Home For The Holiday

Too Much Tryptophan
The day after Thanksgiving Day game is historically a good one for the Wild, having won the majority of those matinee meetings while the rest of the world was busy shopping.  There have been a couple of stinkers and last Friday was one of them.  It wasn't the worst game the Wild have played on Vicki & Dee's Annual Day After Thanksgiving Game Date.  No, that honor goes to the 2007 Wild team who managed to lose 4-0 to the pathetic, anemic Columbus Blue Jackets.  Vicki and I stood up to leave on a number of occasions during that fiasco.  We were so pissed off we couldn't even speak the whole way back to our cars.
After the win over the Preds the night before Thanksgiving this year (Wild hosted & beat the Preds last year too, BTW) I felt sure our guys would come out rolling for the win on Friday.  I especially wanted them to do well knowing that Vicki was starting a new tradition with Emily for this game.  And it was the Oilers for crying out loud - we OWN the Oilers, especially at home. 
Whether it was too much turkey, too much shopping Friday morning or getting too cocky from the winning streak, the Wild were pretty much cooked birds from the first drop of the puck.  Don't even get me started on what a waste of bench space Staubitz was for this game...what a moron.  He's my "why, God, why" player of the Yeo era. 

Leftover Turkey
I looked forward to Sunday's game thinking the guys would respond like they did in California and we'd be right as rain.  After an extremely sweet and very emotional tribute to Derek Boogaard the guys got right to business and scored first on the powerplay - beautiful goal by Cullen.  Calgary got the next 2 goals due to some shoddy defensive play and an absentminded goalie for the Wild.  Evidently becoming a father left Backstrom in a place of shock and nonsleep, not his usual place of zen and peace.  The Wild tied the game up but Calgary chased Backstrom from the net by scoring for the third time before the 10 minute mark of the first period.  Harding came in, alternately standing on his head and laying on his back, making saves like he was born to it.  The Wild had a couple of good shifts in the second but the powerplay was listless - to the point of getting booed by the home crowd.  The third period got off to a bad, bad start: Harding was on a field trip somewhere out of the net.  Calgary made it 4-2.  And then they scored again.  Put a fork in it, the Wild are done.  While they've owned the third period in recent games, they aren't the Red Wings - the only team I know of that can overcome a 5-2 deficit in the waning moments of the third period.  The Wild got booed off the ice when the final buzzer went off.  They deserved it.  Yeo was not a happy coach during the post game presser.  Not. Happy.       
My favorite moment of the game: Iginla chirped the Wild bench on his way to his own bench and one of our guys squirted him with a water bottle.  Funny as hell, but that's unsportsmanlike and off to the penalty box went Stuupitz...not that he's ever missed when he's not on the ice.            
  
Wild fans have had a taste of winning and we're hungry for more.  We've seen the team all pulling on the same rope and it's a beautiful thing.  Now cut the crap boys, and get back to playing Yeo's way.  Tampa Bay is in town and you have the opportunity to take my second favorite eastern conference team down.    

Chance Of A Lifetime
It made for some funny headlines around the league but I'm sure it was simply nerve wracking for Paul Deutsch.  With Backstrom attending to the birth of his first child and Matt Hackett's plane from Houston not arriving until 6:00 p.m. the Wild needed some backup insurance for the net.  Paul fit the bill and stepped up to the challenge, signing an amateur tryout contract for the game on November 23.  He's no stranger to the Wild nets, as you'll read in the link to Russo's Rants, but I'm sure Paul never dreamed he'd be dressing for real at 51 years of age.  I'm guessing that's one less thing on his bucket list.

Hockey Players Get It Done 
Kris Letang gets his nose broken, is treated by the team physician and then returns to the game to net the winning goal in overtime.  Sidney who??  Click here for story and videos.  Hockey, real men play it.    

Daddy!
Niklas Backstrom became a first time father this last week. I'm sure he's getting lots of congratulations and advice from all the dads on the team.  I'm sure he's getting lots of hands on training in the diaper changing room too.  That could be why his glove saves are off...just sayin'.  Onnea, Niklas!     

The Derek Boogaard Tribute   
I remember the weather when I heard of Derek's passing.  It had been trying to rain, just spattering here and there, all morning.  As I looked at my phone to see the text message "Derek Boogaard Dead" the skies opened up and the rain came in a heavy rush.  It was appropriate since it matched my sobbing tears.  How appropriate that as the Wild presented their tribute to Derek on Sunday the rain started here in Georgia.  Not torrential or a downpour, but a nice gentle rain that left the earth smelling sweet.  God Bless the Boogaard family and Derek's memory. 


You may have to go to the multimedia link on the Wild home page to access the video.  The NHL team sites aren't exactly the most user friendly in terms of video sharing.