Looking To The Draft
What is there to say about this season for the Wild that hasn't been said by everyone else in a million different ways? A thesaurus has only so many words that mean the same as Shitty and then you're out of things to say. Sure there have been a couple of wins here and there since December but mostly just losing - games and players. Playing mostly AHL talent hockey at the NHL level takes its toll and the Wild are the prime example of that this season. Thanks to injuries to the team's 'top' talent the Wild has had to insert a ton of AHL bodies into the lineup. That's been good to some extent but mostly just torture for us Wild fans who are looking at yet another post-season with nothing to do but stand on the outside looking in. The only thing keeping spirits up for the last two months has been the thought of a top 5 draft pick.
Except thanks to the Wild winning their last two games we've gone from getting a top 5 draft pick to looking forward to a 6-10 round pick. Now, I'm not saying that I didn't do a little happy dance after the last two games before I could help myself. Heck, I'm the one who sent out the prayer chain asking the Hockey Gods and Vicki's Mom for the win over the Canucks. But we need to be realistic about the team's future. So on that note I just have one thing to say about the remaining nine games...
STINK IT UP, BOYS!
I mean, c'mon! It's not like I'm asking you to do anything you haven't already been doing since December. Hey Koivu, go back to the press box. We don't need you any more this season. Leave your ego at home for once and really take one for the team. With the future of the Wild hinging on it's youth, IE: draft picks, it would be in the team's best interests to just skate around, faking like they're an NHL team for the rest of this short-lived season. You know, kinda like they've been doing all along. And thanks to the non-efforts of even the 'top' players on this team (including the captain) there likely won't be any blockbuster trades or acquisitions in the off season cuz who'd wanna come play for us? My guess is that any primo player who's seen the Wild play this season has added us to their list of 'Never Gonna Go There' teams when considering waiving their NTC's.
So here's what Koivu can do for this team: get Granlund signed. I don't care if he has to go to Finland and drag that boy back kicking and screaming in a carry on bag. I don't care if Koivu has to promise the kid half of his overblown salary. Just get his signature on the dotted line. I don't care if Koivu ever skates on a top line for the Wild again, just get Granlund here and then I'll consider Mikko's huge mistake of a salary almost palatable.
The future is in the draft for the Wild so boys, do what's right for the team!
Celebrating An Anniversary
Here's something that will make everyone smile and remember what life is really all about:
March 6 marked the 100 year anniversary of the Oreo Cookie!
I'm old enough to remember this one, are you?
For the Scotsman In My Life:
Newnan, Georgia is a sister city of Ayr, Scotland. I'm only finding this information on the Newnan city web site and not actually linked or confirmed by any Ayr, Scottland website - including wikipedia. Newnan has been celebrating this union since 1997 so you're actually part Newnanite now and have to start answering to Y'All and begin every sentence with Fixin' To. Here's lesson number two in Southern Speak:
Friday, March 23, 2012
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Wild vs Habs
Wild 4, Habs 5 in Shootout
Double Anthem Night - in Canada! Man, is there anything prettier than O' Canada sung in French? I think not. Veilleux and Ryan White drop the gloves like 10 seconds into the first period. Veilleux?? Dude, that's anybody's job but yours. But props for taking on that piece of crap White.
Wild are already on their heels with a 4 minute penalty kill. Ortmeyer's stick caught Palushaj.
Falk commits a holding penalty within seconds of the double minor so now there's 3 guys in the box.
P.K. Suban scores, cuz that's how it's done. Habs up 1-0 and their power play still continues on thanks to Falk.
Backstrom out, looks like either leg strain or groin pull. Harding comes in - and to be honest I really wanted to see him in net here anyways.
Sure, I say something nice about Harding and the Habs score on him. 4:28 minutes into the game and the Habs are up 2-0. Habs have 8 shots on goal, zero for the Wild. Say goodnight, Wild fans.
First favorite tweet of the game: 2-0 Montreal. Eller gets a pass through the slot and scores. Find a worse 4:28 stretch for the
Another penalty on Minnesota
Second favorite tweet of the night: Remember when we were accidentally good or lucky, and too dumb to know any better?
Third favorite tweet of the night: Pepe Le Pew RT
12 minutes into the game and the Wild have ZERO shots on goal. I'm guessing Vicki has turned the channel to watch something on the Lifetime network. C'mon, anything is better than this crap.
Finally, a Wild power play. Don't have any idea why that excites me. Powe throws the puck on net and Kassian pops it in. Holy Crap - We SCORED!!! Habs 2, Wild 1.
It's a group hug ;) Every player on the ice, except the goalies, are throwing haymakers. It figures White is at the core of it. He double teamed Veilleux with Campoli. Campoli gets nothing and White gets all but tossed from the game. Veilleux in the box for fighting.
Brad Staubitz in the box to help serve White's penalties - he's used to being in the box.
Wild get their second power play of the game to wrap up the first period which will carry into the second period. I just don't know if I can carry over for the remaining 2 periods. I can only watch Veilleux get the shit kicked out of him for so long and then it just gets old.
Habs get another penalty to start the second period - wait for it...wait...Staubitz going to the box.
Habs seem to be wanting to give the Wild every chance to tie the game, if not take the lead and the Wild couldn't care less. Turning pucks over left and right, regardless of being on the power play.
Russo tweeting that Cullen is having a very tough start for this game. START??? The game started 23 minutes ago!! Dude is so late he may as well just stay in the locker room. Or just board the bus for the airport, along with the majority of his team mates.
Clutterbuck tripped Bourque and the Habs scored on the ensuing power play. Habs 3, Wild 1.
And yet another Wild penalty - Peters goes for boarding. Between the players not showing up ready to play and the accumulated time spent in the penalty box I'm pretty sure the Habs could just skate out there alone for at least one whole period. And we're not done with the second period.
Third period is just a repeat of the second period - penalties, turnovers and nothing generated by the first three lines of the Wild. Ironically, it's the fourth line who's actually driving to the net, when they can find it with two hands...
At what point does Yeo need to be concerned about his job? Not that it's completely his fault but since you can't fire the entire team...Richards 2.0?
Oh, Habs scored again. They're up 4-1. And now they're on another power play.
7 minutes to go in this game. I hate going to bed mad. I would have had a much better time if I had flown back to MN for the Wild Pub Crawl event tonight. Drinking while the team plays, with Wes Walz no less, seems to be the only thing worth looking forward to for the rest of this season.
Sorry, I wandered off and didn't catch Kassian's second goal of the game. Yay, team!!
Fuckin' All Star decides he's not going to be shown up by Kassian of all players and snipes one past Price. Don't look now but the Wild have come within 1 point of tying the game up with just over a minute to play.
Kurtis Foster takes down a Habs player cruising towards our empty net, no call. Somebody explain that to me - and to the Canadiens fans who are frothing at the mouth.
Setoguchi takes off his invisible cloak and follows up Heatley's goal with one of his own. The game is tied with 8 seconds to go.
OT - after being down 4-1
Thought Vicki had gone to bed. Em had faith, good girl!
Habs fought hard to end this game in overtime but the Wild and Harding stood tall.
Shootout
Cullen no go. Heatley looked stupid. C'mon Seto...overskates the puck and falls down. EPIC FAIL. Shoulda used Kassian.
I guess one point is better than the potential ass whooping the Habs could have handed them. Just think what the Wild could have done if they had actually shown up for the first 50 minutes of the game.
Way To Go Matt Kassian! First 2 goal game in the NHL!
Koivu Not All That, Or The Bag Of Chips
Finally, somebody higher up is saying what I've been saying and what many of us have known for at least two seasons now: Koivu is a second line center and not the franchise player the Wild constantly try to shove down our throats. While I've never been a huge fan of Buccigross his take on the current status of the Wild spot on.
Looking To The Future
Charlie Coyle signed his entry level contract today with the Wild. That just leaves Mikael Granlund and Jason Zucker to sign their entry level contracts.
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