2-6=8) in 27 games during
his rookie year with Minnesota last season.
6. Ryan Suter skated a game-high 33:11 TOI Tuesday –his fifth-highest TOI this season. He’s hit 30:00 TOI in two straight games, 12
of the last 22 contests and 26 games this season. He leads the NHL in TOI/game (29:38), 1:41 more than any other player. Suter has
totaled 17 points (6-11=17) in the last 23 games and the U.S. Olympian ranks third on the Wild with 32 points (6-26=32) this season,
ranking T-11th amongst all NHL defensemen entering play Wednesday. He also leads Minnesota with 88 blocked shots. He used three
shots to record his first career hat trick vs. WSH (1/4), becoming the first defenseman in Wild history to accomplish the feat, while also
becoming the first defenseman in franchise history to score twice in less than a minute (Elias Sports Bureau). Since 2007-08, there
have been 13, 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. He set a Wild franchise record with
a career-high 36:51 at WSH (11/7).
7. Marco Scandella recorded two assists and a plus-3 rating Tuesday and now has six points (2-4=6) and a plus-8 rating in January.
He leads the Wild with a plus-12 rating and third with 74 blocked shots this season, posting a career-high 16 points (3-13=16) in 52
games.
8. LW Zach Parise notched a goal and two assists Tuesday in his third game after missing 14 straight games with a foot contusion.
The U.S. Olympian is fourth on the Wild with 30 points (16-14=30) in 40 games this season, T-2nd on the Wild with seven multi-point
games. He missed one game earlier this season after originally suffering the injury after taking a shot to the foot Nov. 25 at STL.
9. Nino Niederreiter has nine points (3-6=9) and a plus-6 rating in his last 15 games. He is second on the Wild with a plus-11 rating
this season and second on the team with 129 hits. The Swiss Olympian has totaled 26 points (9-17=26) in 54 games during his first
season with Minnesota. He previously totaled three points (2-1=3) in 64 NHL games over parts of two seasons with the New York
Islanders (2010-12).
10. Nate Prosser netted an assist and a plus-2 rating Tuesday. He has four points (2-2=4) and a plus-8 rating in 13 games in 2014. He
became the first Wild defenseman in team history to record game-winning goals in consecutive games (Jan. 16-18).
11. The Wild continues a stretch of eight straight games and 12 of 13 games (Jan. 7-Feb. 1) against the Western Conference. The Wild
is 18-11-4 against the West this season, including an 11-8-1 record against the Central Division. Minnesota has recorded an 11-9-2
against the Eastern Conference this season.
12. Five Wild players have been named to 2014 Olympic rosters: Zach Parise and Ryan Suter will represent the U.S., Nino
Niederreiter will skate for Switzerland and Mikael Granlund and Mikko Koivu will play for Finland. It will be Koivu's third trip to the
Olympics, Parise and Suter's second time representing Team USA, and Granlund and Niederreiter's first Olympics.
13. Iowa Wild Update
Last Game: 2-1 overtime win at San Antonio (1/25)
Goal Scorers: Marc Hagel (4), Kyle Medvec (4)
Goalie: John Curry (25-of-26)
Upcoming Schedule: vs. Milwaukee (1/31)
Leading Scorers: Brian Connelly (3-22=25), Carson McMillan (9-10=19), Zack Phillips (7-12=19), Jonathon Blum (5-14=19)
Courtesy of wild.com/pressbox and @mnwildPR
Just My Take,
Tony Dean
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