Game #76: Minnesota Wild vs Los Angeles Kings, Monday March 29, 2010 at 8:00pm (CDT), Xcel Energy Center [GAME PREVIEW]

So before we get too far ahead of ourselves today, it’s best that I point something out to those of you who plan to watch more of the train wreck that is this season.  If you hadn’t noticed, tonight’s game while played in the confines of Xcel Energy Center, is for some reason starting an hour later.  However, considering how this season has gone, you might have preferred turning on your television an hour late.

Don’t blame me if when you turn on the game if you don’t recognize the team on the ice.  The Wild are back to being a MASH unit, and instead of MASH Unit 4077 (the one made famous by Alan Alda et al), welcome to MASH Unit 55102.  On that often hated “questionable” list for tonight are Guillaume Latendresse, Chuck Kobasew, and Mikko Koivu.  Added to that list we also find goaltender Josh Harding.  Obviously, either Wade Dubielewicz or Anton Khudobin will be on a plane today, and could find themselves here for the rest of the season.  My personal choice would be for Khudobin, because I would like to see if his amazing play he had with Minnesota earlier was the real deal or a fluke.  Also out for tonight, will once again be Shane Hnidy and now Cam Barker. With two more injuries to Minnesota’s blueline, will tonight be the night that Elk River, Minnesota-native Nate Prosser makes his NHL debut since being signed as a free agent earlier this month?  I wouldn’t be surprised if he did, especially considering that Greg Zanon is playing with a fracture in his foot.

What I find very strange, is I’m looking at the Minneapolis Star Tribune’s website right now, and there is absolutely no news of players from Houston having been recalled.  While we can expect to see a goaltender to make the trip, it seems very odd that there has been no mention of skaters being recalled either.  Worst case-scenario, the Wild are down five skaters for tonight.  The fact that two of those five are defensemen, on an already banged up blueline is the scariest part.  There should be no hesitation in making the call to Houston.  The Aeros are well out of the picture for the American Hockey League’s Calder Cup.  With the Wild out of their respective playoff picture, it only makes sense to call players up within the system.  It is a well-known fact that the Wild’s prospect pool is about as shallow as the plastic kiddie pool that graced many of our backyards when we were children.  By bringing up some of these players, it will allow management and scout to further evaluate their needs for the upcoming draft and free agency.  Besides, if AHL players get to move up for a bit of time, it means that some ECHL players would also get to see some time in Houston.  There should be no hesitation or guilt.  Simply make the call.

If the injury reports aren’t depressing enough, the past results against the Kings are even more depressing.  While the Wild generally find their success at home, they have lost the past three home games against Los Angeles.  Even worse is the record for the past two seasons against the Kings.  In the past seven meetings, Minnesota has only had one win against the Kings.  Is it possible that the Kings are the new Flames or Red Wings for the the Wild?  While the Wild yet again have goaltending woes, the same cannot be said in Los Angeles.  The Kings have put their trust in Jonathan Quick and he has performed, and performed well.  Against the Wild, he is 5-1.  To make matters even worse for the Wild, is that Quick has played the second most games in the league and he’s the fourth best goaltender in the league when it comes to wins.  Of course, considering how poorly the Wild have fared against Los Angeles, it is entirely possible that they will start Erik Ersberg in order to give Quick a bit of a break heading into their post-season.  However, we all know that it doesn’t matter who starts in net for the Kings.

The ultimate question is, how many players will end up injured by the end of this game?  Let the downward sprial continue.