Differing Opinions of the Wild Dismantling the Av's

As I mentioned yesterday, I am not anti-fighting. I understand the hockey code and I don't think fighting should be taken out of the NHL game. I recently covered this subject in another post at the Hockey Writers.

the NHL game is evolving, and fighting is becoming less prevalent. That’s a positive development. In today’s game, there’s not a lot of room on an NHL roster for a five shift, four-minute player that can only fight.

Okay, in Scott’s defense, over the past five games that he’s played in, the Sharks behemoth has averaged about six minutes a game. That being said, the Sharks have seen little if any production from him. He’s taking up space in the lineup.

Teams no longer can afford to have a tough guy taking up space on the player’s bench. One dimensional players like Scott are a dying breed. So why is a player like Scott still in the NHL?

That being said, what Cody McLeod did at the end of Saturday's game needs to be addressed further. It was a bush league move that should cause him to be fined and or suspended. I predict nothing will happen to Mr. McLeod. According to Michael Russo, the NHL will announce today the Colorado fines for Patrick Roy, Gabriel Landeskog and Cody McLeod.

For those that think that Sean Bergenheim hit on Nathan Mackinnon was dirty, go back and watch the video of Bergenheim's hit on Nathan Mackinnon. This was a textbook example of a clean shoulder-to-chest. Nothing more, nothing less.

I found this blog post on Mile High City and this paragraph is worth reading just to get the other side of the argument. I also found it comical that Avs fans are calling Minnesota a dirty team. The Wild don't even have a designated pugilist and their agitator Matt Cooke is currently on the IR. I have watched 85-90 percent of the Wild's games this season and they are not a dirty team. Especially with Cooke out of the Wild lineup.

If you’re keeping track at home, Kyle Brodziak (4) and Ryan Carter (3) lead the Wild in fighting majors. Those two are hardly heavy weights.

MacKinnon just got elbowed in the face and is bleeding all over the ice. Heads straight to the locker room. No call because these refs are completely overwhelmed by this game. Avs do get a call in their favor...somewhere but I missed it completely. Avs on the PP. Avs PP continues to be more flaccid than a stale banana. Barrie taking all kinds of chances pinching and Iggy does a great job getting back to help mitigate a Wild 2-on-1. Avs running out of time real quick now. (PS on second look, MacKinnon looks to have received a shoulder to the face, not an elbow. I retract my officiating complaints, sort of). (Mile High Hockey)

Maybe the refs didn't call it because it was a legal hit.

Hockey is a physical game and injuries happen as are result of physical contact. Again, this was a legal textbook shoulder-to-chest hit. The players own stick breaks his nose. How does this act warrant McLeod jumping two of the Wild's star players? It doesn't. Also, goons taking a run at star players that don't fight breaks the hockey code. It's a bush league act.

I also think that the NHL doesn't want neanderthal goons taking runs at star players because one of the players was hurt with a legal check or because the other team doesn't want to fight. That's not the Wild game.

Cody McLeod Jumps Mikael Granlund and Fights Charlie Coyle

I want to be clear, I am all for fighting and sticking up for your teammates. I get that, but what the heck is Cody McLeod doing? Or better yet, what is Avalanche coach Patrick Roy doing?

My question is: Wouldn't this be an intent to injure? McLeod took a run against an unexpecting player after the faceoff. I don't know?

Second, Charlie Coyle and Mikael Granlund are skilled players, they're not goons. You really don't want to see Coyle or Granlund stuck in this situation.



If you're a Minnesota Wild, you're probably talking about this today. The Minnesota Wild the Colorado Avalanche are at it yet again. In four games against the Wild the Avalanche has scored a grand total of one goal.

There are rules in place to prevent what McLeod did, but you need the refs to actually call it.

“That’s garbage is what it is,” Yeo said of McLeod’s antics. “You feel it was going that way all game long. They were obviously very emotional all game long. In an emotional type of game, we did a good job of keeping our focus and I really think that was the difference in the end.”

Asked what he thought of Roy putting out McLeod, Yeo said, “We’ve seen the league respond to things like this. There’s rules in place to try to prevent things like that and I’m quite certain that they’ll take a good long look at that.”

We’ll see if the league does examine this and determines the only thing that kept this from being an instigator with less than five minutes left is that the refs decided not levy one for some unexplained reason. (Michael Russo, StarTribune)

Apparently, Av's coach Patrick Roy sent their goon out at the end of the game because of a legal shoulder-to-chest hit.



If you don't believe me that this is a legal hit check out the GIFs embedded below.

Shoulder-to-chest hit. RT @ybba2026: @goon48 Bergenheim? pic.twitter.com/t5UTb3INs1
— Eric J. Burton THW (@goon48) March 1, 2015

GIF: Bergenheim hit on Mackinnon, cc @WalterNorris pic.twitter.com/BEdxfRb9M5
— Steph (@myregularface) March 1, 2015

Nino Niederreiter's Game-Winning Goal Against the Predators

Check out this is a sweet goal by Minnesota Wild forward Nino Niederreiter. That's the 20th goal of the season for Niederreiter. Nino would score his 21st of the year to ice the game for the Wild. Finally, 21 goals is a career high for Niederreiter.

Minnesota Wild: Zucker and Carter on the IR

Last night’s win against the Vancouver Canucks proved to be very costly. The Wild lost Jason Zucker and Ryan Carter to upper-body injuries. Both players were placed on injured reserve.  

Michael Russo, Startribune – The Wild lost Zucker and Carter to upper-body injuries in the first period.

“We should not expect them back in the lineup in the near future,” coach Mike Yeo ominously said after the Wild’s sixth consecutive regulation win pulled the now 9th-place team (8-1-1 in its past 10 overall) within three points of a playoff spot and six points of Winnipeg heading into Tuesday’s game in northern Minnesota (Manitoba).

I’m told Carter was in a sling after the game and personally it looked to me that Zucker also sustained a shoulder injury. The Wild’s 18-goal scorer (17 even-strength goals) got jolted pretty good chasing a loose puck along the wall by defenseman Luca Sbisa. A few minutes before, Carter crashed hard into the boards after being checked by defenseman Yannick Weber.

The Wild had to use 10 forwards for 50-plus minutes tonight and did look like they started to get gassed late in the game. Jason Pominville credited coach Mike Yeo for helping navigate a convoluted bench as Yeo had to mix and match forward lines all night.

Losing Jason Zucker could prove costly for the Wild.  Zucker's 18 goals makes him the second leading goal scorer for the Minnesota Wild.

Minnesota Wild: Goalie Devan Dubnyk Stops Justin Schultz (video)

Check out this amazing save by Minnesota Wild goalie Devan Dubnyk as he stops former Wisconsin Badger and current Edmonton Oilers defenseman Justin Schultz. I guess if I was the Wild general manager, I would be looking for a way to Cut Niklas Backstrom and signing Dubnyk.

Rob Klinkhammer's knee-to-knee hit on Matt Cooke (Gif)

I suppose there's not a lot of people that are going to feel sorry for Minnesota Wild forward Matt Cook. I also don't blame them, but this isn't a clean hit at all. This is a dirty knee-to-knee leg check.

Minnesota Wild: Zach Parise Takes A Puck To Mouth In Edmontonb (Video & Vine)

The life of a hockey players is tough. It looks like Minnesota Wild forward Zach Parise lost some teeth in this incident because he bends over to pick them up off of the ice. My mouth hurts watching this. Check out the vine embedded below, it illustrates this really well.

Minnesota Wild to get an Outdoor Game

As I just said on @NBCSN pre-game show, expectation is NHL will announce this weekend outdoor games next season for COL and MIN.
— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) January 22, 2015

It appears that the Minnesota Wild are finally getting an outdoor game next winter. This is good news for Minnesota Wild fans. First thing that popped into my head: is there's going to be a college hockey outdoor game as well? I am hoping.

MIN's opponent expected to be CHI; COL's opponent expected to be DET. BOS, of course, will host MTL on Jan. 1 in Winter Classic in Foxboro.
— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) January 22, 2015

BLOG: #mnwild's Stadium-Series game could be the icing on a weeklong cake http://t.co/HLkcPJG4F3 #nhl #blackhawks #gophers #iawild
— Michael Russo (@Russostrib) January 22, 2015

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Suter Gets Two Games

The Department of Player Safety has made the ruling that Minnesota Wild defenseman, Ryan Suter, will be given a two game suspension for his hit to the head on Penguins player Steve Downie.

The hit would happen in the second period of Tuesday night's contest when Suter and Downie were battling for a puck out front of the net. Suter's elbow would then come up and hit Downie in the face. For video on this, scroll down some on the blog, there is a video and a gif posted.

This is the first offense for Suter and will miss the game tomorrow night in Buffalo and Saturday's Hockey Day Minnesota celebration at Xcel Energy Center against the Arizona Coyotes. I guess when it rains, it pours for the Minnesota Wild. I think the team has finally hit its rock bottom.

Wild Struggles Calls for Change

View image | gettyimages.com

After a December to forget, the Minnesota Wild still are carrying their struggles into the new year after two more losses to San Jose and Chicago. One may think it is time to make some kind of change, but where that is the question?

You can first point the finger at the goaltending as of late. Between Darcy Kuemper and Niklas Backstrom, the two have combined for the second worst save percentage in the entire NHL. Whether they find a goalie through free agency, or they make a trade for one, and hopefully soon, the goalies need to step up, or step back for some new blood in the line up. What they are doing now does not seem to be working too well.

What options are available you might ask? Two goalies come to mind right away for me. James Reimer out of Toronto and Cam Ward out of Carolina. Both of these goalies are proven number one goalies and both would not be that expensive to get either. Also don't forget that Cam Ward is a Stanley Cup winner as well.

One can not forget about Anti Raanta in Chicago either. Corey Crawford is the solid number one there and Raanta is nearing the end of his contract. His .944 save percentage might just be what the Minnesota Wild need in the blue paint to make that push for the playoffs.

A big defenseman is also something that needs to be looked at in the Wild line-up as well. This is a team that lacks grit and a physical presence throughout the line-up, but who to get, that's the other question?

Both Mike Greene out of Washington and Paul Martin out of Pittsburgh are UFA's at the end of the upcoming season and both would be a solid veteran presence on the blue line for the stretch run. Aside from that, there really is not much to expect from a possible trade stand point as of right now to address the lack of veteran presence on the blue line for the Wild.

Finally, the lack of chemistry throughout the forward line-up seems to be a big issue as well. Thomas Vanek can not seem to click with anyone, making his signing seem like one that was wasted by the franchise. Also Jason Pominville can not seem to get going this season either. Now I don't know what happened, but for as talented as the forward roster is, you would think goals would be coming a bit easier than what they are getting right now.

Something needs to change, and very fast for this struggling Minnesota Wild team, or it is gonna leave many experts, and fans alike frustrated, and scratching their heads because this is a team that should easily make the playoffs this season, but are a team that probably will not as of right now.

Blame lies with Wild Goalies

I think that Minnesota head coach Mike Yeo should direct a majority of his anger at the Minnesota Wild goaltenders. No sugar coating it, they've been absolutely brutal. Maybe the Wild front office should have gone out and signed a starting goalie in the offseason, too? Backstrom and Kuemper couldn't stop a beach ball if they had to.

#mnwild now has allowed a league-low 26.8 shots per game with a 29th-ranked .893 save percentage
— Michael Russo (@Russostrib) January 9, 2015

Minnesota Wild: Thomas Vanek Boards Marcus Kruger (Video)

First, I want to be clear, I think Minnesota Wild forward Thomas Vanek is a good hockey player that's having a tough season.

Hoever, this is a stupid penalty that cost the Wild a goal. There's no reason for Vanek to hit Chicago Blackhawks forward Marcus Kruger in the numbers like that. Kruger doesn't even have the puck. For his efforts, Vanek received a five-minute major for boarding.

I wouldn't be shocked if Vanek has a hearing with the NHL's Department of Player Safety.

12:05 Thomas Vanek Boarding (maj) - 5 min against Marcus Kruger

Wild Head Coach Mike Yeo Goes off on Team

This was long over due. Finally, Mike Yeo has seen enough garbage and bravo sierra from his hockey team.

After losing 8-of-10 games, Yeo went off on his team at practice today. You can tell by the video, that Yeo uses a lot of course language. Yeo explained his emotional out burst after practice.



Again, I think this response is long over due. This should have happened about five games ago. There is way to much talent on this team to be sitting out of a playoff spot. If the Wild don't pick it up soon, they're going to miss the playoffs. I also believe if the Wild don't recover soon, Yeo is going to be the former head coach of the Minnesota Wild.

Thomas Thomas Vanek Head Butts Puck Out OF Zone (gif)

Check out this move by Wild Forward Thomas Vanek.

(Video) Brett Sutter check on Craig Cunningham

It almost looks like Minnesota Wild forward Brett Sutter caught Cunningham with an elbow in the chops. You make the call. That being said, it didn't look like interference to me.

Patrice Bergeron's Fluky Goal (VIDEO)

In the box score it will read, Patrice Bergeron (6) Wrist shot - ASST: Brad Marchand (11), Zach Trotman (4). In my opinion, it's God Awful goaltending by Niklas Backstrom.

Nino Niederreiter Penalty Shot

GIFs: reason for penalty shot- http://t.co/6CnmTfBpRK Niederreiter penalty shot goal- http://t.co/SiFM17KzQX
— Steph (@myregularface) December 17, 2014

Scandella Gets Two Games

Minnesota defender, Marco Scandella, looks to move the puck last week against the
Montreal Canadians. Minnesota won the game 2-1.

Recently reported today, the Department of NHL Players Safety has given out a two game suspension to Minnesota Wild defender Marco Scandella.

In Tuesday night's contest against the New York Islanders, Scandella came across in his defensive zone and caught Brock Nelson in the head with an elbow. During the contest, Scandella was given a two minute minor penalty for illegal contact to the head.

Minnesota fans may argue that how can he get a penalty and suspended when there was no penalty for the Ballard hit earlier that night? The difference in the two hits was if you notice, Ballard turned and tried to brace himself for that lethal hit, which may have created greater injury to him. However, it still doesn't make the hit right and probably should have been given a minor penalty on the play. However, the Scandella hit is his second offence of the season, the first coming in the form of a fine for another elbow to the head of St. Louis forward TJ Oshie.

Wild Defenseman Marco Scandella Has Hearing for Hit on Brock Nelson

I said this last night (See Below) that Minnesota Wild defenseman Marco Scandella did learn much from being fined. I think that Scandella will end up being suspended for his hit on Brock Nelson. Apparently, he has a thing for former UND hockey players.

Minnesota defenseman Marco Scandella will have a hearing this evening for an illegal check to the head of NY Islanders forward Brock Nelson.
— NHL Player Safety (@NHLPlayerSafety) December 10, 2014

Scandella didn't learn much from his fine. I think the NHL "could" give him a one game vacation.
— Eric J. Burton THW (@goon48) December 10, 2014

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(Video) Matt Martin Hit on Keith Ballard

"It's a dirty vicious hit, up high, he put Ballard into the Glass," Minnesota Wild color commentator Mike Greenlay said.

You can decide for yourself what you think of the hit. I agree with Wes Walz, it's a questionable hit. It's in the grey area. The thing that might do Martin in, he came from a long way to hit Ballard and he was injured on the play.

If you watch the video, it looks like an elbow "might" have made contact with the head.

#mnwild Keith Ballard is conscious and has been taken to @RegionsHospital for further evaluation and observation. #NHL #isles
— Minnesota Wild PR (@mnwildPR) December 10, 2014

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