The Minnesota Wild are far too talented a team to be struggling as badly as they have been for the past month. They simply cannot keep the puck out of their net. It seems like everytime they score, their goalies give up a goal against. A preseason favorite to make a long playoff run, the Wild are now a team is disarray. Reasons why? Thomas Vanek and other skilled players are not producing on a consistent basis. Their D has been susceptible to D-zone mistakes that end up behind their sloppy goaltenders.
The Wild were tarred and feathers 7-1 by the Dallas Stars on Saturday night. By far their worst performance of the season. Chuck Fletcher's goalies need SPF 90 sun screen on the necks to prevent the damage and irritation that is caused by the bright glare and harmful rays of the spinning goal light.
Starting goalie Darcy Kuemper continues to struggle. He's 13-11-0-1 with a 2.51 GAA and .907 save %. Saturday night in Dallas, marked the first time that Kuemper had been pulled on the road this season after he gave up 4 goals to the Stars. The benching was his fifth early exit from his net since November 13. Keumper is struggling mightily. His back up is none better.
Nik Backstrom is no better. He's 5-3-3 with a 2.58 GAA and .901 save %.
The Wild have youngster John Curry in AHL Iowa, however, he lost his only start of the season ( 3.81 GAA, .826 save %) last week.
Wild GM Chuck Fletcher is in a real bind. He needs to make a trade for a goalie.
Hockey Night In Canada's Elliotte Friedman said on Saturday night that Fletcher and Sabres GM Tim Murray are denying that they have discussed a Jhonas Enroth trade to Minnesota. Friedman also said that Tim Murray has said that he has not received any calls about his goaltenders.
Thanks, Sportsnet
Is this smoke or is it fire?
This isn't the first rumor to percolate regarding a Sabres netminder. Earlier this season, the Anaheim Ducks and San Jose Sharks were mentioned in rumors linking to Michal Neuvirth.
Murray may not have received legitimate offers from other teams for his goalies yet, however, there is growing speculation in the market.
@FriedgeHNIC on HNIC: BUF and MIN deny reports that they have discussed Jhonas Enroth
— SabresBuzz (@SabresBuzz) January 4, 2015
Enroth, 26, has been Buffalo's Rock of Gibraltar in this season of suffering. Enroth is 11-13-2, 3.14 GAA with a .909 save %. He will be UFA in July. He is earning $1.25 million this season.
Fletcher may want Enroth. Murray may not be willing to move him just yet if at all.
Murray also has pending UFA Michal Neuvirth to offer in a deal. Neuvirth is 3-10-1, with a .905 GAA and .905 save %.
Murray may be interested in trading his friend Fletcher the goalie that was a center piece to the 2012 Jason Pominville trade. Matt Hackett played well in Rochester last season (13-17-2) and earned a call up at to Buffalo last April. Hackett was playing well when he suffered an ugly ACL injury in the season final at Boston and underwent knee surgery during the off season. He began skating on his own in November and was sent to Rochester last week with a clean bill of health. Hackett will be making his long awaited season debut for Rochester this week. He will become an RFA this summer. If he doesn't earn 8 NHL starts of 30 minutes TOI or more, he will become a UFA on July 1. Perhaps Fletcher would like to reunite with the one that got away.
At 18-15-4 the Wild are five points out of a wild card playoff spot.
The Wild have lost seven of their past nine games and are 3-5-3 in their past 11 games.
Their next four games are going to be a brutal test for their goaltenders to have to step up to. They host San Jose on Tuesday, Chicago on Thursday, and Nashville on Saturday. They will travel to Chicago next Sunday.
Minnesota goalies are a combined +3 in goal differential. They have scored 103 goals and have allowed 100 against.
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Props to The Latvia Locomotive.
Buffalo Sabres power center was the leading vote getter and has been voted into to the NHL All Star Game. Girgensons earned 1,574,896 votes which was by far more than any other NHL player.
His fans in his native Latvia and in his new home of Buffalo voted early and often for the 20 year old difference maker.
Girgensons will be joined by five Chicago Blackhawks Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews, defensemen Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook and Corey Crawford.
Girgensons and Kane played together on the same team last summer in Buffalo's Fattey Hockey League.
IT'S OFFICIAL! #Sabres' @zemgus94 will be going to the 2015 @NHL All-Star Game in Columbus. Thanks to all who voted! pic.twitter.com/3pgKpts9B9
— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) January 3, 2015