WildHBcommunity: Wild Wounded for Important Matchup in Chicago
The Minnesota Wild Look to Build on Successful Road Trip Tonight
The Minnesota Wild (39-26-11 89 points, 7th in Western Conference, 4th in Central Division) will look to further separate themselves from the teams chasing them in the Western Conference Wildcard race with a win this evening. Their opponent is the defending Stanley Cup Champions Chicago Blackhawks (42-19-15 99 points, 5th in Western Conference, 3rd in Central Division) who are currently reeling from a string of injuries to key contributors.
Going forward the rivalry and competiveness between these two franchises should help to reinforce the importance of each meeting for both clubs and their fan bases. The NHL’s move to realign division is literally the best thing that could happened for Wild fans because it forces the old black and blue division mentality that existed during the days of the Norris Division previous to Norm Green ripping NHL hockey from Minnesota. Sure the Black Hawks and St. Louis Blues are arguably more talented and better equipped right now for the Stanley Cup Playoffs this year but our Wild brand and organization rebuild has been fashioned to borrow from each of those franchises. The Wild beyond just making the playoffs this season looks to have the organizational depth and clout to be serious competition in the newly formed Central Division which will make for some truly important and historic hockey in the next five years!
Wild Wounded for Important Matchup in Chicago
The great news has been that this team has broken out of the funk that came with their season circling the drain after losses in 7 of 10 games. The other important news had been that the player leadership of captain Mikko Koivu along with assistant captains Zach Parise and Ryan Suter had teamed up with veteran netminder Ilya Bryzgalov to meet individually with each player and call into question I am sure just about everything that had contributed to this team’s late season collapse. The result was two wins in regulation against teams that needed the two points just as much as the Wild. The meeting was obviously required given how disrespectful and forceful the Blues sought to send this team a message during a 5-1 debacle on 3/27/2014 in St. Louis.
The bad news for the Wild was the loss of key young players Mikael Granlund, Nino Niederreiter, and Darcy Kuemper to injuries sustained on the West Coast portion of their road trip. For Granlund his ailment appears to be a reoccurrence of concussion like symptoms due to a hit sustain in Los Angeles versus the Kings. The Wild also lost Niederreiter in that same game to an open ice hit but his availability to the team seems to be limited as a precautionary measure after sustain damage on a scary hit. In the case of young netminder Kuemper, it is rumored to be some sort of arm injury and the team has been very discreet about the specifics and time frame for return.
Each of those three young players are very important pieces of the puzzle for the Wild but the timing of their injuries may provide an opportunity for them to return to the lineup able to contribute in a first round playoff series. Also in previous season the loss of three key contributors would have meant the sky was truly falling on the Wild’s playoff hopes but the emergence of Erik Haula offers the opportunity to head coach Mike Yeo to elevate the young center to replace Granlund and give him a boost in ice time and responsibility that will surely prove valuable going forward. The loss of the KnightRider however brief means a return to the Wild lineup for Dany Heatley who surely would be in the press box still if this team had its full complement of healthy players. Heatley is in danger of being a playoff scratch unless he can improve his effort and output upon his return to the lineup.
Not knowing the specifics on Kuemper it is tough to diagnose what the Wild is facing in their goaltender situation for the rest of the regular season and playoffs. The team called up veteran AHL journeymen goaltender John Curry who will serve as the backup tonight to Bryzgalov who has been sharp for the most part. Tonight will be a very interesting litmus test for the Russian backstop even though the Black Hawks have some significant players missing from their roster as well.
The inspirational news is that Josh “Harding’s Hope… Harding has been skating on his own consistently and joined the team on the road trip. Not knowing the prognosis of Kuemper, I can attribute Harding’s reemergence to necessity or coincidence but I think just about everyone in the State of Hockey is holding baited breath that the Wild’s #1 netminder returns between the pipes this year to finish what he started.
I would gladly put the Wild’s fate in the hands of Harding come playoff time because he has more than earned the opportunity. I have no doubt his teammates would lay it all on the line for the veteran backstop as I don’t believe a more inspirational and unselfish player exists in the National Hockey League today. Harding chooses to not address his illness which I think speaks volumes about his content of character. I am truly rooting for him to return to the lineup before the season ends.
Minnesota Wild Lineup for Tonight : Parise—Koivu—Coyle Moulson—Haula—Pominville Cooke—Brodziak—Fontaine Veilleux—Dowell—Heatley Spurgeon—Suter Prosser—Brodin Blum—Scandella
Bryzgalov
Individual Leaders Minnesota Wild Chicago Blackhawks Points: J. POMINVILLE (53),Z. PARISE (51),M. KOIVU (49) P. SHARP (73),P. KANE (69),J. TOEWS (68) Goals: Z. PARISE (28),J. POMINVILLE (27),M. MOULSON (22) P. SHARP (31),P. KANE (29),J. TOEWS (28) Assists: M. KOIVU (39),R. SUTER (34),M. GRANLUND (33) D. KEITH (51),P. SHARP (42),J. TOEWS (40) PP Goals: Z. PARISE (13),M. MOULSON (9),J. POMINVILLE (6) P. KANE (10),P. SHARP (9),J. TOEWS (5) SH Goals: M. COOKE (1),Z. PARISE (1),E. HAULA (1) M. HOSSA (3),J. TOEWS (3),M. HANDZUS (1) GW Goals: J. POMINVILLE (5),Z. PARISE (5),M. KOIVU (4) P. KANE (6),J. TOEWS (5),M. HOSSA (4) 3+ Goals: R. SUTER(1),J. FONTAINE(1) P. SHARP(2),J. TOEWS(1) PIM: C. STONER (82),K. BRODZIAK (59),N. PROSSER (56) B. BOLLIG (85),A. SHAW (74),S. BROOKBANK (50) Shots: Z. PARISE (231),J. POMINVILLE (211),M. MOULSON (166) P. SHARP (294),P. KANE (227),M. HOSSA (221) +/-: J. SPURGEON (+11),R. SUTER (+10),Z. PARISE (+10) M. HOSSA (+27),J. TOEWS (+26),B. SEABROOK (+25)
Just My Take, Tony Dean Follow Me on Twitter @TonyDeanTHW Also Like the WildHBcommunity of FaceBook here: WildHBCommunity on FaceBook