NHLHotStove.com Western Conference Panel Questions

1. Are the Red Wings back as an elite force in the conference after a slight let down in 2009-10? Why or Why not?

I don’t think they have changed, the only difference between this year and last is that the talent in their division is a little lower, all last year they had to try and keep up with Chicago and may have put too much pressure on themselves.

2. Are the Dallas Stars the biggest surprise or biggest overachiever in the conference?

They are the overachiever in the Pacific but what is helping them out the most is that San Jose, Los Angeles, and Phoenix are not playing up to their levels. I think second half of the season Dallas falls out of the top.

3. Which team is the biggest underachiever to date?

With the addition of Halak to the Blues along with a healthy Erik Johnson I thought they would be a lot better but can’t completely place blame on the team when they are missing key players on IR.

4. Who has done the best coaching job to date?

Colorado’s Joe Sacco, at the start of the season I thought that Vancouver was the clear winner in the Northwest but he has this Avalanche team believing they can win the division.

5. Who is the conference MVP to date?

Tossup between Cory Perry and Brad Richards due to the fact that I didn’t see either of their teams being viable playoff contenders but both players giving their teams hope and leading by example along with averaging over a point per game.

6. The top 8 in the East are dramatically outscoring the top 8 in the West. Is the style of game 

play out west more about defense and goaltending than before?

I think that style of play between the 2 conferences are starting to become more alike. Colorado is the highest scoring team in the league while only 2 teams out east have outscored the #8 seed Chicago at the moment. The lower scoring teams such as Nashville, Dallas, and Anaheim have to play more defensive to stay competitive and in the playoff hunt.  

7. First impression of the kids out in Edmonton?

Very bright future in Edmonton and can’t wait to see what they will do to build around Hall, Eberle, and Paajarvi. 2-3 years and the Oilers could be the class of the conference.

8. Which team in the league is the toughest to play when 100% healthy?

Detroit is a stacked team from top to bottom and full of players that know what it takes to play at the top level of hockey.

9. The top line in the conference is?

The Sedin line in Vancouver, it doesn’t matter who you put with them they are an unstoppable force that racks up points. I can’t prove it but I am pretty sure that they have some kind of twin ESP thing going on.

10. Which team currently out of the top 8 has the best chance at making it back in?

I don’t think Anaheim can keep up with everyone in the West. They are the only team that is in the top 8 with a minus in GF/GA and think that LA will make the jump in the second half to take their spot.

NHLHotStove.com Minnesota Wild Correspondent

Josh Sargent

Twitter: @Josh_Sargent

What the Wild are Lacking

What the Wild are Lacking

NHLHS Minnesota Wild correspondent Josh Sargent goes over what he feels this team is lacking and what they need to do to change it.

            As most people know, I am a diehard Wild fan who yes will admit has been known to drink the kool-aid from time to time, but I am also realistic too. Over this season so far if you are a Wild fan or just like to watch the team you probably feel like I do, stuck on a rollercoaster that never stops and only goes up and down. As frustrating as those highs and lows can be it can be just as troublesome when the GM tells the team “Win or there will be changes.”

            Yes, this team is lacking in areas and here are the biggest areas that I feel need to be addressed. By no means are these going to be quick fixes but if you look around the league the top teams have “it”.   

            Lack of a “tough” guy: The loss of Derek Boogaard and John Scott are hurting the team more than they thought it would. That case was proven when they went into Dallas last Friday and Steve Ott basically did anything that he wanted. From harassing Martin Havlat and Pierre-Marc Bouchard to literally crashing the net and running over Jose Theodore a couple times. Ott was given the first star of the game due to the fact he did anything that he wanted to and he scored a goal as well. Not having someone who could “force” Ott to play clean may have cost the Wild a win that night.

            Yet the presence of a tough guy not only gives your team protection but also caused disruption to the game plans of others as Ott did to the Wild. Later in Boogaards time with Minnesota he learned that, whenever the team would face off with Edmonton it seem that he knew what to do to get under their skin. Big hits and constant harassment gave way to bigger plays to Koivu and Gaborik.

             Heading out on this West coast road trip I don’t see the next couple games being any different. There is not a single player on the Wild roster that can step up to some of the heavy weights in the West. As much as I respect Brad Staubitz he is not the kind of person that is going to keep a team in check and be a physical presence on the ice. If the Wild can find someone, anyone, to fill this roll it will give players like Havlat, PMB, Cullen, and Koivu space to make plays and score goals.

            Lack of talented youth: Since the departure of Marion Gaborik the threat to score at will for this team has left with him. There is no future super star on this team at the moment that can spark to life into this team. Now that is not to say they don’t have talent on the team with Guillaume Latendresse, Pierre-Marc Bouchard, and Martin Havlat but Latendresse is the youngest of the 3 and we have yet to see what he can do for a full season.

            Vancouver has Ryan Kesler and Colorado Paul Stastny that they both have built solid teams around, while Edmonton has two in Jordan Eberle and Taylor Hall who will bring them back to the playoffs in years to come. Minnesota has…….Mikael Granlund. Who?? Exactly. Granlund is 18yrs old playing professionally in Finland drafted by the Wild last spring. Though he does have plenty of potential nobody is clamoring to get him up to the NHL level as soon as possible. Not seeing him play personally I can’t say that he won’t be a solid player in the future but it doesn’t feel like we have this next big thing waiting in the wings.   

            Lack of solid leadership: Yes this is a slight knock on our captain but when he gets upset that fellow Finn and BFF Antti Miettinen wasn’t going to be play on his top line you have to question him a bit. There is no doubt that everyone regards the Minnesota Wild as Mikko’s team I just don’t see him taking a solid leadership role on the ice this season and holding teammates responsible for blown assignments or faulty play.

            Maybe Jaques Lemaire did have it right, he would chose the team captain by committee. Every month he would pick the player that was stepping up and leading the team in games and practices. This team is full of savvy vets who have been on this team for years and to not see a Brunette, Koivu, Burns, or even Schultz step up and call out the team and expect more of them is ridiculous.  One of these players needs to step up and take charge of the team, without solid leadership this team is going to go nowhere.

            Coaching Decisions: Now this isn’t to say that Todd Richards is not a good Coach or that he doesn’t know what he is doing, but with over a third of the season over with “What is he doing?”

            Game after game thus far Coach Richards has not been able to make game time adjustments to help his team. Mixing lines has never been a strong suit for him but continually keeping lines together and not mixing them up is starting to do more harm than good. How often have we seen this year the Wild come out flying in the first with speed and determination only to get completely stopped in the 2^nd and shutdown in the 3^rd.  One of his biggest decision gaffs being when he kept Niklas Backstom in net after he gave up 4 goals in the 2^nd period to Colorado only to give up 2 more in the third and lost 7-4.

            A big question on the Coaching is how well do the players listen and trust them? I’m pretty sure about this but when you have to bring in a Spec. Ops Army Ranger into the locker room to inspire the team you are not do a good job at it. If the players decide to quit on Richard we might as well shut down the season now, having a frustrated Owner and GM is only going to force them to make trades and fire people. Although I don’t want to see that, on the bright side we’ll probably have a high draft pick come spring.

Josh Sargent                                                                                                                                                                       

NHLHS Minnesota Wild Correspondent

Twitter: @Josh_Sargent

Wild Highs and Lows

NHLHS Minnesota Wild Correspondent Josh Sargent gives the highs and lows of a completely unpredictable season.

            The Wild face off with the Calgary Flames tonight at the Saddledome, and if you think that you know how the Wild will come out and play tonight we need to have a conversation about what the lotto numbers will be this week. With a record of 11-9-2 and currently in 3^rd place in the division there is no sure thing with this team.

            Throughout the season they have been starting new traditions and breaking old ones, from being completely inept to a dominating force, and just when you think you have them figured out BAM! they crush your spirit.

            When they defeated the Vancouver Canucks 6-2 at home people where getting excited for the upcoming road trip vs. Edmonton and Vancouver to prove that it wasn’t just a home stand fluke. Going into Edmonton the Wild spent a whole period on the penalty kill and were lucky to come out with a win only to face off with a Canucks team that was looking return the beating they took in Minnesota. The Wild came out with nothing and it honestly looked as if they switched uniforms from their previous meeting.  

            The next four games at home were against some of the league’s top talent. Between LA, Chicago, San Jose and Washington the Wild only gave up 6 goals, I don’t know how everyone feels but I thought that was huge. Niklas Backstrom almost shut out the Capitals until Ovechkin scored in the last 2 minutes but had his first home shut out in 41 starts against San Jose winning 1-0. Prior beating the Sharks Minnesota had a record of 3-16 vs. San Jose, while Washington has never beat the Wild at the X (just thought I would throw that in).

            Soon after the 5 game home stand it was time for the team to venture out and play Columbus (where they never win at), Atlanta and Florida (who they owned in the past), then finishing with a up and coming Tampa squad.

            With Jose Theodore in net the Wild finally won a game in Columbus and were riding high into Atlanta. I would hear people on the radio and TV saying that this trip they could take 3 out of the 4 games now; that they should be able to run over the Thrashers and Panthers like they have done traditionally in the past.

            Again after a great win they came out completely flat and ran into a human train by the name of Dustin Byfuglien (who is from MN and at least one thing we can be proud of) and lost 5-1. Looking for a rebound win the next day they gave up 2 goals in under a minute losing 2-1. Despite the loss Minnesota did look like they buckled down and played a solid game for the remaining 2 periods.  Picking up a win in Tampa Minnesota ended the trip completely opposite of how everyone thought it would go, 2 of 4 yes, beating Tampa and Columbus no.  

            How did they follow that up, by beating a hot Anaheim team then going to Detroit where they never win and beat the Wings 4-3.  Leading the Wings 2-1 going into the 3^rd period and never giving up when Detroit tied it to head to overtime, then pulling out the win.  It brought everyone one back up in the fan base from disgruntled to overjoyed with how gutty the team was.

            With everyone in high spirits Minnesota took on the NY Rangers and team deserter Marion Gaborik. Now hated in Minnesota Gabby was booed every time he touched the puck and cheered when he was hit into the boards. Gaborik though, was the one with the last laugh when his Rangers left the X with a 5-2 win, followed by Philly who put on a scoring clinic dominating the game 6-1.   

            With another back to back set of games the Wild came out like a totally different team yet again and destroyed the Predators 5-2. Where did this team come from?? Only scoring 3 goals in the last 2 games and giving up 11, Minnesota scored all 5 goals 5 on 5!!

            Heading to Colorado with a lot of confidence, where traditionally they won all last year, and had a 2 game shutout of the Aves in Denver you had to think they had a chance right? Well they at least did lead the game going into the 2^nd period but then the flood gates opened. Denver rattled off 20 shots in the 2^nd and scored 4 goals. For some reason Coach Richards kept a beaten down Backstrom in the game only to surrender 2 more goals before pulling him.

            This team has given up 20 goals in the last 4 games yet I can’t tell you who I think will win tonight. Minnesota couldn’t pull off a win in Calgary for the better part of, well, ever. But to say that they will lose, no clue. Who is to say that the team that put up 5 even strength goals on the Preds won’t show up or the gritty, gutty, grind it out team that won in Detroit. They could even be the team that spent 1/3 of the game in the box like they did in Edmonton yet still pull out the win. Or, we could see the team that Vancouver, Atlanta, Colorado, Philly, and NY walked, ran, jogged, all over.

            You might have better luck winning the lotto then try and pick what Wild team will show up tonight. Up, Down, Black, Red, Even, Odd, Hit, Split, or ride it all on the river card sound like better options then trying to guess that. Like Jekyll and Hyde you just don’t know who you’re going to get.

Josh Sargent

NHLHS Minnesota Wild Correspondent

Facebook: @Josh_Sargent

"wild" road trip recap

            What was looking to be a promising 4 game road trip for the Wild turned into yet another inconsistent spread of games. Prior to leaving the confines of the Excel Arena people were talking about how good this team is, about the potential they are showing, and how Coach Todd Richards has been able to turn this team around form what they were at the start of the season.  Finally, it looked as if they were heading out on the road a more disciplined team, playing shut down defense against some of the league’s top talent while staying out of penalty trouble.  

            Heading to Columbus they were only 2 points back from being tied with Vancouver for the lead in the division and looking for some payback from the last time these two teams met. Coming into the X for the Wild’s second home game the Columbus Blue Jackets walk out winners after RJ Umberger scored the game winner on a shorthanded goal. Determined to not let it happen again the Wild were focused on picking up their third win in a row.

            Although it wouldn’t be easy with the Jackets off to their best start in franchise history at 8-4-0 and Garon with two shutouts in a row, the Wild were up for the test. Jose Theodore stood on his head saving 35 shots while only giving up 2 goals. Brent Burns had his first multi goal game of his career netting 2 PPGs but the biggest play came from the NHL’s hits leader Cal Clutterbuck.  Clutterbuck chased a puck into the Columbus zone and laid a massive hit on the Jackets Jason Voracek taking out two players at once then skating to the top of the crease where he was able to net the game winner from an Eric Nystrom pass.

            Winning 3-2 Jose Theodore said that the team was playing with a lot of confidence and it showed. With 3 more road games it looked as if this team could easily take the next two playing teams they have had historically good success against in the past, but the one sure thing about this Wild team is that they have proven to be consistently inconsistent.

            Heading into Atlanta to face a Thrashers team who the Wild had a lifetime record of 6-1-2 a majority thought this would be a sure thing. Atlanta ranked in the bottom of the league in GAA (3.60) and PK% (75.5) witch the Wild matched up well with and wanted to take full advantage of, but the one thing over looked was that they were also in the top ten in the league in goals per game (3.66).

            This was a game that showcased 3 of the NHL’s top defensemen in Brent Burns, Dustin Buyfuglien, and Tobias Enstrom. Burns coming off his two goal game was tied with Buyfuglien for goals among defensemen with 5 each. While what was thought to be a game the Wild could take turned into a scoring clinic for the Thrashers. Playing completely flat throughout the game the Wild left Backstrom out to dry on multiple goals.

            Losing 5-1 the Thrashers controlled the tempo throughout the game. On multiple goals the Wild defense made costly turnovers and was unable to clear the crease where unchecked Atlanta players put away easy goals. The play of Justin Falk and Cam Barker was so bad that Coach Richards had to split them up and pinning them to Brent Burns and Nick Schultz. Although a little better, the defense still couldn’t get going. Though not all on blame is on the defense, Mikko Koivu failed to pick up a player trailing on a breakaway behind him where the Thrashers were able to score yet again.   

            Even though they took a beating, the game was not without some high points.  Antti Miettinen scored the lone goal for the Wild on a power play goal in his first game back from a concussion on a Dustin Brown hit to the head playing the LA Kings. The Wild played almost the whole game before committing their fist penalty with just less than 3 minutes left in the game, but then took one more 2 minutes later. Niklas Backstrom played a solid game despite giving up 5 goals. Saving 29 out of 34 shots he was the main reason that they had a chance going into the third.

            So after losing in Atlanta the Wild hoped to turn it around playing the Panthers the following night. With his great performance in Columbus, Jose Theodore got the call in net giving Backstrom the night off in back to back games. After the poor showing from the defense in Atlanta the Wild called up Marco Scandella from their AHL affiliate the Huston Aeros scratching Justin Falk from the game.

            Giving up 2 early goals less than a minute apart Theodore collected himself and shut down the Panther the rest of the night. Cal Clutterbuck was able to cut the lead in half tying Brent Burns in team goals with 5, but it was too little too late. The offense of the Wild just couldn’t get anything going for a second night in a row and dropped their second game of the trip. Jose Theodore and Thomas Vokoun played lights out not giving any ground to the opposing team and being the reason for such a low scoring game.

            At the end of play Steve Brenier took a run at the Wild’s Brent Burns, Burns put his hands up and caught Brenier in the face with the butt-end of his stick. Brenier went to the ice immediately. Burns received a fighting major and game misconduct penalty for the incident. Brenier was taken to the hospital where he received medical attention but will need facial surgery to correct the broken orbital bone in his face. Acknowlaged by both teams, Burns is not a dirty player and accidents happen. It was reported that Burns was so worked up over the incident that he was feeling physically sick after. The following day Burns had a conference call with the league and was handed a 2 game suspension.

            Heading to Tampa a player short and dropping 2 of the 3 games the Wild needed a big win to salvage this road trip. With Burns out the Wild called back home and put Marek Zidlicky on a flight to fill their hole in defense. Zidlicky didn’t make the trip to play the Thrashers and Panthers due to a groin injury but desperate times call for desperate measures. Backstrom got the call to play net and knew the Wild would be leaning on him heavily.

            Tampa was looking to right their ship losing 5 of the last 6 games but the Wild offense finally came to play. Being outshot 16-6 Cal Clutterbuck, John Madden, and Antti Miettinen all scored in the first while Backstrom only let on through on a blast from Martin St. Louis. Quietly dominate Backstrom then proceeded to play how he has all season long not allowing Tampa another goal the rest of the game.

            The Wild walked out of Tampa with the win and a big boost in confidence. Martin Havlat had 3 assists; Madden had a goal and assist, while Antti Mietinen scored his second in 3 games. Backstrom stopped a season high 37 pucks in the win improving his stats to 1.98 GAA and .937 SV%.  Despite the solid win Cal Clutterbuck was pulled from the game in the second period and listed as having an upper body injury.

            Finishing the trip 2-2 is not so bad when you look and see how it could have ended. Looking as if Coach Richards has fixed the penalty problem the team had at the beginning of the year his focus now needs to look at the offense of the team and possibly trying to fill the defensive holes that were made apparent on the trip. The team’s inconsistency if continued will be the reason why they fail this year. On the bright side though, the tandem of Niklas Backstrom and Jose Theodore is looking like a solid one two punch for the Wild and being able to rely on both your goaltenders is huge.

Josh Sargent

NHLHS Minnesota Wild Correspondent

Facebook: @Josh_Sargent  

Minnesota Wild Vs. Atlanta Thrashers Preview

In a season full of breaking traditions the Minnesota Wild are looking to continue one facing off against the Atlanta Thrashers. The Wild are 6-1-2 lifetime playing against Atlanta and look to add another win to this 4 game road trip when the go into Phillips arena.

            Coming into this game the Thrashers are 6-6-3 with 15 points on the season and currently on a 3 game skid. Atlanta has a 3.00 GG while sitting at the bottom of the league giving up 3.60 GAA. Their power play and penalty killing are complete opposites. While ranking 4^th in the league on the PP at 26.1% they are killing 75.5% of their penalties putting them at 27^th.

            Minnesota on the other hand is 7-4-2 with 16 points and coming off a great road win in Columbus 3-2. The Wild are scoring 2.46 GG and 4^th in the league in goals against at 2.15.  Their power play has been where they have won games ranking 2^nd at 27.1% while 8^th in the league killing 86.4% of their penalties.

            The goalie matchups for the game are looking like Chris Mason for the Thrashers and Niklas Backstrom for the Wild. Mason, after having a rough game against Ottawa where he was pulled after giving up 4 goals on 18 shots and was replaced by Ondrej Pavelec, has a 3.66 GAA and .903 SV%.  Backstom on the other hand is playing lights out with a 1.80 GAA and .941 SV%.  It is easy to say that Backstrom is playing his best hockey and is a big advantage for the Wild.

            This game will feature 3 of the NHL’s biggest defensive talent in Atlanta’s Dustin Byfuglien, Tobias Enstrom, and the Wild’s Brent Burns. Byfuglien and Enstrom have amassed a combined 26 points putting them in the top 3 for the team in total points. Brent Burns has 8 points on the season and had his first multi goal game of his career scoring twice against Columbus. Byfuglien and Burns sit at the top of the board with 5 goals each among the league’s defensemen. Both teams will rely heavily on these players to step up big in this game. While Atlanta’s 2 are more of a scoring threat Burns has been able to shut down the league’s top talent and will look to do so again.

            Although Atlanta has a big scoring threat in Andrew Ladd, Dustin Byfuglien, Tobi Enstrom, and Evander Kane they are not without holes. Evander Kane and Nik Antropov have a combined plus/minus ranking of -21. The Wild will look to exploit this by the play of their second line with the skill of Martin Havlat and the awareness of Matt Cullen.

            Staying out of the box for the Wild and capitalizing on the man advantage will be key for them to win. Atlanta’s power play and the Wild Penalty kill should be a great matchup but one I don’t wish to see. Playing physical Minnesota will look to put their highly rank power play on the ice against the Thrasher 27^th ranked penalty kill.

            My keys to the game for the Wild to win are:

-          Mikko Koivu who has been a solid 2 way player for the Wild so far this season notching a point in 11 out of 13 games. Look for him to be very physical and test the goaltending of the Thrashers.

-          Niklas Backstom will look to continue is quietly amazing season. If Backstrom can keep the Thrashers to 1-2 goals the Wild have a strong chance to come out with a win.

-          Matt Cullen on the power play for the Wild this season has been what this team needs. A strong leader and decisive decision maker his play at point has made the Wild a force on the man advantage.

Game notes: Martin Havlat has only 1 goal on the season which makes him tied now with Derek Boogaard…..ok that might be a small cheap shot. Antti Miettinen seems to have the green light to play but don’t expect him back on the first line, Coach Todd Richards seems to like having Cal Clutterbuck playing with Andrew Brunette and Mikko Koivu. The Wild have recalled Cody Almond from their AHL affiliate the Houston Aeros. Guillaume Latendresse, Chuck Kobasew, and Marek Zidlicky are reported to be out this game with injuries

5 players making Minnesota Wild early season success.

            NHLHS Minnesota Wild Correspondent Josh Sargent gives you the 5 players that have made this team an early success.

            I get it, it is early in the season but 7-4-2, that is the record of the Minnesota Wild after the first month of the hockey season and 6-3-1 in the last 10 games. Most Hockey enthusiasts and fans coming into the season never expected this, yet here it is. Starting the season the Wild were but one thing, inconsistently consistent. Now it looks as if this team has found its ice legs; and are playing as a top team in the Western Conference not just the Northwest Division.  

            Why is this team doing so well? Answer, solid play from key players. Last year was full of change. Players that needed to be on the ice could not due to injury or just not playing up to par in the new system. Year two and familiarity is setting in, players are back, and the team seems to be coming together more. Here are the players I feel are making this team what it is……a possible contender.

            Cal Clutterbuck. I know what you’re thinking, “WHAT! You must be out of your mind; in the last 2 seasons combined he has less than 40 points!” Yes that is true, but the one thing that Cal brings to this team every night without exception is his physical play. There isn’t a player on this team other than him that makes it his personal goal to crush their opponent and throw them off their game. He has led the league in hits the last 2 years with 356 in 08-09 and 318 last season, this year he is already at the top of the list with 62.  Despite being called “Cal Buttercup” by a certain Canadian icon Cal set the record for hits in that 08-09 season. The best play by far was his last game Vs. the Columbus Blue Jackets when he took out 2 of their player with one hit, got to the top of the crease, and scored the game winning goal. His aggressiveness on the ice makes up for what you don’t see on the box score.

            Mikko Koivu. Mikko has matured into one of the top two way players and arguably the best Finn in the NHL right now surpassing his brother Saku Koivu. Before the departure of Marion Gaborik everyone was staying that it was Gabby’s team but on the ice you could see who the player respected and trusted. Last year at the beginning of the Todd Richards era, Koivu was made the first permanent Captain in franchise history. Koivu has continued to improve his game year after year finishing with 71 points last year when the team was down. This year it is not unreasonable to say that he could have up to 80-90 points at the end of this season being that he is already on pace for it. Signing a big deal in the offseason the Wild will have his leadership and playmaking ability to build off of to try and make a run at the cup.

            Matt Cullen. The big offseason acquisition Stanley Cup Champion, Matt Cullen comes back to play Hockey for his home state. At the time of the signing Cullen he said “That it just feels right.”  Coach Richards has used Cullen more than any other player on the Wild. Cullen centers the second line for the team with Martin Havlat and Guillaume Latendresse on his wings. On the power play he is point man at the blue line breaking down the oppositions PK making the team the second most potent team on the power play in the league, and also plays on the teams top ten penalty kill. Although he is not a “big” name that fans were screaming for in the offseason he is what this team needed. Second to only Mikko in points this year with 12, Matt is focused on breaking personal records and helping this team make a solid run at the Cup.

            Brent Burns. In a season last year filled with injury Burns is coming back to what fans have expected and known is there in being a dominate defensive player. Tied for 4^th in points on the team Burns had his first multi goal game playing Columbus where he scored twice on the power play. As much as people put into scoring and player points the best games he has played this year have been against Washington and San Jose. Versus Washington he was able to shut down the high flying Alexander Ovechkin. Throughout the game you could see how frustrated Alex was getting not being able to get by Burns’s long reach and physical play. Playing San Jose he didn’t have just one player to worry about but the top line in the league with Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau, and Danny Heatley. Playing solid defense he was able to help the Wild to a big shutout at home. With a bright future here Brent is a defensive force that teams will have to game plan for every time they face the Wild.

            Niklas Backstrom. Coming into the season the big questions were, “Can he find a way back to his old form and was he just another product of the Jaques Lemaire system?” Well, the main reason why the Wild are where they are can be found between the pipes. Backstrom has been a dominate player in big time situations when the team has been undisciplined and in penalty trouble. With his 1.80 GAA and .941 save percentage Backstrom has been slowly and quietly climbing the ranks of top goalies in the league this year. His play versus the Sharks gave him his first shutout win in 41 home games and first since Coach Richards has taken over. Everyone in hockey knows that a team can excel or die by how the goalie plays and if Niklas can continue to play at top for is it too far out of the question for this team to make a solid run to and in the playoffs.    

            Those are my top players on the team right now and you may think it is way too early to be talking playoffs but in honesty this team needs to be thinking about it every night. They walk a fine line of being really good and really bad. Any kind of early season slip ups will cost this team down the road when it really matters. All 5 of these players can keep the momentum going, if they can set up and motivate the rest of the team it could be a great year if not the front office better reduce ticket prices

Josh Sargent

Twitter: Josh_Sargent 

Wild vs Blue Jackets game 2

            In at season full of breaking tradition first by winning in Edmonton then Shutting out the San Jose Sharks, the Wild were looking to get a win in Nationwide arena. In the last 21 meetings there Minnesota has only put up 4 wins.

            

           Coming into tonight’s game Columbus was 8-4-0 and have a 2.42 average in both GAA and GG. They are converting 12.5% of the time putting them at 25^th in the league on the Power play and are 18^th in the league with an 84.9 PK percentage. Columbus shines on the faceoffs winning 54.4% of them and 3^rd in the league.

            The Wild just finished a 5 game home stand where they were 3-1-1. On the season the Wild are 6-4-2, have a 2.42 GG average while only giving up 2.17 goals per game. Though their power play numbers keep slipping they are still 3^rd best in the league at 25.4% and killing 85.5% of their penalties. The Wild have not given up a PP goal to the Blue Jackets in their last 11 meetings.

            Jose Theodore was my key to this game for the Wild starting his 2^nd game for the team. In his last start he faced an aggressive Vancouver team who put up 5 goals on him. Although giving up 5 goals he played pretty well seeing he didn’t get any help from his teammates.

            The first period ended with the score being tied 1-1, goals coming from Brent Burns (4) assisted by Matt Cullen (9) and Rick Nash got a sick pass from Brassard to tie it up. Brent Burns scored his goal on the power play from a goalie interference call on the Jackets.

            Matt Kassian seems to be looking to make a name for himself in the league, this is the second game where he has come out wanting to fight and got his wish against Jared Boll. Though he will never match or take the place of a Derek Boogaard this team doesn’t have a ton of star power and will need the physical play from lesser named players to be successful.

            In the second period the Jackets came out like they wanted to blow the Wild away. Scoring his 4^th goal of the season Kyle Wilson put the Jackets up 2-1 but the Wild PP was again able to come through when Brent Burns scored his 2^nd of the game and 5^th of the season, assists by Koivu (10) and Havlat (8). With his 2^nd goal of the game it was Brent’s first game with 2 goals and gives Mikko a point in 11 out of the 13 games played.

            Brent Burns will need to continue to be a solid factor for the Wild. He shut down Ovechkin then put up another good night shutting down the top scoring line of the Sharks. His play on defense and offense has been exactly what this Wild team needs and what has made him a fan favorite.

            Coming into the 3^rd period everyone could feel the next goal of the game would be a big one. Cullen had a great chance but was hauled down by Antoine Vermette giving the Wild another great chance on the PP but unable to capitalize. Clutterbuck was called for a boarding call halfway through the 3^rd and the Wild PK was able to come through yet again. Like I said earlier the Wild have never given up a PP goal to the Jackets in 11 games.

            Cal Clutterbuck was able to put the Wild up 3-2 with a big goal after what I thought was a close boarding call. Eric Nystrom got his first point of the season on the assist and Captain Koivu his second of the game and 11^th of the season.

            Pulling off the Win the Wild are 4-1-1 in their last six games and Jose Theodore got his first win as a member of the Wild stopping 35 shots! Cal ClutterBuck had the Game winning goal while the Wild continue to exorcise demons of the past by beating the Jackets on their home ice. Martin Havlat has a 3 game point streak after his assist in the 2^nd period while Andrew Brunettes comes to an end at 4 games.

            The Wild only committed 4 penalties (5 if you count the fight) and killed them all, scored twice on the power play, and were outshot 37-24. With this win the Wild are now tied with Vancouver for the lead in the division with 16 points but Vancouver has yet to play. With almost a full week off the Wild don’t play till Thursday in Atlanta.

            This team has shown fans and critics that they could be a contending team this year by playing solid defense and getting great play out of their 2 goalies. They still need to keep up the physical play throughout the game and rely on their top players to get on the board to continue this streak but I don’t think it is just a fluke. When on their game this is a top team in the West and the only thing that has beaten them in the past has been themselves. Game by game I am becoming more convinced that Todd Richards can get it done with the players he has and the team is stepping up in big game situations. I have said it before but every game for the Wild is BIG if they want to reach the post season this year and can not let up one bit.

Thanks for reading, like always I'm looking for advice on how to make this better so I would really like the feed back. Follow me on Twitter @Josh_Sargent.

           

           

            

Wild vs Sharks preview

            The San Jose Sharks (5-3-1) come to the Mid-West and face off with the Minnesota Wild (4-4-2) at the “X” tonight at 7pm CT on Versus. The Wild look to break traditions yet again and go against a team where in the last 4 years have had the Wild’s number. The Sharks have won 13 of 16 games (both home and away) vs. the Wild and sweeping the season series last year. One thing that should help is that the Sharks number one Wild killer is no longer between the pipes. Evgeni Nabokov had a 12-0-1 record against the Wild but signed with the KHL’s SKA St. Petersburg this summer.

            The Sharks come into the game with a 3.22 GG and 2.78 GAA. They are 31.8 % on the power play taking the top spot in the league from the Wild, while killing 84.9% of penalties. San Jose is averaging 35 shots on goal per game and winning 56% of all face offs too.

            This should be a good test for the Wild after shutting down the Capitals and holding the Stanley Cup Champions to 2 goals (3^rd was an open net) as they go against in my opinion the best line in the league. Joe Thorton (15 points) centers the top line for the Sharks with Danny Heatley (13) and Patrick Marleau (11) and as a team put up 20 goals in the last 4 games. Antero Niittymaki gets the call between the pipes with a 1.88 GAA and .929 save % on the season.

            The Wild are looking to keep the momentum going of playing 2 solid games in a row. Prior to the Capitals and Blackhawks games you didn’t know what Wild team you were going to see show up on the ice. They have been both dominate and out classed, in their previous 8 games they lead the league with a total of 57 penalties averaging 7 per game but in the last 2 games only committing 4.

            The Wild come into the game with a 2.60 GG and 2.50 GAA. They are now 2^nd to the Sharks on the power play going 30.2% after being shut down in 3 games so far without scoring a PP goal. They have a 84.9% penalty kill rate, are putting up an average of 25 shots on goal, and winning 52% of the their face offs.

            Coach Richards said that Niklas Backstrom played his best game since he came to town against Chicago and will get the start in net tonight. Backstrom has a 2.08 GAA and .929 save % but is still looking for his first shutout since Richards took over, his last being in April of 2009.

            The Wild will need big games out of their top performers in Koivu and Cullen to stay in the game, along with another great performance by Brent Burns to shut down the Sharks top line like against Washington. Koivu is leading the team in points with 11 and has recorded a point in each game so far but one. Cullen has 10 points thus far and is the Wild’s utility guy playing in every aspect of their game from 5-5, point man on the power play, and one of the main penalty killers.

            The big key to the game will need to be Martin Havlat, after some comments from Havlat’s agent last week for not being used properly the team will need a big game from him. Latendresse is day to day with a groin injury so the importance of Havlat stepping up in a big game like this is critical for the team to keep the momentum. The problem with Havlat is that when the team has committed so many penalties he has had less ice time not playing on the PK. If the team can stay out of the box and get him as much ice time as they can could mean a big win for the Wild.

            Notes: The Wild have six players with 6 points each in Latendresse, Burns, Brunette, Zidlicky, Miettinen, and Havlat. Cal Clutterbuck who has led the league in hits is currently in 3^rd with 43. Matt Cullen is celebrating his 34^th birthday today at home. Cam Barker is returning to the ice after missing multiple games with a groin injury. Latendresse is day to day with a groin injury. Miettinen is still out with a concussion from a hit to the head playing the Kings. The Sharks are 3-1 on the road this year and have won 4 of their last 5 games.

            Thanks for reading today and hope this will be a great game between the two teams. Like always I am looking for feedback on my blog so if you have an opinion let me know and you can follow me on twitter at @josh_sargent.     

Wild vs Kings recap

            OK Wild fans I’m going to just cover the Wild vs Kings in this blog and put up a reaction to the last 3 games in another tomorrow.

            Last night the up and coming LA Kings (5-2-0) came to town to face the consistently inconsistent Minnesota Wild (3-3-1). After splitting 2 games of their first road trip of the season the Wild were lucky to come home with 2 points. Minnesota committed 16 penalties combined and needed to turn it around if they expected to beat LA.

            In the first period the both teams came out physical. LA loves to create their style of offense by shooting the puck and crashing the net which they were able to do multiple times in the first but unable to get anything past Backstrom.

            6 minutes into the first John Madden scored his second of the season and 1^st of the game on a Clayton stoner assist (1).  Not long after the Madden goal Nick Schultz took a set up by Mikko Koivu giving the Wild a 2-0 lead assisted by Koivu (7) and Brent Burns (3). With those 2 goals the Wild scored twice on their first 4 shots of the game.

            The Wild got a chance to get their league leading power play on the ice 12 minutes into the period. By now everyone knows how well the PP has gone but they were unable to get anything clicking. Unable to control the zone twice the Wild gave up the short handed opportunities but the Kings were unable to score.

            Mikko Koivu was called for a tripping call with about 3 minutes left of the first and Kings Center Jerret Stoll was able to cut the lead going into the 2^nd period 2-1. Throughout the first period the Wild committed 4 penalties to the Kings 2 and LA outshot the Wild 10-8.

            Coming into the second period both team were playing 4on4 when the Kings went to the box giving the Wild a chance on the PP only to have Latendress call for hooking 7 seconds in to the penalty. The Wild couldn't get anything going on the 4on4 and 5on5 unable to get a shot on goal till over 7 minutes into the period.  

            Minnesota got a big chance to increase the lead when LA’s Captain Dustin Brown was called for a game misconduct for a hit to the head of Antti Miettinen. Looking at the replay multiple times I’m still not positive if he made contact to the head of Miettinen but with how fast the game goes the refs made the right call. They have to protect the players after the Matt Cook hit on Marc Savard. Savard got a concussion on the play and missed a lot of game time for the Bruins.

            With the Dustin Brown penalty the Wild were given 4 minutes on the power play.  The once potent Wild Power play looked confused along with no sense of urgency at all. Throughout the PP the Kings were able to step into passes and into the plays clearing the puck out of the zone not giving the Minnesota a chance to set up and get going.

            Even though Minnesota couldn’t get anything going the hockey gods must have been smiling on them. Minnesota’s 5^th penalty of the game the Kings missed the open net 3 times, it wasn’t till Captain Koivu committed his 2^nd penalty of the game that Anze Kopitar was able to tie the game up at 2-2. At the end of the 2^nd Minnesota had already committed 7 penalties, were outshot 13-7, and the game was tied 2-2.

            In the 3^rd period both teams played physical and fast. Kings Defenseman Jack Johnson was call for a tripping minor but yet again the Wild were unable to take advantage and get the go ahead goal. The third period ended with that being the highlight of the period. The Wild did not commit any penalties in the third but were outshot 8-5 by the Kings and headed to overtime.

            In overtime neither team was able to get much going. Ryan Smyth was the closest to ending the game when he ripped a shot on goal that bounced off Backstrom and towards the goal. Lucky for the Wild Marek Zidlicky was ther to stop the puck and keep the Kings from getting the win. Overtime ended with the score still 2-2 headed to the shoot out.

            The shootout went as followed:

Rd 1, LA Kopitar (5 hole) score, MN Koivu (backhand) score. 1-1

            Rd 2, LA Johnson Denied, MN Cullen (forehand) score. 2-1 Wild

            Rd 3, LA Stoll (forehand) score, MN Zidlicky missed. 2-2

            Rd 4, LA Williams Denied, MN Burns missed. 2-2

            Rd 5 LA Handzus (forehand) score, MN Miettinen denied. LA wins SO 3-2

            Throughout the game the Wild were unable to get anything going on a consistent basis. Committing too many penalties again was the killer for the team and main reason why the Wild lost going 2-7 on the penalty kill. The First 2 lines didn't do much to contribute to the game, it is hard to get your best players on the ice when they don’t play on the PK and just sit and watch for a third of the game.

            The Wild need to do something to get this turned around fast, with Washington coming into the X on Thursday. With the Capitals high flying offense they could get into penalty trouble again but it is looking like that is not their only problem that is starting to show.

            Thanks for reading, I’m always open to feed back so let me know what you think. Follow me on twitter at @josh_sargent for more Wild updates. 

Wild vs Canucks preview game 2

            Tonight the Wild make the trip all the way to the west coast of Canada to face off with the Vancouver Canucks for the second time this season. In their last meeting Vancouver traveled to the X and got absolutely “Waffle Stomped” (quoted from Adam Dubois) up and down the ice winning 6-2. The Wild controlled the whole game with physical play throwing off the game of the Canucks and their twin threats, the Sedins. Although they went to the box 6 times to Vancouver’s 3 the Wild scored on all 3 power plays where as Vancouver scored only once on the PP in the last 3 minutes.

            To add insult to….a big loss, Ryan Rypien was given a 10 minute misconuct and on his way off the ice into the locker room he reached over and grabbed a fan. Ryan was given a 6 game suspension today from the incident while the fan has reached out to legal council in this matter. This is sure to be a big story going into this game and possibly bring back the Vancouver Minnesota rivalry.

My take on it, Rypien was in the wrong and does deserve to get suspended I thought anywhere from 8-10 games, but looking into it more the 6 games that he was dealt is fine with me being a Wild fan. Now the guy that he grabbed at first I felt somewhat bad for but I really can’t anymore. Yes, if it was me I would get a lawyer too and so would everyone out there if in “his” position. But after hearing him and his brother the last couple days on local radio in MN he is sounding like a whining baby when nothing physical was really done to him. Take it or leave it that is MY take.

            Coming into this game the Canucks have won 4 straight at home vs. the Wild. The big key to them winning is that the Sedins need to get going early and often. So far this season D. Sedin is leading the team with 10 points (7 goals, 3 assists) and brother H. Sedin is just one point back with 9 (9 assists). Vancouver has a 2.14 GG and a 2.57 GAA. Their penalty kill is at 80% and have only given up one goal shorthanded this season at home going 14-15.

There X-factor going into this game is going to be Cory Schneider. The Wild have not seen much of him and so far this season he is 1-0-0 in 4 periods of play with a 0.75 GAA and .974 SV%. He was put into the game after Luongo was pulled going into the third period at the X and did a great job stopping the Wild from doing more damage. If he can continue this pace the Canucks could have one of the best goal tending tandems in the NHL as long as Luongo can get back on pace.

            The Wild last year were 7-8 last year in back to back road games. They were able to win last night in Edmonton though going to the box 10 times. The Wild will need to be more aware of what is going on and stay out of penalty trouble yet keep the physical play going. This season they are 44.4% on the PP (1^st in league), have a 3.33 GG (3^rd in league), have a 2.33 GAA (7^th in League), are perfect when leading after 2 periods, and have not given up more than 2 goals since their season opener to Carolina. Matt Cullen is coming into this game on fire. Seeming like he never gets a break (playing on the PP, PK, and centering the 2^nd line) he is leading the team in point so far with 9 (2 goals, 5 assists).

The X-factor for the Wild is Jose Theodore. Getting the nod and starting his first game of the season Theodore is 19-0-2 in his last 22 starts with a 2.55 GAA. Now I’m going to throw some stats at you and take them how you want because they are coming from both sides of the puck. In Vancouver Theodore is 5-7-2 with a 3.34 GAA and .882 SV%, while 3-1-0 in last 4 in Vancouver with a 2.23 GAA and .914 SA%, and 5-1-0  with 2.15 GAA in last six starts vs. Vancouver.  

Either way this is a big game for both teams. The Wild need to be a solid team on the road this year, if they expect to make a solid run at the playoffs and gain some credibility, while the Canucks are just looking to get back on track.

Thanks for reading; I am always looking for feedback. Follow me on twitter at @josh_sargent.

Wild vs Oilers 2 post game

           The Minnesota Wild come into tonight’s game looking to change how they have played Rexall arena. Just like how the Wild own the Oilers in the X so do the Oilers own the Wild at Rexall. In the last 10 games they have only won twice.

            Starting out in the first period both teams played at a pretty good pace coming out. Both teams went up and down the ice getting some close chances on goals. 3 minutes into the game former Oiler Kyle Brodziak was able to jam home the opening goal of the game on the third try past Khabibulin for his first goal of the season, assisted by Brad Staubitz (1) and Brent Burns (2). 3 minutes after that Brodziak picked up his second goal of the game and season when Latendress found him open putting the Wild up 2-0 early in the first, assists Latendresse (2) Cam Barker (3).

            Nick Schultz was called for a hooking minor giving the Oilers their first power play opportunity. With on 30 seconds left of the power play Greg Zanon turned the puck over leading to Chuck Kobasew being sent to the box for holding. The Oilers with 30 seconds of 5-3 play were unable to cut into the lead though not due to a lack of effort. Just before Schultz was done with his penalty the Oilers had a flurry of shots that were sent away by Backstrom and Wild players alike. Throughout the 5-4 Edmonton couldn’t get anything going with the Wild getting their sticks in the passing lanes and the Wild killed off both penalties. 8 minutes left in the period Cal Clutterbuck was called for a slash giving the Oilers their third power play of the game. 30 seconds into the power play Ales Hemsky scored unassisted cutting the lead 2-1.

            The Wild finally got their chance to get their league leading power play on the ice when Dustin Penner was called for a hooking minor 13:30 into the period.  Setting up Latendress (3) was able to get the puck from Havlat scoring 25 seconds into the power play, assists from Havlat (6) team points leader Matt Cullen (6).

            Before time could expire in the first both teams were not letting up at all until Eric Nystrom was called for a minor charging giving the Oilers their 4^th power play opportunity. Lucky for the Wild, the Oilers were called for a too many men on the ice penalty (2 minutes) evening up the play to 4-4 prior to time expiring.

            At the end of the period shots on goal were 7-9 Edmonton. But the Wild were committing too many penalties. 4 in the first period of play is half of what they have been averaging per game, but still lead 3-1. In the last 8 meetings the Wild have only scored 3 goals in Rexall twice.

            Coming into the second the Oilers were able to kill off the man advantage that carried over from the first. Both teams looked as if nothing was lost coming out of the first intermission playing both physical and fast.

            Just over 4 minutes into the second Latendresse was call for a Delay of game minor giving the Oilers their fifth chance on the power play. Down 3-1 the youth of this team in Taylor Hall and Jordan Eberle were starting to come on but couldn’t do enough to put the puck into the net.

            The Oilers clearly taking over in the period were firing on goal every chance they had. Putting up 6 shots on goal with 12 minutes left into the period the Wild were too busy deflecting the barrage to get anything going. Things got worse for the Wild when there was a scrum and Brodziak was called for a 2 minute cross checking. Edmonton still firing on all cylinders the Wild needed Backstrom to make a great save stopping the Oilers from scoring and killed off their 6^th penalty.

            8 minutes left of the second Edmonton was out shooting the Wild 13-2. Trying to get something put together the Wild found their stride and started to own the Edmonton zone. They had multiple scoring chances but were unable to put anything past Khabibulin.

            At the end of the period Latendresse was called for a holding minor with only 18 seconds left in a scoreless period. The Oilers out shot, out hustled, and out class the Wild though out the second. The youth of the Oilers in Hall, Eberle, and Paajarvi were flying all over the ice getting plenty of chances but the experience of the Wild were able to weather the storm. The Wild were out shot that period 15-8 but were able to show some signs of life still leading 3-1.

            Coming into the third period the Wild had to kill off their 7^th power play of the game. The Wild safely came out with good defense and bad passes by the Oilers. Only getting 2 minutes of 5-5 play the Wild committed their 8^th penalty of the game but 30 second into the Edmonton power play Dustin Penner was call for a high sticking evening up play 4-4.

            During the 4-4 Brent Burns was called for a roughing minor giving the Wild their 9^th penalty of the game and just over a minute of power play for the Oilers. With 2 seconds left of the Burns Penalty the Oilers Shawn Horcoff scored his third of the year cutting the lead to 3-2.

            Although there was less than 10 minutes of play and the Wild were FINALLY playing 5-5 Hockey they still looked like they were just trying to hold on. Edmonton was taking plenty of shots but was unable to get anything on goal. Looking gassed the Wild were just trying to get the puck out of the zone for a chance to breathe.

            3 minutes left in the game Martin Havlat gets called for interference minor giving the Wild their 10^th penalty of the night. They must have been praying hard enough because Edmontons Tom Gilber was call for interference as well sending play back to 4-4. The Oilers decided to pull Khabibulin with 2 minutes left giving them the man advantage with an empty net.

            Off the face off win Brent Burns was able to bank the puck down the ice and into the goal giving him his 3^rd goal of the season and the Wild the win, assisted by Mikko Koivu (5)

            The Wild needed this win not only because of the division implications but they need to exorcise the demons of Rexall arena. Last season the Wild had a losing record on the road and hopefully will be able to build off this win going into Vancouver tomorrow. Though it was a rough night for them playing basically a whole period shorthanded they were able to take lead early, buckle down, and hold on for the win. The Wild were 1-3 on the power pay and 2-10 on the penalty kill. With this win the Wild gain 2 big points and go 3-2-1 on the season.

            Thanks for reading and get ready for my Wild vs Vancouver preview tomorrow. Follow me on Twitter at @josh_sargent. 

Wild vs Oilers game 2 preview

          Welcome Hockey fans to my Wild pregame blog for tonight.  The Wild (2-2-1) play the first of two road games facing off with the Edmonton Oilers (2-2-0) for the second game out of six for the season. Minnesota comes into this game first overall on the power play at 45.8% and 14^th at 85% penalty kill while the Oilers are 15^th on the power play at 15% and 27^th in penalty kills at 73%. Faceoffs for both teams are as follows, Wild 55%, Oilers 40%, and 29^th in the league.

In their last meeting the Oilers made the travel to the X to face off in the Wild home opener. Unfortunately for them the Wild are were 8-0-1 in home openers, 13-0 vs. the Oilers at the X and won 4-2. The big reason why the Wild won that game was not because of history but that they were 4-6 on the power play while going 1-7 on the penalty kill. Mikko Koivu put up 3 points and Minnesota native Matt Cullen had 2 points also.

Since their last meeting things have changed for both teams. The Oilers have dropped 2 straight on the road after winning the first 2 at home. In the last 2 games between the Wild and Flames, the Oilers have a 4.5 GAA and a 2.5 GG. Lucky for them they are play back at home. In their first two home games the Oilers had a 1.0 GAA and 3.5 GG. The biggest trend that they will have to continue will be their perfect penalty kill at home. Versus Calgary and Florida they went 4-4 and 5-5 but were outshot 46-65 combined.

While facing the Oilers Coach Todd Richards noticed that there was a trend building, lack of effort. After losing their first home game to the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-2, Richards was not happy about anything in that game. Sunday for their morning skate he put them through their hardest practice since becoming the head coach. Message sent message received. In their following game against division rival Vancouver and their toughest test to start the season not once did the Wild seem to let off the gas. Dominating the entire game the Wild blew out the Canucks 6-2.

The Oilers do have one big thing that they can look forward to in this game, Backstrom is starting in goal for the Wild. Not sure if Coach Richards got his stats sheet for when he plays in Edmonton but just as he owns them at the X, they own him at home. In his last eight starts he has been pulled in four of them. He has a 3-2-1 record and 2.91 GAA playing in Edmonton. I’m not saying that he should sit his number one goalie but maybe Theodore should have got the nod.

The Wild decided to go with the same lineup as they put out on Tuesday. So yet again the team will need big production out of their second line of Cullen, Havlat, and Latendresse if they expect to win. Keeping the intensity going all game long like they did vs. Vancouver is a big key to this game. Like how it disrupted the play of the Canucks it could do the same to the Oilers forcing them into penalty trouble and getting their dominate power play on the ice. Backstom will need to be on his top game or we could see an early showing of Theodore this season.

For the Oilers they will need both their young stars going early and often. Today Edmonton GM Steve Tambellini was quoted that “Taylor Hall will stay with the team all season long.” Both Taylor Hall and Jordan Eberle have a combined 3 points in 4 games. The Oilers need them to be consistent this year if they plan to play spoiler this season.

Follow me on Twitter @josh_sargent and get my updates for Wild news and postings