Wild At Blues 9.24.10 Recap

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT
For folks going to Saturday's game and the 9.30 game here's a link to the St. Paul road closures due to expected flooding: road closures

KSTC in HD, my ass... at least for cable customers.  I'm really pleased for you Dish/Satellite viewers are getting this in high def, really I think it's great for you.  And for Christ's Sake get your friggin' in-game commercials off of the screen!!  It's already painful enough to watch hockey on your lame 20th century station and then you cover up one half of the screen with logos and popup boxes.  Argghhhh :( 

Vicki - remind me to NEVER complain about our National Anthem singer again.  Nobody could be as bad as the woman who sang it for the Blues tonight.  Yeesh.

When Parents Don't Control Their Kids In Public 
First Period -
The Wild's litter of 2010 puppies are getting their legs on tonight. 
 - Doesn't seem to matter if it's our vets or babies, our power play sucks.  Two Wild power plays within minutes of dropping the puck and it's clear our guys can't seem to gain the O zone with any kind of authority.  Same shit, different season.   
- Wow - Carson McMillan has a heavy metal shot! 
- Josh looked pretty good until he went down in a jumble of Blues and Wild players.  He's out of the game with a right leg injury.  Not a good sign considering he's supposed to be playing for the number 1 goalie spot for any of the other teams in the league come trading time.  
- Oh, just need to point out that Zanon was all over his guy coming into our zone and he was the Dman covering the net while Josh was being taken down. 
- Matt Hackett (son of retired NHL goalie Jeff Hackett) - Wild youngster goalie comes in.  I love his mask!  He gets tested right away thanks to Barker going to the box.  My left eye is starting to twitch...like it used to whenever Kuba or Skoula was on the ice.  Matt makes some big time saves and if he's nervous it's not showing.    

Nice camera pan of Let's-Undress going to the bench and taking his helmet off - sigh...

Gardenhire does a promo for the Wild's Year Ten propaganda - and congratulates the Wild on 10 great years of hockey.  Gardy - have you been watching the Wild for the last 10 years?  I'm guessing not, because there's only been about 3 great years of hockey played - and Wes Walz was one the ice for all of them.  Not that I'm biased, at all.   

OMG - Matt Cullen wants to be anywhere but being interviewed by Doofus Terhar.  I don't think Terhar as made it through one single sentence without stuttering, stammering or making an idiot out of himself.  Must be the Toastmaster in me, huh?

Second Period -  
I wasn't going to drink during the preseaon because, well it's the preseason, right?  After the 4th Wild penalty at the halfway mark of this period I starting hitting the El Jimador - hard.  Don't need no lime juice, don't need no salt.  I wonder if the guys are getting frequent flier miles with all of those trips to the box?   

Cullen, Prosser, Barker, Kassian, Prosser, Stoner, Kassian, Miettinen and for the trifecta - Prosser.  All for a combined 27 minutes of box time in this period. 

Hey Nate - you're a big friggin' boy - get your man out of the crease!  Don't stand in front of him while he screens our goalie!  Dman Duties For Dummies - read the manual.
Kassian is mean when he needs to be- and I like it!  And that's not just the tequila talking, maybe a little.             

My left eye definitely has a nervous tick thing going. 

Third Period -
Oh, we're still playing this game?  Sorry, my mind was somewhere else.  Okay - here's what happened: 
- Blues scored, I drank. 
- Wild took more stupid penalties, Blues scored again.  I'm holding the El Jimador in my lap while typing this. 
- Blues take a penalty, Wild didn't score - despite the 2 man advantage and time spent in the offensive zone. 
- I made popcorn to 'balance' the tequila intake.  Yeah, that'll work. 
- Blues scored again and I'm feeling really bad for Matt Hackett. 
- I'm feeling really good from the tequila so I guess there is balance in my life ;) 
- El Jimador added to groceries list for tomorrow morning, and limes.  
- Kassian & Strachan want to dance.  Refs say no, sending both off with misconducts.  I'm good with that.
- Wild take a penalty, Blues didn't score.  Wait, is that right?  Wow, good job guys - I'll drink to that.
- Blues take a penalty, and another = 5 on 3 for Wild.  We don't score.  Pancakes sound good, don't they?   
- Coach Richards should have seen all he needs to from the bulk of the young ones.        

18 Wild players: 8 of them with minus ratings, 6 players are the kids.  33 total minutes of penalties - the kids owned 20 of them.  I'm not including the 10 minute misconduct to Kassian - that's just adding insult to injury.  Besides the fighting penalties our guys were really fond of slashing tonight.  Matt Hackett shouldn't feel bad, but I know he will.  If I go to bed now I shouldn't feel too bad in the morning.  Good Night Folks!!

Crickets Chirping

Empty Arena
The attendance for the first preseason game was announced at just over 16,000.  Liar, liar, pants on fire.  The entire upper level sections and the club sections could have all moved down tonight and there still would have been empty seats in the lower bowl.  I'm not exaggerating when I tell you the arena was 3/4 EMPTY tonight.  Apparently this has gotten the attention of Mr Leipold, or at least his wallet.  You know that great move he made by increasing ticket prices for this season, after watching his team fail to make it anywhere near the post season last year - the same year Minnesota had one of the highest unemployment rates in it's history?  Well, it looks like he's figured out that move didn't go over so well.   

Dear Dee,
Tonight, for the first time since Xcel Energy Center opened its doors to hockey fans a decade ago, a Minnesota Wild home game was not a sellout. We took a lot of pride in the sellout streak, and perhaps you did too. The significance of the streak ending has our attention as well. It means we need to be better and work harder, on and off of the ice, to fill the seats around yours. Despite the end of the sellout streak, we will continue to spend to the salary cap. We intend to build a Stanley Cup Championship Team.

We had an incredible run of sellouts, fueled by the passion of Season Ticket Holders like you. Every member of our organization, past and present, owes you a debt of gratitude for your support. Thank you. You've helped ensure that we filled the building game after game, year after year. And every game night, your passion for the game of hockey has lifted our team and boosted our spirits.

We know, when a new sellout streak begins, it will be because we've earned it.
Sincerely,
Craig Leipold

I could go off on this but let's not ruin the first night of hockey, okay Pumpkin?  I mean, the team did that all by themselves.  We certainly don't need any more help from our esteemed millionaire owner.  In fact, I may just let Dave take this one - if he so desires.         And now, to state the obvious...




  

BARKER BLOWS

Clayton Stoner certainly didn't have a game to be proud of, after all - he was on the ice for all five St. Louis goals.  However, he's a rookie who missed pretty much all of last season due to injuries and illness.  Cut him some slack, it's not like he's claimed to have been skating since he was three years old and doesn't need any stinkin' coaching by the likes of Jaques Lemaire.  Let us instead look to that high scoring, puck moving, rock solid defenseman we got in return for dumping Kim Johnsson last season.  Mr. Barker only missed being on the ice for all five goals by mere seconds thanks to an incomplete line change.  It's not like Coach Richards was trying to shake things up at the 12:18 mark of the third period by changing the lines around.  As was the story last season, Barker looked lost for the entire game, except for the four times he found himself just standing around to one side of his goalie as the Blues zipped the puck into the net.  
If Barker was trying to get off on the right skate this season, he missed the mark by a mile.  If his intent was to reinforce the perception that he's a waste of salary cap and bench space - then Spot On! Mr. Barker. 

Before we make Cam the whipping boy for the night let's check the stats to show who else was not 'sharp' or 'erratic' as the venerable Mr. Russo wrote.  On the ice for two of the goals: Koivu and Havlat.  Matt Cullen was on the ice for three of the goals against.  There was no speed or sense of urgency to the game from the home team.  There was a point in the third period that it looked like the guys were St. Paul City Road Workers - just standing around on an extended lunch break.  

The only bright spot of the night - at least for me - was seeing Khudobin in net for the third period.  Please note that all five goals were scored on Backstrom in the first and second period.  Our little hobbit did his job.  Of course by that time there were only three of us fans in the arena clapping for his saves - Vicki, me and this really nice guy down in section 110.  What was left of the non-existent crowd was booing the team - on the first night - of preseason.  

Highlights of the night: fresh popcorn, lids on the sodas, long lost school friends, not so long lost friends, just being back in the arena and of course - an evening of hockey with the greatest hockey partner in the world!       

Okay - moving on.  The first round of cuts will be made on Thursday.  To quote the Terminator: "I'll be back" with a quick update going into Friday night's game on the road. 
Goodnight fellow hockey fans!   
       

Leaving A Hole

One year later, on a beautifully clear September morning I stood in his favorite park.  With three hawks flying overhead and Buster sitting by my side, I took a deep breath in and slowly let it out.  I opened my hand and let the breeze carry Casey's ashes over the tall grass clumps on the hill leading down to the beach.  He loved exploring at this park, on this hill covered in vines and toppled tree trunks.  He would investigate under each tuft of grass while making his way down to the shore, touch the water and then race back up the hill to me.  I'd moan and complain about the hours I'd have to spend brushing and cutting the burrs out of his coat, all the while knowing we'd be back here again the next week - because it made him happy.  And Casey made me happy, by loving me unconditionally and by giving his very best to me every day of his life.

How humans deal with the loss of a loved one is what really sets us apart from the animals - especially when it's the loss of a much loved animal.  I grew up with all kinds of pets and animals in my life.  Depending on where we lived and which Aunt & Uncle's farm I spent my summers on I've been exposed to a plethera of them.  There were horses, sheep, dairy cattle, chickens, rabbits, ducks, cats, dogs, parakeets and lovebirds, tanks full of fish and baby alligators - yes, alligators.  Out of this two-by-two exposure to animals while growing up in a family that came from Minnesota and Iowa farm folk I gained my knowledge and respect for the animal that's raised for food.  This means while I can appreciate how cuddly and warm a pet bunny can be, I can also separate that feeling from the multitude of rabbits raised for butchering purposes come fall of each year.  That's food on the table over the winter months, along with the chickens and ducks and...you get the picture. 

There's something different about a pet.  Why?  It's still just an animal, right?  It's still only a barn or hutch or coop or cage away from being an employee of sorts.  There's got to be a dog that herds the cattle and sheep back to the barn and then keeps the fox at bay during the night.  There's got be the cat that keeps the mice out of the the barn and the squirrels from getting into the rabbit food. 

But then there's that special dog or cat.  The one that is allowed to come inside the house - and gets to share in your living space - and instantly settles into that most sacred of all places...your heart.  How this happens is still a mystery to me.  I am always stunned by how of much a treasured family member that furry creature becomes.  In some cases, you end up loving that pet more than some of your shared species family members.  When they pass from our lives we're left with an overwhelming sense of loss - it rivals losing a human member of our family.  The healing process takes time and it's different for everyone, much the same when dealing with the loss of a human family member.  

I miss you Wiggle Butt.  There's still a big hole in my heart where you used to be.