Forgive my ignorance, I know nothing of Wild prospects.

Who are your top 5 prospects right now?

Just curious
- TheThrill

#1 Zach Phillips
#2 Brett Bulmer





#3-5 Everyone else

I guess I should keep savaging Haula. Since I called for him to be scratched he's scored 3 goals and been playing his best hockey of the season!

Avs certainly getting the calls tonight so far

Holy poop! Pominville threw a check!

I see the PP is back to being a large steamy pile of dog poop again...

I hate Landeskog so effin much, but he is exactly the kind of player this team needs.

Prosser the crash test dummy

I hate Landeskog so effin much, but he is exactly the kind of player this team needs.

Prosser the crash test dummy
- SotaPopinski

Yup. Would love to see him get his ass handed to him. And you're right! He's one of those guys you hate unless he's on your team.

Yup. Would love to see him get his ass handed to him. And you're right! He's one of those guys you hate unless he's on your team.
- MnGump

See Russo's tweet about a Wild and Avs fan brawling in the stands? This rivalry is getting good!

Roy is a (frank)ing poor loser. Putting McLeod out there for a cheap shot! (frank)ing Loser what a piece of trash. Hope he gets (frank)ing fired

Roy is a (frank)ing poor loser. Putting McLeod out there for a cheap shot! (frank)ing Loser
- MnGump

Expect anything less from a Roy-coached team? I hope he remains the coach there for a long, long while because they won't win Richard with him behind the bench. Guy cares more about "toughness" than he does winning.

Roy is a (frank)ing poor loser. Putting McLeod out there for a cheap shot! (frank)ing Loser what a piece of trash. Hope he gets (frank)ing fired
- MnGump

(frank)ing McLeod. What a douchebag.

(frank)ing McLeod. What a douchebag.
- Chinaski

One of many... I especially enjoyed Landy reaching around the bench divider to slap Koivu in the face. So much class was at the rink tonight

One of many... I especially enjoyed Landy reaching around the bench divider to slap Koivu in the face. So much class was at the rink tonight
- SotaPopinski

I just watched it again. If Coyle's going to stick up for his teammates he better commit to it and learn how to protect himself. He took a clean shot right in the mush and didn't even drop his gloves.

Looks like Landeskog got a 10 minute misconduct for that move from the bench.

I just watched it again. If Coyle's going to stick up for his teammates he better commit to it and learn how to protect himself. He took a clean shot right in the mush and didn't even drop his gloves.

Looks like Landeskog got a 10 minute misconduct for that move from the bench.
- Chinaski

Yeah, I was happy to see Coyle stick up for his teammate but he has to realize that McLeod isn't going to just grab jerseys and skate away afterwards.
Wish Byfuglien was a member of the Wild every time the Avs were the opponent. McLeod and Landy don't like being the d-bags that they are when they know there is someone to scold them for it.

Yeah, I was happy to see Coyle stick up for his teammate but he has to realize that McLeod isn't going to just grab jerseys and skate away afterwards.
Wish Byfuglien was a member of the Wild every time the Avs were the opponent. McLeod and Landy don't like being the d-bags that they are when they know there is someone to scold them for it.
- SotaPopinski

I can see why McLeod wasn't assessed an instigator. He doesn't grab anyone and instigate a fight. He cross-checks Granlund and waits for someone to grab him, which Coyle did. It could be argued that Coyle going after him is what caused him to fight and therefore no instigator.

I like that Coyle jumped to Granlund defense in that situation. I just wish he would have done so knowing he was really going to have to fight. If you don't really want to fight don't be grabbing jackasses like McLeod in those situations.

It will be interesting to see what comes from all of this. If there is nothing from the league I wonder if the Wild call up Bickel for next Sunday's game and play him. That would be a shame since that is most definitely to Colorado's benefit. Bickel in the lineup makes the Wild worse and I'm not even sure he would win a fight against McLeod.

I can see why McLeod wasn't assessed an instigator. He doesn't grab anyone and instigate a fight. He cross-checks Granlund and waits for someone to grab him, which Coyle did. It could be argued that Coyle going after him is what caused him to fight and therefore no instigator.

I like that Coyle jumped to Granlund defense in that situation. I just wish he would have done so knowing he was really going to have to fight. If you don't really want to fight don't be grabbing jackasses like McLeod in those situations.

It will be interesting to see what comes from all of this. If there is nothing from the league I wonder if the Wild call up Bickel for next Sunday's game and play him. That would be a shame since that is most definitely to Colorado's benefit. Bickel in the lineup makes the Wild worse and I'm not even sure he would win a fight against McLeod.
- Chinaski

I see what your saying Chi, but what McCleod did is exactly why he should have recieved an instigator. A blatent cross check to a skilled player literally a few seconds before the horn when neither team had time to accomplish anything further in the games outcome.

This was a calculated move by Roy I have no doubt. He probably told McCleod to go out and send a message knowing full well there would be a retaliation in an already powder keg charged game. He probably figured there would be no instigator penalty if McCleod was not the first to drop his gloves.

It's this reason alone I feel the league should take it upon themselves to review this entire game which will further bring into light some very questionable hits that went uncalled which led up to the last scrum of the game with only a few seconds left.

FYI, according to a post in the Av's thread, Minnesota fans are viewed by "EVERYONE" as among the worst in the league!

I found that comment interesting.

I see what your saying Chi, but what McCleod did is exactly why he should have recieved an instigator. A blatent cross check to a skilled player literally a few seconds before the horn when neither team had time to accomplish anything further in the games outcome.

This was a calculated move by Roy I have no doubt. He probably told McCleod to go out and send a message knowing full well there would be a retaliation in an already powder keg charged game. He probably figured there would be no instigator penalty if McCleod was not the first to drop his gloves.

It's this reason alone I feel the league should take it upon themselves to review this entire game which will further bring into light some very questionable hits that went uncalled which led up to the last scrum of the game with only a few seconds left.
- MnGump

I won't dispute that what McLeod did instigated the entire incident. But it did not necessarily instigate a fight. Even though I agree with you that McLeod was likely looking for a fight, in my opinion, he did not engage any Wild player in a manner where that player was forced to fight and clearly did not want to. I haven't gone to the rulebook on the exact wording of the instigator penalty but that's just how I see a plausible reasoning from the referees in this situation. And as much as I want to, I can't make a logical argument against that.

Actually, it's kind of a smart move by the Avs when you really break it down. Granlund is the center and is engaged in a puck battle on the face-off so he is technically eligible to be hit. The way in which McLeod hits him could have been penalized but you can't just say McLeod can't touch him in that situation.

After McLeod plows him over he doesn't go after anyone. It's Coyle that goes to him and McLeod now technically has the "protect yourself" defense going in his favor because everyone on the ice and in the building knows that what he just did deserves an attempted beat down.

The lesson for the Wild here should be, in that situation, maybe they should have assessed the players Roy put on the ice and understood what could have happened. It might have been smarter for Coyle to take the draw or for him to blatantly interfere with any attempt by McLeod to go after his center - just tie him up.

I hate the play by McLeod and I pretty much agree that this was all calculated. It will be interesting to see if Kerry Fraser has anything on this in his C'mon Ref column on TSN.ca.

Well lets' face it. The officials were less than stellar last night. Russo touched on the seemingly one sided officiating in his blog.

I mean other than them allowing a goal on which McCleod shoved Doobs covering puck accross the goal line, there was really nothing egregious, but if you go back and watch the entire game again, Av's clearly on a mission and were given carte blanche on questionable hits for the majority of the entire game.

Really only the most obvious infractions were called with the exception of a couple.

Well lets' face it. The officials were less than stellar last night. Russo touched on the seemingly one sided officiating in his blog.

I mean other than them allowing a goal on which McCleod shoved Doobs covering puck accross the goal line, there was really nothing egregious, but if you go back and watch the entire game again, Av's clearly on a mission and were given carte blanche on questionable hits for the majority of the entire game.

Really only the most obvious infractions were called with the exception of a couple.
- MnGump

Do you listen to the Souhan Unfiltered podcasts with Russo? Russo has made some comments in a few of those that lead one to believe that Koivu's relationship with the referees and linesmen in the league is not a very good one. In hearing some of those comments and stories recently I wonder if there are times where the Wild don't get the benefit of a call in a borderline situation because of that icy relationship.

He did say that the organization has been trying to work with Koivu to improve his relationship with the officials and even Koivu himself is trying harder at it. But it make me curious if it is a factor when some of these games/situations come up.

Those podcasts are great. As fans, there is so much that goes on that we aren't privvy to and I'm sure it factors into things that happen that don't seem to have any logical reasoning to them given the limited public information we have.

FYI, according to a post in the Av's thread, Minnesota fans are viewed by "EVERYONE" as among the worst in the league!

I found that comment interesting.
- MnGump

Which explains why there were more Wild fans than Avs fans in Colorado last night.

Do you listen to the Souhan Unfiltered podcasts with Russo? Russo has made some comments in a few of those that lead one to believe that Koivu's relationship with the referees and linesmen in the league is not a very good one. In hearing some of those comments and stories recently I wonder if there are times where the Wild don't get the benefit of a call in a borderline situation because of that icy relationship.

He did say that the organization has been trying to work with Koivu to improve his relationship with the officials and even Koivu himself is trying harder at it. But it make me curious if it is a factor when some of these games/situations come up.

Those podcasts are great. As fans, there is so much that goes on that we aren't privvy to and I'm sure it factors into things that happen that don't seem to have any logical reasoning to them given the limited public information we have.
- Chinaski

Never cared for Souhan, but his podcasts with Russo are a must listen for all Wild fans. Did they ever reveal why Setoguchi wanted to kick Russo's ass?

Never cared for Souhan, but his podcasts with Russo are a must listen for all Wild fans. Did they ever reveal why Setoguchi wanted to kick Russo's ass?
- SotaPopinski

Agreed, Souhan just kind of needs to keep his speaking to a minimum on those (much like PA should when he has Russo on). I haven't had a chance to listen to the last two, but I hadn't heard it in the previous ones. Damn, I really want to hear that story.

Never cared for Souhan, but his podcasts with Russo are a must listen for all Wild fans. Did they ever reveal why Setoguchi wanted to kick Russo's ass?
- SotaPopinski

I've listened to a few, but also do not care for Souhan. Not nearly as much disdain and vitriol as I hold for PA though.

I really enjoyed Judd and Dubay. Not sure what happened there, but Zulgad is completely annoying without Dubay.

Sounds like Dubay has burned many bridges throughout the twin cities in the radio talk show venues and that is why he's now relagated to hosting his own pod casts with Tony every week.

I'm not sure it would happen, but if a team called on Brodziak does anyone think it would be a good idea to trade him? There's probably more value in holding onto him now.