“Suicide is Painless” was the name of the theme to the popular sitcom M*A*S*H (1972-1983), a series set during the Korean War (although most admit it was an alegory about the Vietnam War) about an Army Hospital Camp trying to keep spirits up all the while trying to save the lives of young men and women who were torn apart in combat. While humor in the Mobile Army Surgical Hospital may not seem like a place for a lot of laughs, doctors Captain Benjamin Franklin “Hawkeye” Pierce and Captain B.J. Hunnicutt did their best to lighten the mood when possible. Toss in a few funny enlisted men like Corporal Klinger and the always anxious “Radar” O’Reilly in and a go-getter in Colonel Potter and in many ways they reflected the personalities of a sports team. However their humor often tried to deflect the seriousness of their situation, which was always carried an element of danger. For the Minnesota Wild, with their post-season hopes gone could use a little humor for their team who is beginning to emulate those brought to a MASH unit. The Wild right now are a great example of the severely wounded, walking wounded and inexperienced replacements. The latest replacement is the Aeros MVP, defenseman Maxim Noreau. He will get a chance to show his skills on a banged up Wild blueline.
Meanwhile the Calgary Flames spirits have been severely doused by the fact the Colorado Avalanche have sealed up the final spot in the Western Conference playoff picture. The Avalanche surprised just about everyone with a fantastic start but they really struggled in the middle portion of the season and found themselves fighting for their playoff lives down the stretch. For the Flames, this was supposed to be their year; as they added Jay Bouwmeester to an already formidable deadline. Instead of dominating they struggled to win games, especially at home and have been an up and down team all season long. In the end the Flames just couldn’t find the fire when they needed it and they too will be joining the Wild with some early tee times. So who will want it more tonight amongst two teams out of the playoffs? Will the Wild have enough, persistence to battle through its host of injuries to earn a victory in Calgary or will they be burnt by the Flames?
The Flames would control the pace throughout the first half of the period as they swarmed all over the Minnesota zone peppering Niklas Backstrom with a plethora of shots early. Minnesota would be chasing around its own zone as the Flames looked a bit angry early on the forecheck taking advantage of the Wild’s inexperience on its blueline. Backstrom would bail out his team with a great save from point-blank-range on Niklas Hagman. Minnesota would try to counter attack and some good hard work off a dump in resulted in a quick shot for Cal Clutterbuck who lifted a shot that was gloved by Miikka Kiprusoff. The Wild were being opportunistic and an interference penalty on Steve Staios who tried to hold up Chuck Kobasew who was really flying around the ice all game long would give Minnesota just the opportunity it needed. After a few dangerous plays near its blueline where Maxim Noreau showed his NHL debut jitters the Wild would regroup and a nice hold in the zone by Nate Prosser, to push the puck forward to Brent Burns who carried it towards the high slot and dished it back to Casey Wellman who stepped into a point blast that was masterfully redirected by Kiprusoff to give Minnesota a 1-0 lead. The Wild continued to apply pressure as its first line forechecked well down low setting up a sharp angle shot for Mikko Koivu that was shut down by Kiprusoff. The Flames tried to rally back but Minnesota was much stronger in its own zone than it was early in the game, and all they were able to create were a few opportunities from the point and they’d carry their one-goal lead into the 2nd period.
Minnesota would get off to a good start in the 2nd, as they were skating well and creating some havoc in the Calgary zone as Robbie Earl rifled a quick snap shot that was stopped by Kiprusoff and he’d follow up his shot and try to poke home a rebound but the Finnish netminder would cover and earn a whistle. The Wild’s energy was paying dividends early as Casey Wellman drew an interference penalty on Calgary’s Robyn Regehr as he raced after a dump in only to be cut off by the Flames veteran. On the power play Minnesota was unable to create much offensive pressure, as they struggled to get set up in the Flames zone and the penalty kill seemed to embolden Calgary who really started to move their feet. They’d answer back with some great persistence as David Moss drove down the slot firing a shot on goal that was stopped by Backstrom and then as he sprawled for the rebound Nigel Dawes tapped a shot up and over him to tie the game at 1-1. The Wild would attempt to respond with some hustle of its own and a nice play by Cody Almond to drive the net turned into a great scoring chance for Chuck Kobasew who blasted a shot that was stolen away by a fantastic toe save by Kiprusoff. Calgary would counter with a good forecheck of its own and Brent Burns would trip up Niklas Hagman and the Flames would go on the power play. The Wild’s penalty killers kept Calgary to the perimeter and then had good active sticks to alleviate pressure with efficient clearings of the zone. The pace of the game would slow down a bit, and also get a bit ugly as both teams botched potential 4-on-1’s due to poor line changes, terrible passing and general ineptitude. Minnesota would earn another power play when Steve Staios was tagged with a tripping minor. Again on the power play the Wild were not taking enough chances to put shots on goal, and it was another man advantage that came up empty. The Flames tried to go on the attack and they worked the puck down low and trying to work the puck from beneath the goal line out towards the faceoff circles for a quick one-timer for Rene Bourque that was just deflected wide by a diving Brent Burns. Late in the period, Minnesota’s Cal Clutterbuck would make a foolish mistake when he tried passing a dropped stick along the ice towards the Flames’ Ian White for an interference penalty. It wasn’t pretty by any account as both teams seemed to be struggling to create sustained offensive pressure as they’d both leave the ice tied at 1-1.
Minnesota would try to be aggressive in the 3rd period on the penalty kill but it nearly came back to haunt them as Greg Zanon would be called for interference just 45 seconds in giving Calgary a relatively short 5-on-3 power play. Niklas Backstrom would make a huge save on Jarome Iginla, but moments later he’d be hit in the face and throat area by an Ian White slap shot that left him in pain. Immediately, Brent Burns indicated to the Wild bench that Backstrom needed some attention by the training staff and Don Fuller would make his way over the boards. After about a minute or two, Backstrom would slowly make his way back to the bench and Minnesota would give the nod to Wade Dubielewicz to venture out to the crease. The Wild would rally around their backup goaltender and Dubielewicz delivered some clutch saves of his own. Minnesota would counterattack and draw a 5-on-3 of its own and nearly was able to light the lamp on a scorching slap shot by Brent Burns that nearly powered its way through Kiprusoff. Minnesota continued to try to stretch out the Flames’ penalty killers with some cross-ice passes but they failed to click and the Wild were unable to really put a threatening shot on goal for the remainder of the power play. Both teams were wary of making a mistake yet there seemed to be a lot of freelancing as well as Casey Wellman showed off his terrific wheels as he stepped around the Calgary defense and looked to be all alone when he lost the puck and Kiprusoff lazily blocked it aside and Wellman continued to hustle and he nearly was able to beat him with a backhander that was stopped by a toe save. Minnesota was also showing a willingness to sacrifice as Greg Zanon would again block another big slap shot, this one off the stick of Ian White which had the banged up Wild blueliner limping badly back to his bench. A few minutes later, Zanon would return where he unload on a slap shot from the point that tested Kiprusoff as he held on. Yet neither team was able to find the back of the net and the game would go to overtime knotted at 1-1.
In overtime, the Wild were more conservative than normal as the Wild did not have a lot of truly threatening offensive players which gave some of the youngsters and opportunity to show their speed with the open ice. The Wild’s best scoring chance came on a nice individual rush by Wellman who again sped around the Flames defense for a backhander that was blocked away by Kiprusoff. The Flames tried to answer back but Minnesota’s forwards backchecked well and the Wild defense was playing well positionally and the game would go to a shootout.
In the shootout the Flames opted to have the Wild shoot first and their first shooter would be Mikko Koivu. The Wild captain would speed up the ice where he’d tried to fire a wrist shot by Kiprusoff who deflected it wide with the paddle. Calgary would go to its captain, Jarome Iginla as its first shooter and the Flames leading scorer would race up the ice where he tried a forehand to backhand deke but he’d miss just wide of the goal by a sprawling effort by Dubielewicz. Minnesota’s next shooter was Brent Burns and he’d turn on the jets and race towards the Calgary crease where he pulled off a wicked forehand to backhand deke as he roofed a shot over Kiprusoff to give the Wild a 1-0 shootout lead. The Flames would give Nigel Dawes the next chance to shoot and the diminutive forward would take a wide right approach where he tried to wrap a shot by Dubielewicz who did not bite on the attempt and he made the stop. This opened the door for Antti Miettinen to put home the game winner and he would pull off a nearly identical move to Brent Burns’ with a forehand to backhand deke and beating Kiprusoff with ease to give Minnesota a 2-1 shootout victory.
Niklas Backstrom was outstanding in this game, making 27 saves with a number of the outstanding variety until he was finally taken out of the game. Backstrom was seeing the puck very well and kept Minnesota in the game; especially early when the Flames were forechecking so well. On the other end of it, kudos must be given to Wade Dubielewicz who was solid in relief for the Wild. Defensively the Wild had a great game from veterans Shane Hnidy, Greg Zanon and Brent Burns who made life for the less experienced blueliners much easier. Maxim Noreau was played sparingly and he was very passive when he was on the ice; not a real good debut from a player who has been in the pros (at least at the AHL level) for two seasons. Hard to believe he would look less poised than Nate Prosser.
In the post-game interview on Fox Sports Net-North, Wild Head Coach Todd Richards stated he did not think James Sheppard, who left the ice with an apparent knee injury will likely not be ready for Saturday’s game, but he did think Niklas Backstrom would be ready to go. Richards spread the praise over the effort and the ability of the team to fight through all the injuries the team faced both before and during the game. He gave additional props to Nate Prosser and Chuck Kobasew who both played over 20 minutes this game and played well and in his own words on the former Elk River Elks star, “didn’t look out of place” although he did credit Greg Zanon to being a nice help for the rookie blueliner. It was a gutty effort and the Wild kept battling even when they were put on the ropes with two 5-on-3’s that were given to the Flames. Dubielewicz also should earn some credit for coming in and playing well enough for the Wild to steal another road victory in Calgary.
The Wild now have just one more game left, and Dallas comes to town where some are speculating it may be Mike Modano‘s last NHL game. From this fan’s perspective it does not bother me at all that it could be his last game, I think too many Minnesota fans have forgotten and ignored the terrible things he said about our state and our hockey fans when the North Stars bolted in 1993 and the years before the Wild came into existence. I have a bad feeling the Wild management will try to give him another cheesy tribute but I’d love to see the Wild boot his career to an unceremonious end with a lopsided loss at the Xcel Energy Center.
Wild Notes:
~ Wild roster tonight is as follows: Mikko Koivu, Andrew Brunette, Antti Miettinen, Chuck Kobasew, Kyle Brodziak, Cal Clutterbuck, Robbie Earl, James Sheppard, Cody Almond, Casey Wellman, Derek Boogaard, Cam Barker, Nate Prosser, Maxim Noreau, Shane Hnidy, John Scott, Shane Hnidy and Greg Zanon. Wade Dubielewicz backed up Niklas Backstrom. Owen Nolan and Guillaume Latendresse were the healthy scratches. Marek Zidlicky, Clayton Stoner, Nick Schultz and Josh Harding were all out with lower body injuries while Andrew Ebbett is suffering from a broken finger Pierre-Marc Bouchard has not skated since taking a big hit in the first game of the season as he battles with post-concussion syndrome.
~ The 3 Stars of the Game were: 1st Star Nigel Dawes, 2nd Star Craig Conroy, 3rd Star Brent Burns
~ Maxim Noreau wore #4 for the Wild in his NHL debut.
Wild Prospect Update:
LW – Kris Foucault ~ Calgary Hitmen (WHL)
2009-10 Playoff Stats: 11GP 4G 2A = 6pts 8 PIM’s +2
Kris Foucault is heating up at the right time for the Calgary Hitmen as he posted a goal and an assist in their 4-1 victory over Medicine Hat last night. The skilled winger who has struggled mightily throughout his junior career to find consistency can appear as though he is the most talented player on the ice but all too often can prove to be rather invisible as well. Last year, Foucault had a strong playoffs for the Hitmen, scoring 16 points (including 11 goals) in 18 playoff games, and the Wild had hoped he’d take that fire he had shown in the post-season and carry it over to a strong regular season campaign but it didn’t quite work out that way. Instead, Foucault showed the same level of inconsistency and while he had his best season statistically his modest totals of 22 goals and 43 points through 68 games was disappointing. Late in the season, Foucault took advantage of the increased ice time he recieved due to some injuries in the Hitmen’s lineup and has been playing more assertively ever since.
NCAA Frozen Four Update:
And you thought the drama had ended after the Duke vs. Butler matchup in the Final Four? Shame on you! While Men’s basketball fans probably had lost their sanity after the cavalcade of upsets in the first round for those that follow hockey and could careless about squeakyball the real ‘final four’ starts today in Detroit at Ford Field. Considering the fairly warm temperatures we will see if this experiment to place the Frozen Four on such a large and atypical stage for hockey will turn out to be a bad move. This is the first time in a while that the Frozen Four features teams from four different conferences, and the first time a team from Atlantic Hockey qualified to be amongst the final four teams which a testament to the growing level of parity at the Division I level.
Wisconsin Badgers (WCHA) 8 vs. RIT Tigers (Atlantic Hockey) 1
Cinderella’s dream came to a crashing halt as RIT was blitzed for 8 goals by the Wisconsin Badgers in the first game of the Frozen Four this afternoon on what was surprisingly good ice at Ford Field. Wisconsin would jump out to a quick 2-0 lead in the first period scoring just 1:27 into the game. RIT tried to answer back with some physicality but it only got them into penalty trouble; the Badgers would again strike early in the second on Jordy Murray‘s goal just 2:18 in and then would add three more before the Tigers finally answered with the only goal it would score when Tyler Brenner scored his 15th of the season on a late power play. The Badgers would eventually chase Tigers’ goaltender Jared DeMichiel to the bench after scoring another goal in the 3rd which gave junior Jan Ropponen his first NCAA game action in his college career. Not surprisingly Ropponen didn’t fair any better as he gave up a quick goal to Hastings, Minnesota’s Derek Stepan (New York Rangers’ prospect) who fired home his 2nd goal of the game in an 8-1 rout. Puck possession really was the difference in this game as RIT struggled mightily against the physical and fast Badgers squad, and Wisconsin’s blueline was more than enough to stymie the Tigers as well as support the offensive attack which kept it simple and crashed the crease repeatedly. Detroit Red Wings former 1st rounder Brendan Smith (27th Overall in 2007) had a banner evening as he had 5 assists. The Badgers look as though they’re firing on all cylinders and took efforts to rest some its top lines to make them ready for tomorrow’s championship game. Wisconsin outshot RIT 37 to 14.
Boston College Eagles (Hockey East) 7 vs. Miami (OH) Redhawks (CCHA) 1
Miami (OH) had a lot of sentimental reasons pulling them towards a victory and redemption from last years’ late game collapse in the NCAA Final to Boston University but it was not meant to be as the Boston College Eagles jumped to a 1-0 lead late in the first period. In the 2nd period the Eagles added two more goals from Jimmy Hayes and Joe Whitney to really put the Redhawks behind the 8-ball as they could not seem to skate with Boston College. The Redhawks would give a glipse that they might be able to rally back when St. Cloud, Minnesota’s Joe Hartman found the twine behind John Muse to cut the lead to 3-1, but then the Boston College steamroller got rolling and they buried four more goals to rout Miami (OH) 7-1. It was a surprisingly one-sided game and will mean a rematch of the 2006 NCAA Final as they take on the Badgers in what should be a fantastic game on Saturday.
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