Game #80: Minnesota Wild at Edmonton Oilers, Monday April 5, 2010 at 8:30pm (CDT), Rexall Place [GAME PREVIEW]

The winner of tonight’s game will come home with the aptly named St. Jude’s Cup.  In the world of patron saints, and there are many of them, St. Jude was the patron saint of hopeless causes.  Looking at tonight’s matchup, St. Jude seems about right.  Truth be told, the Wild have been hopeless since that abysmal road trip at the beginning of the season.  However, even in the word ‘hopeless’ exists the word ‘hope.’  It is that ‘hope’ that the Wild and their fans have been living on for the past two months.  The ‘hope’ has been longed dashed for both teams.

Watching last night’s game in Vancouver, one has to wonder why more of the Wild roster can’t have more players with the toughness of Greg Zanon. Even banged-up, Zanon isn’t afraid of using his body in any way.  Every night, he risks further damage to his already broken foot, yet there he is blocking shots, digging in the corners, and using his body.  I can’t tell you how many times I’ve thought to myself “I wish so-and-so would ‘grow a pair.'”  In thinking of that very phrase last night, I thought back to that classic 1979 movie starring Steve Martin, The Jerk.  In that movie, there is a minor character named “Iron Balls” McGinty.  If there was an “Iron Balls” McGinty Award, it should go to none other than Greg Zanon.  It’s hard work like that you like to see instead of the pathetic refusal to take the body like Martin Havlat.

In ‘hopeless’ days like this, it is refreshing to finally see some glimmers of hope when it comes to players in the Wild system.  With all the injuries the Wild have suffered this season, it feels like there is a continual revolving door in place.  First is Robbie Earl who has once again been recalled.  While there seems to be a lot of debate regarding him, all I know is, is that it is wonderful to see some speed in a Wild skater.  Yes, he still has a lot of rough edges, but those can only be smoothed out with more stays in St. Paul.  Next, it has been positive to see an actual Wild draft pick contribute offensively.  Last night in Vancouver, with family in attendance, Cody Almond tallied his first NHL goal.  While Almond still has a lot of learning to do, it can only be termed as positive to see him scoring.  Of course, Almond’s goal came about with the pure hard work of another young player.  Casey Wellman has definitely made a case for himself to remain in St. Paul next season instead of heading to Houston.  There is still a lot of replenish work that Wild management and scouting have to do, but the steps have started.

If you’ve wondered why Wade Dubielewicz is on this three-game Canadian roadtrip when Anton Khudobin was backing up Niklas Backstrom last week in St. Paul, it all has to do with one very important document.  Seems that Khudobin’s passport was stolen back in January and has yet to receive a replacement.  Because of that, Khudobin in unable to leave the United States right now.  The Russian goaltender is extremely fortunate that the Aeros haven’t traveled to Canada since January and they are out of the playoffs.  Although, one has to wonder why Moscow is taking this long to replace a passport.  My own mother lost a passport in Germany.  We traveled to the United States Embassy in Hamburg the next day and walked out of the embassy gates that day with a new passport.  Of course one could assume that if Khudobin played in the KHL or was a superstar of Evgeni Malkin or Alexander Ovechkin proportions that he would have had a new passport right away.

While tonight is a hopeless, pointless game, even if the Wild win tonight’s St. Jude Cup, the Oilers will still most likely come out with the ultimate prize.  With the NHL draft just months away, the Edmonton Oilers organization will be the future home of Tyler Hall.