MNWild: Enemy Jets Inbound on Sunday Night
Tonight in Saint Paul the Minnesota Wild (12-4-4 28 Points) play host to their cross border rivals Winnipeg Jets (10-9-2 22 Points). The Wild has been nearly unbeatable at home this season with a record of 9-1-2 in 12 games at the Xcel Energy Center. The Jets have a road record of 3-4-1 in 8 games so far this season which is very similar to the Wild road record of 3-3-2. Tonight will be yet another chance for the Jets faithful to prove that they travel in force and create a ruckus for their squad with their energetic cheers and chants.
The Jets team that will take the ice tonight at the X, is currently on a 4 game winning streak while outscoring opponents 16 to 6. The Jets beat the Philadelphia Flyers 3-2 on Friday night in Winnipeg before making the 6 hour trip south to matchup with the Wild. The Jets have won 5 of 6 shootouts on the season which has been an important weapon for them on the season. Minnesota native Dustin Byfuglien scored twice on the power play Friday night in the Jets 3-2 victory over the Flyers.
Tonight the Wild will need to account for winger Evander Kane and center Bryan Little the Jets top two goal scorers. Little has 11 goals and 18 points on the season while Kane has accounted for 6 goals and 12 points so far this season. Little also has 2 shorthanded tallies on the season which the Wild have been susceptible to already this year. Tonight also will mark the return of former Wild winger Devin Setogucci who has begun to turn his season around after struggling to find his place in the Jets system early on. Setogucci has 4 goals and 10 points for the Jets currently and I am sure tonight he will be looking to add to that total.
The Jets feature an interesting mix of skilled young forwards and gritty veterans all throughout their line combinations. The addition of veteran centermen Olli Jokinen along with winger Michael Frolik has provided the Jets with two veterans that have been members of successful hardworking teams in their previous NHL stops. I realize it is still very early in the season but this Jets team is looking to make a statement ever night that they are capable of competing in the reshuffled Western Conference.
The Wild defeated the Florida Panthers on Friday night at the X 3-2 in a game that featured a bit of everything for the team. The Wild displayed a more creative better equipped power play unit with Jason Pominville on the point. Having Pominville and has booming slapshot on the right side with a shot or pass option created more open lanes for the Wild’s power play and resulted in a goal after a cross ice feed to Mikko Koivu was then feed to the goal mouth and redirected by Zach Parise. The role Pominville is filling was often where Pierre-Marc Bouchard operated last season on the Wild’s power play. The significant difference between Bouchard’s play and Pominville is the willingness to unleash a blast and the opponents having to respect it instead of playing the passing lanes.
The Wild will have 19 year old Mathew Dumba back in the lineup this evening and again he will need to take this opportunity a run with it. Dumba needs to be decisive and dynamic for his skill set and abilities to translate to NHL success. Dumba has flashed some of things that have made the Wild brass and coaching staff convinced his NHL career should start now. With each appearnac ein a Wild jersey though so far this year, Dumba has the look of a kid playing not to lose rather than attacking the opponent with his physical gifts.
The Jets are missing a couple defensemen Zack Bogosian and Jacob Trouba who in the previous meeting between these two teams played very physical and punishing hockey. The Wild will need to continue to press the play and possess the puck to night because this Jets team can light the lamp with each of their four lines. Josh Harding has been so good already this year, he will have to stifle this red hot Jets team to complete this 3 game home stand.
Individual Leaders Winnipeg Jets Minnesota Wild Points: B. LITTLE (18),A. LADD (17),D. BYFUGLIEN (14) Z. PARISE (17),J. POMINVILLE (16),M. KOIVU (15) Goals: B. LITTLE (11),E. KANE (6),A. LADD (5) J. POMINVILLE (12),Z. PARISE (10),J. FONTAINE (6) Assists: A. LADD (12),D. BYFUGLIEN (11),O. JOKINEN (9) M. KOIVU (13),R. SUTER (12),M. GRANLUND (10) PP Goals: D. BYFUGLIEN (2),B. WHEELER (2),A. LADD (1) Z. PARISE (6),J. POMINVILLE (3),D. HEATLEY (2) SH Goals: B. LITTLE (2) GW Goals: D. SETOGUCHI (1),B. LITTLE (1),M. FROLIK (1) J. POMINVILLE (3),M. COOKE (2),Z. PARISE (2) 3+ Goals: PIM: D. BYFUGLIEN (28),E. KANE (25),T. ENSTROM (16) Z. KONOPKA (32),C. STONER (20),N. PROSSER (19) Shots: E. KANE (78),D. BYFUGLIEN (69),A. LADD (58) Z. PARISE (89),J. POMINVILLE (62),M. KOIVU (48) +/-: Z. BOGOSIAN (+8),A. LADD (+6),D. SETOGUCHI (+4) J. POMINVILLE (+9),M. COOKE (+7),K. BALLARD (+6)
Last Game –Wild 3 vs. Panthers 2: Charlie Coyle broke a third-period tie with his third career GWG, as Minnesota extended its point streak to seven games (6-0-1) Friday night in Saint Paul. Jason Pominville and Mikko Koivu each totaled two points on the night, while Josh Harding stopped 22 Florida shots to move to 9-0-0 in Saint Paul this season. Next Games (all times Central) 11/19 at MTL 6:30 p.m. –FSN, KFAN 100.3 FM 11/20 at OTT 6:30 p.m. –FSN PLUS, KFAN 100.3 FM 11/22 at WPG 2 p.m. –FSN, KFAN 100.3 FM CURRENT WILD INJURIES G Niklas Backstrom –1 game (upper body) D Keith Ballard (IR) –4 games (upper body) LW Mike Rupp (IR) –20 games (lower body) TOTAL MAN GAMES LOST: 53 Recent Transactions 11/15 –Recalled G Johan Gustafsson from Iowa (AHL) 11/12 –Assigned F Mike Rupp to Iowa (AHL) on conditioning loan and placed D Keith Ballard on Injured Reserve Wild vs. Jets All-Time Wild Record: 7-3-3 (4-1-2 at Xcel Energy Center) 2013-14: The Wild won the first match of the season, 2-1 at Xcel Energy Center (10/10)…LW Matt Cooke (1-1=2) led Minnesota with two points (1-1=2) and D Jonas Brodin also scored…G Josh Harding made 14 saves to earn the win in his first career action against the Jets…RW Brian Little was the lone goal scorer for Winnipeg and G Ondrej Pavalec stopped 28-of-30 shots. WILD LEADERS: LW Zach Parise has 23 points (12-11=23) in 25 games against Winnipeg...RW Jason Pominville has 23 points (11- 12=23) in 28 contests...LW Dany Heatley has 21 points (10-11=21) in 21 contests. WILD GOALIES: G Niklas Backstrom is 1-3-2 with a 2.78 GAA and a .896 SV% in six starts against the Jets...Hardingis 1-0-0 with a 1.00 GAA and a .933 SV% in one career start. JETS LEADERS: C Olli Jokinen paces the Jets with 15 points (8-7=15) in 29 games against the Wild...D Dustin Byfuglien has 15 points (3-12=15) in 18 games...LW Andrew Ladd owns seven points (2-5=7) in 14 contests. JETS GOALIES: Pavelec is 2-1-0 with a 1.34 GAA and a .959 SV% in three starts...G Al Montoya is 3-0-0 with a 0.97 GAA and a .961 SV% in three starts. CONNECTIONS: Heatley was drafted second overall in 2000 by Atlanta and skated three seasons with the Thrashers...Byfuglien is a native of Minneapolis... LW Devin Setoguchi collected 63 points (32-31=63) in 117 games with Minnesota (2011-13)...He was traded to Winnipeg for a 2014 second-round pick (7/5/13)...D Mark Stuart is from Rochester...RW Blake Wheeler hails from Robbinsdale and went to the University of Minnesota (2005-08). FAST FACT: St. Paul and Winnipeg are located 391 miles from each other, making the Jets the Wild’s closest rival...The Minnesota North Stars went 26-20-3 versus the Jets from 1979- 1993.
Wild 3 Keys to Victory
1. The Wild and head coach Mike Yeo shook up their power play lines and roles which created better balance on the ice during the man advantage. I think tonight it will be very telling if having Pominville playing point continues to spark creativity on the top power play unit which is so important for this team. The Wild must take advantage when given the opportunity to tilt the ice on their opponents. 2. The Wild has gotten very good play out of their top 4 pairings with Ryan Suter, Jonas Brodin, Jared Spurgeon, and Marco Scandella cementing their spots. The bottom pairing has seen a number of combination with all four of the bottom of the roster defensemen filling in. Tonight Dumba and Clayton Stoner will need to be punishing to Jets forwards in the defensive zone. Dumba needs to communicate and trust his instincts on when to jump into the offense tonight. 3. Josh Harding has been the glue for this team despite getting some very solid support from the defensive corps. Harding will need to continue his solid play tonight for the Wild to emerge victorious. The Jets feature very skilled scorers so if they get opportunities in close, Harding will need to be sharp. Also given how this season has played out for the Jets tonight’s matchup could feature a shootout which they have deadly in.
Just Giving My Take Tony Dean @AWKD