Wild 0, Kings 4
Long Time No,See, Old Friends
Kurtis Foster and Stehphane Veilleux return to the Wild. Foster is wearing #20 this time around and will hopefully do more with it than Miettinen ever did. Veilleux will be wearing his old #19. Kurtis is a great guy and he's been through his share of adversity. I hope he plays his heart out to earn a contract next year as a veteran presence. Stephane never really left MN, literally. He married a St. Paul gal and has a home here. He's wanted to rejoin the Wild for a couple of years and now it's a reality. Another UFA at the end of the season, he'll be looking to make a good impression for either the Wild or another NHL team come June.
So Long, It's Been Good To Know Ya
Nick Schultz was traded to the Edmonton Oilers. You would think the team had just had it's collective right nut cut off according to their reaction to his trade. Really?? You didn't see this coming?? Can't move the puck out of our zone, can't score. Yes, he blocks shots but he's not physical and doesn't go into corners. Nice guy but wasn't performing. In fairness to Nick - he's not the only player on the team who isn't performing. He's just one player that another team was willing to take. I think the real reason the team was stunned by this trade is that it shows mediocrity isn't being rewarded anymore. If Schultz can be traded, can anybody else feel safe?
Greg Zanon went to the Bruins late in the day on Monday's deadline. While his game had slipped as of late, I will miss the true grit Greg brought to the team. Unlike some players (Joe Mauer, Jr. and I know you know who I'm talkin' about) Greg really did give 100% on the ice. Unlike the second coming of Gaborik, Greg is a true warrior and the Bruins will be a good fit for him.
Brad Staubitz was claimed off of re-entry waivers. I know Alex will miss him (a little puck bunny thing going on for the dark haired ones) but I think she's the only one who will.
And now for some Zanon porn from this admitted puck bunny:
Tom Gilbert comes to us from Edmonton via the Schultz trade. He's supposed to be a puck moving defenseman who scores. Nick Palmieri joins the team from the Zidlicky trade to the Devils. He's a player looking for a change of scenery. I'm getting tired of those guys ending up on the Wild. I'm holding this one against Fletcher if Nick doesn't immediately make a good impression. Steven Kampfer comes to us via the Bruins for Zanon. Kampfer is another player who has had a rough season and will be another wait-n-see case as he acclimates in Houston while turning over his new leaf. Player To Be Named Later comes to us in the second round of the 2012 draft via the Zidlicky trade. As Russo states, this is the best part of the Zidlicky trade in that it gets us back the 2nd round draft pick we gave up in the Burns trade last summer.
MIKKO MIA STILL, WHAT'S NEWS ABOUT THIS?
Koivu has reaggravated his previous shoulder injury and will now be shut down for at least two more weeks. Whatever. He disappears into the press box this time of year anyways and he's been there for how long already? Don't go blaming the Wild's woes on Koivu missing from the line up. This team sucked before he was 'pulled by management in the best interest of Mikko.' Please, I'm going to vomit. "Mikko cares about this team." Okay, now I am vomitting. In the first year of an outrageous contract for a player who would be second line material at best on any other team, Mikko has not lived up to expectations. He disappeared for entire games right along side his team mates and then wouldn't even own up to it in post game press conferences. I'm sure the Wild management will be spinning yet another season of missed playoffs on the loss of Mikko Koivu. Oh, and I'm sure we'll be hearing about the devastating loss of Nick Schultz according to stunned team members. You'd think we were taking about losing Sidney Crosby. Oh wait, the Penguins are actually winning without Crosby in the line up.
First Period
Bad bounce my ass, Backstrom was totally unprepared for the rush and the Kings are up 1-0 at the 44 second mark. Go Team! :/
It's bad enough that other teams run our goalie, do our own guys have to do it too?
Backstrom loses sight of the puck in the crease and doesn't realize one of his defensemen has it. Geez, could be another Yank Him night if this keeps up.
Wild kill off a penalty with six minutes left in the first and looks like they've already given up. New faces, same shitty play.
Spending way too much time in their own zone with our defense covering the wrong guys (Tom Gilbert in his Wild debut) and it's 2-0 Kings at the halfway mark of the first period. I've never been more excited to be a Wild fan!
Big hit! Oh wait, that was two of our guys bouncing off of each other in front of the King's net instead of taking a shot.
Veilleux ruffling feathers, something Clutterbuck isn't doing these days.
Newcomer Palmieri makes his second drive to the net of the period. Actually, that's just the second drive to the net for the Wild, period.
Jesus Christ, Backstrom - you trying to play goalie from the friggin' bench?? Our defense is not where they're supposed to be either (Prosser and Falk) but for cryin' out loud could we have a goalie in net that looks like he's actually in the game?
Zero effort by the Wild so far in this game. PA.THET.IC.
New guys get a taste of Wild fans who know a shitty product on the ice when they see it - team gets booed off the ice after the first period.
Hell has officially frozen over. Milbury ripped the Wild a new one during the first intermission and as much as it pains me to do so - I totally agree with him. Poor Work Ethic is the quote of the night.
Second Period
Yay! Backstrom still in the net after letting in 3 goals for 8 shots on goal by the Kings. Ride this guy all the way to the playoffs! :-0
You know the game sucks when all of the Wild coverage twitter accounts are silent for 10 minutes at a time. I mean, NOBODY tweeting about this game: Russo, Goessling, KFAN...even MsConduct.
Cullen and Setoguchin making the first real effort to score on a Wild power play midway in the second period. Foster followed that up with his own masterblaster shot. As usual, nothing cooking for the Wild on the power play though. Still 3-0 Kings.
Wild have now spent the most time in the OZone for the entire game and there's 8 minutes left in the period.
With the third shot on goal of the period the Kings go up 4-0. Harding just sitting on the bench - wishing he'd been traded. I'm wishing Backstrom has been traded. Entirely too streaky this season with a SUCKIT rating on the shootout.
Every King player who has scored so far in the game has done so on their first shot on net of the game.
Holy Shit - Backstrom saved one! BAD turnover by Clutterbuck thanks to Falk being out of position and Backstrom actually turned the shot on goal away. Hooray for the home team.
Too LIttle, Too Late. Team gets booed off the ice for the second period in a row.
Third Period
Wild actually get booed coming onto the ice for the third period. Paying customers have had enough.
Scandella and Jordan Nolan (Ted Nolan's kid) go at it with Marco looking like an absolute fool for his efforts. God, we can't even spark up the team with a decent fight.
Clutterbuck and Dustin Brown exchange shoves in a frustration move and the complete collapse of the Wild continues on national television. I'm so proud as Cal heads to the penalty box.
Moment when you know Yeo has lost the room (at least for this game) is when the camera shows him talking to Clutterbuck on the bench after his penalty and Cal's got this look of "la-la-la-la I'm not listening" for all the world to see.
Passion
Or lack thereof. Coach Dave and I were texting during the game and he hit it spot on with this text:
The Wild marketing team needs to take the word Passion out of it's literature. This team doesn't have any. The U.S. military has passion. The counter dude at Jimmy Johns has passion about a freaky fast sandwich. Parise plays with passion. This Wild team has no clue of what passion means or looks like.
Well, enough of that bad taste in my mouth. Moving on to the Flyers/Sharks game. Real Hockey.
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