SB Nation - Brent Burns

Want to Solve the Concussion Issue?

BReynolds — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 14:28:01 -0000

The Wild now have four players out with concussions. Brent Burns, Pierre-Marc Bouchard, Petr Sykora, and now Andrew Ebbett. A week or so ago, I discussed exactly what a concussion is. Now, let's talk about how to fix the problem, since the Wild seem to be disproportionately affected.

Join me after the jump for some fun with words.

The Holy Grail of concussion cures is not likely to be found anytime soon. There is no helmet, no protection device that can prevent the brain from moving inside the skull. Unless they find a way to change the laws of physics and get rid of that pesky inertia thing, concussions are going to happen. The focus needs to be on how to prevent as many as possible, and since it is equally impossible to make the ice surface soft, what else can be done?

Messier Cascade M11 Helmet

First, we have a basic, simple solution. Helmets. Specifically, the Messier designed helmet:

The helmet is designed to cushion the blow to the head using (in layman's terms) shock absorbers throughout the helmet to absorb up to 80% of the impact.

The question this begs is, why does the league not mandate its use? Change comes slow to the NHL, shocker, I know. It has been left up to the players to decide if they want to wear it, much like face shields. Similar to the NHL prior to helmet use being mandatory, the "cool" players don't wear face shields. The "cool" players won't wear the new helmet because the stigma has already been assigned to it, that only a sissy would wear this thing.

It will require the league mandating its use in order for players to wear it. Or, perhaps the Wild need to make the move and mandate their players wear it. Suck it up boys. I'd rather see you skating in this "goofy" new helmet than not see you at all.

Count me in as a proponent of making the helmet mandatory. It hurts no one, and could save careers.

Enforcing the Rules On the Books

There are rules, already in place, to help prevent concussions. Problem is, they are not enforced. Charging, boarding, high sticking, elbowing, cross checking, slashing, tripping (am I missing any?) all have sub-clauses that if they cause injury or you show intent to injure, you can be suspended. The debate is long and ongoing about how to dole out suspensions and what garners a suspension and what doesn't. I won't go into that right now. Find any thread about suspensions, and join the discussion.

What needs to happen is for the league, and the NHLPA, to call for the rules to be enforced. It worked to eliminate the clutch and grab. There were not all that many rules added to eliminate it, they simply enforced the interference, hooking, and holding rules they already had.

Enforce the rules you have, and things calm down. At least a bit.

Eliminate One Specific Rule

Can you guess which one? That's right. The instigator rule. It is the worst thing that has happened to hockey since Jacques Lemaire perfected the trap. Fellow Wild blog Wild Puck asked today about The Code. The Code is supposed to make it clear to players that they must respect each other. It is the unwritten rules of any sport that are more important than the rules in the rule book. However, The Code is dead.

Gone are the days of bench clearing brawls, of knowing you were going to have to stare down Derek Boogaard if you crossed the line. Now, all you need to do is wait until Boogey is on the bench and take your shot. Not like Boogaard can jump the boards and come take you out. If he does, he gets suspended. So, you simply wait it out and take your shot when the scariest guy on the ice is James Sheppard.

If I am Ed Jovanovski, and I know that if I cross the line, no matter when or where, that all 6' 8" 275 lbs of Derek Boogaard are going to come crashing down on my head, I think twice. Andrew Ebbet gets put into the boards, or I poke check the puck away. Instead, Jovo has free reign to do anything he wants, knowing that the worst that will happen is he will need to rest his weary bones for a couple games.

Players are no longer allowed to police themselves. With less than five minutes left in a game, you no longer see the retribution doled out like in the old days. Now, it carries a suspension and a fine for the coach. So, no one does anything. By the time the next game comes around, the focus is back on getting the two points, and retribution can wait.

Why, you may ask. Why has The Code died? There is no simple answer other than: economics. Gary Bettman has decided it is more important to be able to market the game to people who have absolutely no interest in the game than it is to allow the players to play the game. Find yourself a non-hockey fan and ask them why they don't watch it. You will most likely find out that "they don't like the fighting." Despite the fact that the number of fights has plummeted, they still don't watch. They never will. So screw 'em. Stop catering to people who hate you.

But hold on a minute. We can't just get rid of people who hate the game and put the instigator rule to death. But Buddha, why not? Because there are hockey teams in non-traditional markets that are struggling. I know, here it comes. The "I'm a Minnesota hockey fan so I am so much better than you" right? Wrong.

The Coyotes have no corporate partners. Either do the Panthers or the Lightning. The institution of the instigator rule coincided with the expansion of the NHL into markets it did not need to be in. In order to garner the corporate partners it needed, the NHL need to get the violence under control. In doing so, the NHL killed The Code in order to make a buck.

They are now paying the price for that greed.

Players are dropping like flies. Concussions are clearly on the rise. There is no simple solution, and there will always be concussions in a game as fast and as physical as hockey. However, a combination of new protection, enforcement of rules, and elimination of the instigator penalties would certainly cut down on the bulk of them. Until they invent padded ice, something else needs to be done.

Got a better idea? Tell us about it.

-Buddha

Who Should Be Canada's Olympic Defenders?

Chemmy — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 19:29:45 -0000

The question is simple; who are your seven guys to play defense for Team Canada at the Olympics? The defenders invited to the Canada camp are:

Francois Beauchemin, Jay Bouwmeester, Dan Boyle, Brent Burns, Drew Doughty, Mike Green, Dan Hamhuis, Duncan Keith, Scott Niedermayer, Dion Phaneuf, Chris Pronger, Robyn Regehr, Stephane Robidas, Brent Seabrook, Marc Staal, and Shea Weber. Click a player's name for stats.

I discussed my picks with Godd Till of Zambonic Youth and PPP, check out our picks after the jump.

Chris Pronger

#20 / Defenseman / Philadelphia Flyers

Height: 6-6

Weight: 214

Born: Oct 10, 1974

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2009 - Chris Pronger	4	14	18	9	41

Pronger can score points, shut down talent even at age 35 and has a documented mean streak. Pronger's the grit and the jam that dominant teams need to make playing against them no fun at all.

Shea Weber

#6 / Defenseman / Nashville Predators

Height: 6-4

Weight: 230

Born: Aug 14, 1985

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2009 - Shea Weber	6	9	15	-4	4

Nashville's Shea Weber is an excellent defender in his own end who can also put up points. He hits as hard as your January credit card bill and isn't afraid to drop the gloves.

Duncan Keith

#2 / Defenseman / Chicago Blackhawks

Height: 6-1

Weight: 196

Born: Jul 16, 1983

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2009 - Duncan Keith	5	18	23	6	16

Fresh off of inking a lifetime deal that was well earned Duncan Keith is having a fantastic season. Another guy who can put up points and plays well in his own end Duncan Keith is an obvious lock for this team along with...

Brent Seabrook

#7 / Defenseman / Chicago Blackhawks

Height: 6-3

Weight: 218

Born: Apr 20, 1985

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2009 - Brent Seabrook	3	10	13	8	15

... his defensive partner Brent Seabrook. In addition to being an excellent player on his own, having Keith's defensive partner will give Canada an elite d-pairing that are familiar with each other. This is a huge advantage in a tournament where players are hastily thrown together.

Robyn Regehr

#28 / Defenseman / Calgary Flames

Height: 6-3

Weight: 225

Born: Apr 19, 1980

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2009 - Robyn Regehr	0	10	10	5	23

The definition of defensive defenseman, Regehr hits good hockey players hard and often. He's on this team to hit Ovechkin, Kessel and Parise.

Dan Boyle

#22 / Defenseman / San Jose Sharks

Height: 5-11

Weight: 190

Born: Jul 12, 1976

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2009 - Dan Boyle	6	19	25	4	20

Dan Boyle's our pick for puck mover / PP specialist on the back end. If you'd prefer Bouwmeester or Mike Green go ahead, I'm not too concerned with any of the three.

Drew Doughty

#8 / Defenseman / Los Angeles Kings

Height: 6-0

Weight: 211

Born: Dec 08, 1989

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2009 - Drew Doughty	7	15	22	9	18

Is Drew Doughty the seventh best Canadian defender in the league? Honestly he might be, but what's important here is the future. Doughty will be the seventh guy and only see action if guys get hurt. Obviously you could do a lot worse than Doughty as an injury fill in which speaks to Canada's enormous depth at defense.

I picked Doughty looking forward to 2014. Doughty will be 25 and about to hit his prime. He got an invite to Olympic camp this year based on his ability as a player and I think bringing him along to Vancouver would be a big step for a young kid in the NHL. Let him have a taste of the team he's going to need to be a big part of in four years.

Those are our picks, let us know yours in the comments.

Minnesota Wild vs. Boston Bruins: Game Recap

nathaneide — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 04:30:49 -0000

More photos » by Tom Olmscheid - AP

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Minnesota Wild 1-2 (so) Boston Bruins

Outshooting a team 29-16, only scoring once and not getting the two points brings a feeling of deja vu across the Wilderness.

Yes, the Wild were missing Brent Burns, Antti Miettinen, Martin Havlat, Petr Sykora and Pierre-Marc Bouchard to injury and Guillaume Latendresse to visa issues and still dominated the Bruins, but once again, they couldn't find the back of the net.

Tuukka Rask was outstanding tonight. He made at least four saves that he really had no business making, which could have easily busted the game wide open. Conversely, Niklas Backstrom made two exceptional saves in the third period and overtime that were worthy of end of the season highlight reels to keep the Wild in it.

The Wild came out like a team well-rested, even though they were missing five regulars. They controlled the play and outshot the Bruins 11-2 in the first frame. Unfortunately they just ran into a brick wall in Rask and Byron Bitz made the most of the only good scoring opportunity Boston had, tipping home a Derek Morris attempt.

The locker room in the first intermission must have been one of disappointment for not scoring on 11 shots, but the guys had to feel good that they were able to take it to one of the best teams in the East. The Wild came out firing again in the second period. They didn't quite get as many shots in the second as the first, but they were still controlling the play, and at 10:23 of the second, Andrew Ebbett brought the Xcel Energy crowd to its feet with a gorgeous redirect of a Kyle Brodziak shot and finally beat Rask. This power play goal was the kind that would normally open up the scoring. The Wild were dominating play and had finally broken through the wall. However, Rask was simply too tough tonight.

The third period was one in which the Wild controlled play early, then suddenly Boston seemed to realize that they were tied and took over the game, penning the Wild deep in their zone for most of the last ten minutes and until Dennis Wideman finally was whistled for high-sticking (he got away with another high-stick and a sucker punch earlier) then the Wild brought the pressure again, but it was too little too late as the Wild took too long setting up the power play and not enough time and effort on getting the puck to the net. When they finally did, they caused some problems for the Bruins and Andrew Brunette was staring a wide-open goal in the face, but couldn't control the puck and the Bruins cleared, ending the overtime.

The shootout was the most bothersome part for me. Mikko Koivu used pure power to put the puck through Rask to open the shootout, but Marek Zidlicky came up second and was stuffed (why is he in the shootout?), then Eric Belanger's attempt was gloved and Chuck Kobasew was stopped by Rask, making the David Krejci and Patrice Bergeron goals good enough to give the Bruins an undeserved two points.

It was a frustrating loss, considering how well the Wild played, until it came time to actually put the puck in the net. They seemingly don't have the finishers. Too many playmakers, not enough goal scorers. Maybe the return of Havlat and Sykora and bringing in Latendresse will alleviate this problem, but I haven't seen enough from Marty and Petr to make me think that is going to be the case.

Have a good Thanksgiving, and we'll see you on Friday at 1:00 for the first of a home and home with the Avalanche.

Please read the game recap over at Stanley Cup of Chowder

Hockey Wilderness Three Stars

Tuukka Rask (2 G)
Andrew Ebbett (1 G)
Byron Bitz (1 G)

Questions to Answer

How is Andrew Ebbett going to fit? One nice power play goal and great shifts tonight. Love the way this kid came out and brought it tonight. Let's hope he continues to do so.
How are Chuck Kobasew and Shane Hnidy going to react to playing against their old squad? Hnidy played with a bit of a mean streak tonight and looked solid. Kobasew had the chance to dagger the B's, but couldn't pull it off in the end.
Will Patrice Bergeron stay on his hot streak? Bergeron terrified me all night. It seemed like every time he was on the ice, he was ready to score. Let's hope Pierre-Marc Bouchard can look like this when he comes back from his concussion. That said, the Wild did a nice job keeping him off the scoresheet.
Can Andrew Brunette continue to play well and add to his point streak? (6 points in his last 6 games) Not sure how Bruno didn't score on the powerplay in overtime, but he just couldn't control the puck with a yawning cage in front of him.
Can the Wild get to Tuukka Rask? Afraid not. Rask was fantastic tonight. Absolutely fantastic.

Daily Links: Danny Irmen recalled; 11/18 food drive; Brent Burns on plus/minus and much more

nathaneide — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:41:54 -0000

Irmen recalled from Houston for possible NHL debut | StarTribune.com
The Wild has confirmed that it has recalled former Gophers forward Danny Irmen. If Irmen plays tonight against Phoenix, it would be Irmen's NHL debut.

Toyota Food Drive set for Nov. 18 - Minnesota Wild
Wild fans are encouraged to bring non-perishable food items and/or monetary donations to the Toyota vehicles located at Gates 1-4 on Nov. 18 starting at 6:00 p.m. through the start of the second period. For every $1 donated, Second Harvest is able to distribute up to $9 in grocery products to the most vulnerable members of our community.

5-year-old YouTube 'Miracle' phenom to be at Wild game | Duluth News Tribune | Duluth, Minnesota
Josh Sacco, a Tennessee native who became an Internet sensation when a video of him reciting Herb Brooks' pregame speech from the movie "Miracle" appeared on YouTube, will lead Minnesota Wild fans by saying "Let's play hockey" at the start of the Wild's game Friday night.

Coyotes, Wild have new identities - AZJournal.com
Taking in Minnesota Wild games in the past was a lot like watching ice freeze. Most noted for a trapping defense, the Wild were not the most exciting team to watch.

- Really? Phoenix talking smack? Laughable. I hope your team gets contracted.

Wild's Brent Burns ready to reverse 'weird stat' - TwinCities.com
As his plus-minus statistics deteriorated this season, so did Brent Burns' patience. A favorite with fans since he arrived as a first-round Wild draft pick in 2003, Burns had never had to deal much with criticism. He didn't like it. Finally, after rebuffing most questions on the topic for two weeks, the big defenseman with a big smile and bigger talent sat down Tuesday and talked about his numbers and how the plus-minus stat is "weird" and, often, just plain unfair.

Seguin atop OHL rankings highlights CSS prelim list
Plymouth Whalers center Tyler Seguin surprisingly took the top spot in the OHL, ahead of the much-hyped Taylor Hall.

Former Badger seeking converts | StarTribune.com
"My role here is to bring energy," said Earl, who had one assist in nine career NHL games before last week's callup. "I don't expect to score two every night. I need to make plays when they're there and use my speed to my advantage.

NHL Power Rankings, Week 7: Devils' Defense Has N.J. Nearing Top Spot
The Wild have moved off the bottom!!!!!

Minnesota Wild @ Carolina Hurricanes: Game Recap

nathaneide — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 03:45:46 -0000

Minnesota Wild 4-5 (so) Carolina Hurricanes

The Carolina Hurricanes had come in on a 14 game winless streak, tying the franchise record long streak dating back to when Minnesota Wild head coach Todd Richards was a member of the 1991-1992 Hartford Whalers (long live the Whale). Canes head coach Paul Maurice was sitting on the hottest of hot seats. They were missing their #1 goaltender in Cam Ward and one of their top offensive options in Eric Staal. The Minnesota Wild were wrapping up an Eastern Conference road trip in which they had trounced the bottom-feeding Toronto Maple Leafs, choked away a win against a team outside the top eight in the Tampa Bay Lightning, then lost a tough game to the elite-level Washington Capitals in which Josh Harding faced 41 shots. The Wild should've been looking to roll over the Canes and head back home.

Unfortunately, they looked like they were relying upon a beaten team to show up, and do nothing more than give them two easy points.

Carolina came out swinging. Jussi Jokinen was showing off for Finland Olympic GM Jari Kurri and put the Canes up 1-0 just 2:45 into the game. Then Joe Corvo scored on the power play with 2:11 left in the period to send the teams into the locker room for the first intermission with the home town Hurricanes up 2-0.

Minnesota used the break to regroup and came out with more intensity. However, the march to the penalty box for the Wild continued, as four Ray Whitney took advantage of the power play, and added to the Carolina lead at 3-0. Antti Miettinen then tipped in a goal on a Brent Burns shot to bring it to 3-1. However, the penalties continued to stack up, as Brandon Sutter notched another power play goal, creating a three-goal lead for the Canes again.

At that point, the momentum changed. Robbie Earl circled away from the net, turned and fired a puck over backup goaltender Michael Leighton. The goal was Earl's first career NHL marker. 19 seconds later, John Scott also scored his NHL first. The teams headed into the intermission with a Hurricanes leading 4-3, but the Wild had all the momentum.

Going into the third, it looked like the wheels were coming off for the Hurricanes. Minnesota controlled play, and Robbie Earl added his second of the afternoon, tying the game at 4. Minnesota then relaxed, with the game tied. This turned out to be a fatal mistake. The Wild would never again get a great scoring chance, and the Hurricanes were comfortable to play it out and go to overtime and the eventual shootout.

Once they got to the shootout, the Wild looked uncomfortable again, and the ice got choppy. Miettinen, Mikko Koivu and Marek Zidlicky were all stopped, but Jussi Jokinen sent the fans home with the two points and Minnesota got ready to head back to St. Paul with four points from a probable six on the trip.

A few positives from the game:

Brent Burns was a +4 on the evening
John Scott's first NHL goal
Robbie Earl's first and second NHL goal
Cal Clutterbuck and Kyle Brodziak's never-ending energy

Please read the game recap over at Canes Country

Hockey Wilderness Three Stars

Jussi Jokinen (1 G, 1 shootout goal)
Robbie Earl (2 G)
Ray Whitney (1 G, 2 A)

Questions to Answer

In this battle between the worst in the East and the worst in the West, who truly is the worst? Well, frankly, both teams had stretches of incompetence.
Could today be the end of the road for Paul Maurice? No, but Fanhouse puts Richards on the hot seat! Pink Slip Index - NHL Fanhouse
Can the Canes get payback for a bad OT loss to the Wild in October? That they did.
Once again, the Wild get a backup. Can they get on Leighton early and often? No, how about late and often?
Last game, Martin Havlat had 8 shots. Can he actually score this time?? Ugh.

Wild at Maple Leafs

Chemmy — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 18:07:59 -0000

More photos » by Ryan Remiorz - AP

Komisarek's ready to go.

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Puck Drop: 7:00PM ET, Sportsnet Ontario

Goaltenders: Backstrom v Gustavsson

Fret not, after leaving Saturday's decisive win over Detroit with an injur, Mike Komisarek practiced this morning and will be in the lineup tonight against the Minnesota Wild. The Wild are 15th in the Western Conference and 28th in the league, setting up our second battle of bottom 3 teams this week.

Being in 29th place hardly gives the Leafs any right to call anyone an easy opponent, but let's hope Toronto's two week stretch of excellent play continues and the Leafs can pick up a win against a team without much offensive punch. The Wild are transitioning from a defensive trapping team to a more offensive style and so far it's been a rough road for them.

Brent Burns, who may have played his way off the Canadian Olympic roster this season, has been downright terrible posting a team worst -13. Martin Havlat, brought in to help people forget Gaborik, has one goal and is -12. Mikko Koivu is -11.

Before we take the Wild lightly though I think it's worth looking at their recent play. In their last four games Minnesota has played the Rangers, Penguins, Canucks and Stars and beaten everyone but Vancouver. Minnesota's a team looking to turn the corner and get back into high gear just like Toronto so tonight could be a real nail biter.

Go Leafs go, remember your SPG picks, check back here at 6:30 for the first period gameday thread. The guys over at SBN's Wild site Hockey Wilderness are pretty legit so maybe there'll be a field trip tonight.

Minnesota Wild vs. Dallas Stars: Game Recap

nathaneide — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 05:36:07 -0000

More photos » by Paul Battaglia - AP

about 1 month ago: Minnesota Wild center Mikko Koivu (9) is congratulated by teammates Marek Zidlicky, center, of the Czech Republic, and Andrew Brunette (15) after scoring against the Dallas Stars during the first period in an NHL hockey game, Saturday, Nov. 7, 2009 in St. Paul. The Wild won 3-2. (AP Photo/Paul Battaglia)

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Minnesota Wild 3-2 Dallas Stars

Apparently the Wild learned something either from Todd Richards' rant or from watching tape of the 5-2 loss to the Canucks. Either way, they came out gangbusters in the first period tonight against the Dallas Stars. Cal Clutterbuck started the scoring by turning the tables on the Stars and instead of giving up the shorty, the Wild got one of their own. Later in the period, Mikko Koivu got back on the scoresheet with a nice goal on Marek Zidlicky's 8th assist of the season. It seems like an eternity since the Wild held a first period lead, but when you outshoot a team 17-4 in a period, chances are pretty good you'll have the lead at the end.

The second period, however, had things a bit tense around the X. Dallas took advantage of a Mikko Koivu hooking penalty and Loui Eriksson scored on a deflection off Nick Schultz, then with Brent Burns in the box for interference (his third minor on the night) Mike Ribeiro and Brad Richards made a beautiful play to set up Eriksson for his second power play goal of the period. With the game tied at 2, the crowd got behind the Wild and at 18:12 of the second period, Zidlicky broke his scoreless streak wristing home a pass from Kyle Brodziak off Niklas Grossman for the eventual game winner. It was nice to see the Wild get a good break after the tough one earlier.

The Wild would go on to apply more pressure in the third, outshooting the Stars 11-7, but neither team would be able to score in the final frame.

All-in-all, this was the best 60 minutes of the season, marred only by the two power-play goals, and one of those was a fluky bounce off Schultz. It was nice to see the Wild outshoot the Stars tonight 37-21

Please read the game recap over at Defending Big D

Hockey Wilderness Three Stars

Marek Zidlicky (1 G, 1 A)
Loui Eriksson (2 G)
Mikko Koivu (1 G)

Questions to Answer

The trend of backups playing against the Wild seems to have begun, with Alex Auld getting the start over Marty Turco. Can the Wild take advantage of this? The Wild certainly applied pressure on Auld, getting to him early and ripping shots from all over the ice.
Will Michael Russo's ripping of Brent Burns have a positive effect on Burns' performance? Well, he had 8 PIM, so he was clearly irritated with someone.
Can Kyle Brodziak continue his solid play of the past few games? Brodziak had a nice game and added another assist.
Will Owen Nolan break out and start scoring down low again? Afraid not. I'm starting to wonder if he's showing his age.
With leading scorer James Neal out injured, can the Wild keep the Stars offense in check? Aside from Loui Eriksson on the power play, the Wild did a great job defensively tonight.

On Player Availability

BReynolds — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 21:40:01 -0000

More photos » by Jim Mone - AP

It's a bad picture, yes, but look at how excited the lady in the background is...

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Big props going out to our resident hero, Michael Russo, today. In his blog, of which we are all aware, he gives us our daily information and then gives us something else. He gives us a little view inside the relationship between player and media.

I will not pull too much of his post to comment on, but here are some of the nuggets. Make sure you head over and read the entire post, and maybe buy a subscription to the Trib to support Russo's work.

That clip of Burns refusing to answer questions in full sentences and mumbling under his breath is what we get all the time after games -- when he's willing to come out and talk to us.

And I'm pretty sure Burns has been treated a little better in his tenure than James Sheppard has, yet Sheppard is constantly available, constantly willing to talk even though he knows what critical stories are being written on him.

The media exists not to be a nuisance. These are very well-paid professional athletes, and we are the liaison between the team and the fans. Part of a player's job is to be accountable to the fans who root them on, who pay their salaries!

...

That's Brent Burns' job. But he clearly doesn't think of it that way.

I'm sorry. This just had to be said. This might have just ruined my dealings with Brent Burns, but you know what, the next time he scores an overtime winner, you can bet that I'll be there to report on it happily.

As I said above. Big props to Russo for going out on the limb with this one. The public relationship between Burns and Russo has always been a positive one, and Burns has benefited from that positive coverage. Burns is a fan favorite both because of his physical play on the ice, and because the media has always portrayed him in a good light. If Russo, Bruce Brothers, and the sports columnists had called out Burns for the past three years, do you believe he would still have the cache he has now? No way.

Breaking it down, Burns had a terrible season last year. We all blamed it on Lemaire and the experiment with Burns at wing. With a concussion at the end of last season, there are ever more excuses for Burns' play this season. A league worst +/- rating, making Skoula-esque mistakes on nearly a game to game basis, and not showing much of the physical play we are accustomed to seeing.

Burns deserves to be called out. By media, by his coach, and by his teammates.

I remember a story I read last year, but do not remember who wrote it. If someone recognizes it, let me know. The story was discussing why bloggers are not allowed in the press box, and giving some justifications for that. One of the reasons was that beat writers, such as Russo, have to own up to any comments they make in print, and they have to show up in the locker room the next night and face the music. If Russo were to call out Derek Boogaard for taking a stupid penalty, he has to go in there and look Boogaard in the chest and take his proverbial lumps.That is Russo's job.

The correlation here is that players need to face the music, too. Russo mentions a couple players in the post that have done so.Not sure why players assume they don't need to. Granted, there is nothing in the contract that says they have to talk to the media. However, the last time I checked the testosterone meter, part of the deal with being a man is stepping up and not dodging the fight.

Burns has never backed down from a fight on the ice. Why would he do so in the locker room? I've met Russo. He's really not that scary. (Sorry Russo.)

Brent Burns will likely continue to be a fan favorite, despite his poor play. He has the personality for it. That said, if he will not own up to his poor play, and will not explain what the issue may be, then well informed fans will turn away from him.

There really are not many directions to take this story. Burns is playing poorly. Russo called him on it, and on his lack of public accountability. We can only hope that he is owning up to it with his teammates.

-Buddha

Minnesota Wild vs. Vancouver Canucks: Game Recap

nathaneide — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 05:36:47 -0000

More photos » by Tom Olmscheid - AP

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Minnesota Wild 2-5 Vancouver Canucks

The Minnesota Wild, according to coach Todd Richards, are a team that needs to play with a sense of urgency. They simply aren't showing it and every single player on the roster needs to take a long hard look in the mirror and ask themselves what they can do to improve the play of the team overall.

Sure, Kyle Brodziak had two goals, Cal Clutterbuck was a +2 and had five hits, Niklas Backstrom has been the backbone of the franchise (even though he was pulled tonight) and Chuck Kobasew gives his all at both ends of the ice, but there isn't a single guy on the team who can't improve right now.

Martin Havlat is bordering on bust material and is a -12. Petr Sykora is ridiculously streaky. Brent Burns has kissed his Olympic hopes goodbye and sits at -13. Mikko Koivu can't motivate the team on his own and Erik Belanger went out early with an "upper-body injury." After two good wins over the Rangers and Penguins, one would hope this team would take a step forward, but tonight was a massive step in the wrong direction.

The positives tonight? Well both Cal Clutterbuck and Kyle Brodziak continue to provide the kind of effort this team sorely lacks. Brodziak is cleaning up rebounds down low. Clutterbuck is providing energy to a lackluster team and trying to hit anything that moves. Brent Burns had an assist, giving him six points (2-4) in his last eight games.

The negatives? Backstrom had an off night, giving up four goals, including two softies. Martin Havlat was a pitiful -3. Derek Boogaard backed up three good games with a stupid double minor and was essentially benched the rest of the night. The Wild gave up an NHL-leading fourth shorthanded goal of the season.

I don't even know what to say at this point. Let's just put it aside and concentrate on Saturday when the Dallas Stars come to town.

Please read the game recap over at Nucks Misconduct

Hockey Wilderness Three Stars

Alexandre Burrows (1 G, 1 A)
Kyle Brodziak (2 G)
Alexander Edler (2 A)

Questions to Answer

Will the Wild be the first team to 10 losses, this time? Yes. But with Carolina and Toronto both having 7 points, the Wild aren't the worst team in the league.
Will the time off have a negative effect? They certainly came out slow against a team riddled with injuries.
Does putting a solid Nick Schultz on with Brent Burns allow Burnsie to get into the play without causing too many problems for Nik Backstrom? How about ZZ Top? Burns had an assist and was a 0. Nick Schultz was a -1. Greg Zanon was a 0 and blocked 2 shots. Marek Zidlicky had an assist and was a -1. Frankly, I like the new pairings, but they need to get comfortable.
Seriously, where the hell is Pouliot? Is he dead? Undisclosed concussion?
How long will James Sheppard be allowed to center that line, not perform, without someone else taking his minutes? Sheppard was a -1 in 14:30. He might as well not be on the ice.

Minnesota Wild @ Pittsburgh Penguins: Game Recap

nathaneide — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 03:28:05 -0000

More photos » by Keith Srakocic - AP

about 1 month ago: Minnesota Wild's Eric Belanger, right, celebrates scoring a goal against the Pittsburgh Penguins with teammates Marek Zidlicky, center, of the Czech Republic, and Owen Nolan, of Ireland, in the first period of an NHL Hockey game in Pittsburgh, Saturday, Oct. 31, 2009. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)

Browse more photos »

Minnesota Wild 2-1 Pittsburgh Penguins

When a team with the firepower of the Pittsburgh Penguins outshoots your squad 35-15, you have to assume it's going to be a bloodbath. Well, if it weren't for an absolutely stellar performance (not that we're not used to it) by Niklas Backstrom, it would have been. Backstrom was, once again, sensational.

All of the scoring tonight happened in the first period. Kyle Brodziak opened the scoring on a nice wrist shot, thanks to good play in the zone by Brent Burns and Chuck Kobasew. It was a nice goal, set up by great effort the entire shift. However, 2:37 later, former Wild member Pascal Dupuis tied the game on a quick snapper. He was set up nicely by former fan favorite Martin Skoula.

It looked like the period was going to end 1-1, but thanks to an outstanding shift by Owen Nolan, Martin Havlat, Eric Belanger, Brent Burns and Greg Zanon working the puck in the corner and keeping play in the zone, Nolan kicked the puck to his feet while picking up his stick, then kicked it up the boards to Burns, who sent it across to Zanon. Zanon fired the puck toward the net where it was redirected to the corner, Havlat was waiting alone and found Belanger in the circle, fed him and Belly fired a shot over Marc-Andre Fleury's shoulder for the eventual game-winner with 0:00.6 left in the period.

The rest of the game consisted of Backstrom and the Wild countering every attack the Penguins threw at them, including pestering Sidney Crosby so much that he lost control, fighting with Marek Zidlicky (part of Crosby's 9 PIM) and started the ball rolling on Crosby crying to the refs at every opportunity. In fact, Sid was so off his game that the linesman dropped the puck with Crosby still outside the faceoff circle, complaining.

The Wild did a great job fighting off the Penguins tonight, capitalizing on their chances and worked hard. They earned this win, and will need these four days off to get some on-ice work to build on two solid games.

Please read the game recap over at PensBurgh

Hockey Wilderness Three Stars

Niklas Backstrom (34 saves)
Eric Belanger (1 G)
Marek Zidlicky (22:39 TOI, +1 and got in Sidney Crosby's head)

Questions to Answer

Will the Wild be the first team to 10 losses, tonight? Nope, they fought it off again.
Can the Wild build on their best game of the season? The Wild likely should've lost this game, but they did a much, much better job defensively tonight, keeping many of the shots to the sides and capitalized on their opportunities. Well done to get the road win.
Will Richards stick with the 1-man forecheck? It looked like he went back and forth, but they spent most of the time with the 1-man system.
Why can't Pouliot find the ice? I just don't get it. Pouliot has had a pretty good season, putting the effort in, but has yet to get regular ice-time.
Will James Sheppard finally get on the board? No. Sheppard had only 11:50 TOI, and never looked like he got into the flow.