Game #73: Minnesota Wild vs Montreal Canadiens, Sunday March 20, 2011 at 5:00pm CDT, Xcel Energy Center [GAME PREVIEW]

Let’s not mince words, the playoffs are NOT going to happen for the Minnesota Wild.  The Wild are in 11th place and 6 points back of 8th place and do not have any real advantage in games in the opponents currently ahead of them in the standings.  Its hardly a big shock to be in this position when you’ve gone 2-6-2 over your last 10 games.  Tallying just 6 points out of a possible 20 points warrants an “F” in any teacher’s grade book including this one.  Minnesota had its chances, but two major overtime collapses at home to Buffalo and yesterday Columbus effectively nailed the Wild’s coffin.  So what is there to play for now?

Just as it is for any team that finds its playoff chances virtually eliminated prior to the conclusion of the season now the final games is a time for evaluation.  The Wild have several soon to be unrestricted free agents; like Andrew Brunette, Antti Miettinen, Chuck Kobasew, John Madden, Jed Ortmeyer, Josh Harding, and Jose Theodore as well as a bunch of restricted free agents that have been biding their time in Houston like  Justin Falk, Patrick O’Sullivan, Colton Gillies, Robbie Earl, Nate Prosser, and Dennis Endras.  Not all of these players are likely to get an audition with the big club this year, but a player’s performance with the Wild or with the Aeros will certainly determine whether Wild General Manager Chuck Fletcher or the Aeros’ GM Jim Mill offers them a contract.  Right now, the directions of the two teams are quite different.  The Wild being where it is probably in the process of asking itself which players it really wants to keep.  If I was Chuck Fletcher I’d probably consider making offers to John Madden who has been a great locker room presence and a staple on the penalty kill and has found ways to provide offense as well.  Jose Theodore has been a very capable backup and I am not sure that Matthew Hackett is ready for prime time just yet.  Andrew Brunette is still another good veteran locker room presence but I am not sure his style of play really matches what Head Coach Todd Richards wants from his team.  Brunette’s lack of speed does not work very well into the up-tempo promises that were made when Richards was hired.  Chuck Kobasew is a player who has good speed but just doesn’t do much unless he’s placed on a Top 6 line and he makes too much for what you get out of him otherwise.  Antti Miettinen is another player like Kobasew who has reasonable speed but does not do much unless he’s placed on a Top 6 line.  Even when placed on the top line he does not score consistently enough to justify his position.  If the Wild are going to let a lot of these veteran UFA’s go does the team have the depth to hand these positions to the ‘kids’? 

The answer for that is maybe.  The Aeros are currently in 2nd place in the West Division.  Patrick O’Sullivan may not have done much for the Wild, but he’s been outstanding with the Aeros, scoring 17 goals and 36 points in just 27 games.  I am sure O’Sullivan would rather find an NHL gig, where the financial rewards dwarf that of what he’d make with a minor league deal but he still is just an RFA and the Wild may feel he’s worthy of another shot.  The same could be said for hard working, smooth skating Robbie Earl who has spent almost all 2010-11 in Houston where he has put up 19 goals and 46 points in 60 games and is a +10.  Colton Gillies has been used in a checking role, where his 6’4″ athletic frame makes him a forechecker with a big impact.  His offensive totals will never come close to being those of a power forward the team had hoped for when they drafted him 16th Overall in 2008, with just 10 goals and 23 points in 56 games but he will be a more affordable option than a Kobasew or a Miettinen.  Prosser, who will be making his first start with the Wild this season in today’s game against Montreal has had a very solid season with the Aeros scoring 8 goals and 23 points as well as being a +9.  If he plays well in this recent stint with the Wild he will probably win himself another professional contract.  Justin Falk surprised many by making the team out of training camp and after a good start sort of watched his game fall apart which resulted him being sent back down to Houston.  The Snowflake, Manitoba-native has been steady as ever with the Aeros, with a +15 rating.  Toss into that promising progress from Casey Wellman and you can see the Wild’s farm system has developed some depth that could be used to fill the spots if the organization decides to part ways with most of its UFA’s. 

One RFA I do not expect to see back is James Sheppard.  Sheppard was coming off an abysmal 6-point season, and then made matters worse by having a season-ending knee injury before the start of training camp which makes one question his level of professionalism and keeping himself healthy in the offseason.  The 9th Overall pick in 2006 has been a complete bust for the Wild and has just 11 NHL goals to show for having played in 224 games.  Since we are talking about failed first round picks let’s look at last year’s big trade of our former 4th Overall pick Benoit Pouliot to Montreal for Guillaume Latendresse.  Initially it appeared as though the Wild got the much better end of the deal as Latendresse had 25 goals in 55 games compared to 15 goals in 39 games from Pouliot.  However, an offseason where Latendresse let himself get badly out of shape and then subsequent groin and sports hernia injury that kept him on the shelf for the majority of 2010-11 the deal didn’t look so lopsided as Pouliot has been a solid role player for the Habs, with 13 goals in 69 games.  When you compare them side by side it looks more even. 

Guillaume Latendresse – 66GP  28 goals, 15 assists = 43 points  20 PIM’s
Benoit Pouliot – 108GP  28 goals, 23 assists = 51 points  102 PIM’s

In a recent issue of the Hockey News, if one would’ve asked for the best trade in the Wild’s franchise history I think many would’ve argued the Pouliot for Latendresse trade was tops.  Yet a season derailed by Latendresse’s poor choices and the deal doesn’t look so great.  Instead the Hockey News suggested the trade of a 4th round pick and then Wild prospect Ryan Jones for Marek Zidlicky was the best in the team’s history. 

So what about today’s match up? 

The Montreal Canadiens are going to be a team that will give the Wild a lot of problems.  Les Glorieux has a ton of team speed and that will necessitate the Wild keeping their feet moving in order to avoid getting put in the sin bin and placing a fairly lethal power play on the ice.  Overall, Montreal’s forwards are pretty small but they’re quick and they score by committee which means matching lines will be difficult.  The Habs also like to activate their defense and P.K. Subban, James Wisniewski and Roman Hamrlik give Montreal a good presence at the point that keeps opposing defenses honest. 

Minnesota will have its work cut out for them after suffering a demoralizing overtime loss the night before.  Yet they will not get any sympathy from the Habs who are jockeying for position in the Eastern Conference playoff picture, where they currently sit in 6th.  The Wild must embrace the role of being a spoiler and play good, relaxed hockey.  If the playoffs (as unlikely as it is) will happen, it will happen.  Now is the time to play loose and without worry. 

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