SB Nation - Craig Weller

Coverage of Kobasew Trade; Jaime Sifers on Waivers; Marian Gaborik's Hot Start, Martin Havlat's Weak Groin: Daily Links

nathaneide — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 17:29:36 -0000

More photos » by Charles Krupa - AP

8 months ago: Boston Bruins right wing Chuck Kobasew, top, and defenseman Aaron Ward, left, celebrate with fans after a goal by teammate Phil Kessel, with back to fans, against Montreal Canadiens goalie Carey Price in the first period of a first-round NHL hockey playoff game Thursday, April 16, 2009, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

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Bruins trade Chuck Kobasew to Minnesota Wild - Stanley Cup of Chowder
It will take a while before we can really evaluate this trade. The most valuable piece would appear to be the 2nd round pick. Maybe the Bruins were looking to add some depth in the toughness department with Craig Weller now that Milan Lucic is on the shelf with a broken finger. With Peter Chiarelli and Don Sweeney calling the shots, it's no mystery why they wanted Fallstrom.

Wild acquire right winger Chuck Kobasew from Boston Bruins - TwinCities.com
"I try to chip in and do as much as I can offensively," he said, "and I like to pride myself on my play at both ends of the ice and be very good defensively. Whatever situation I'm put into and whatever role I'm given there, it doesn't matter to me. I'm looking forward to doing that and helping the team out."

Bruins send wakeup call, add to war chest with Kobasew trade - Puck Daddy - NHL - Yahoo! Sports
As for the Wild, they get a quiet dude who works harder than most playing down in the lineup. He hasn't found his game this season, but when he does you know what you get: Around 20 goals and some energetic shifts that can help flip the momentum in a game. He's a sparkplug. He's also a healthy body at forward for Minny, something in short order right now.

Russo’s Rants " Wild acquires Kobasew; Bouchard on LTI
As for Kobasew, who’s hit the 20-goal plateau in three of the past four years, I know a lot of people in Boston, and the scouting report from a bunch is this: "Good skater, works hard, drives to the net relentlessly, plays bigger than his size, has some skill, generates a ton of scoring chances for others but needs many scoring chances for him to be the scorer, is streaky undersized for the way he plays, which is very gutsy. Just goes to the net, plays hard on the wall. Because of that, he does get injured often. Best fit as a third-liner on a good team, but can be a second-liner on a bad team. Teammates love him. Reporters love him. Well-spoken, great guy."

Goalie Niklas Backstrom a rare bright spot for struggling Wild - TwinCities.com
Backstrom, who had a subpar 1-3 record, a subpar .902 save percentage and a subpar 3.01 goals-against average when he arrived in Vancouver, looked like the Backstrom of old, stopping 37 of 39 shots, including several when Canucks players were skating free in front of the net.

Russo’s Rants " Sources: Sifers on waivers
According to sources, the Wild had placed defenseman Jaime Sifers on waivers with the intention of sending him to AHL Houston.

Gaborik's hot start proving naysayers wrong - NHL.com
After seeing Gaborik contribute a goal and 2 assists in a 7-2 victory against Toronto Oct. 12, Maple Leafs GM Brian Burke said: "There are only a handful of guys in the League that when they get the puck I get nervous, and Marian Gaborik is one of them. He's always had electric talent."

What We Learned: When underdogs attack, logic loses - Puck Daddy - NHL - Yahoo! Sports
Guys, you're not going to believe this but Martin Havlat(notes) has now missed the last two games with, you guessed it, a groin injury.

Bruins trade Chuck Kobasew to Minnesota Wild

Stanley Cup of Chowder — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 01:53:06 -0000

More photos » by Chris Young - AP

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The Bruins have traded right wing Chuck Kobasew to the Minnesota Wild in exchange for a second round draft pick in 2011, the rights to Alexander Fallstrom, and Craig Weller.

Alexander Fallstrom was selected in the 4th round of this summer's NHL Entry Draft. The 6'2" 192lb right wing is a native of Sweden and is a freshman at Harvard.

Right wing Craig Weller was drafted by the St. Louis Blues in 2000 and has been a minor league journeyman and NHL depth player throughout his career. He has appeared in 95 NHL games with the Wild and Coyotes, recording 14 points (4-10-14) and 127 PIMs. He has been playing with the Houston Aeros of the AHL this season. He played parts of 5 seasons with the Hartford Wolfpack.

Chuck Kobasew appeared in 158 games for the Bruins recording 84 points (44-40-84).

It will take a while before we can really evaluate this trade. The most valuable piece would appear to be the 2nd round pick. Maybe the Bruins were looking to add some depth in the toughness department with Craig Weller now that Milan Lucic is on the shelf with a broken finger. With Peter Chiarelli and Don Sweeney calling the shots, it's no mystery why they wanted Fallstrom.

Wild Trade for Chuck Kobasew

BReynolds — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 00:50:03 -0000

From the Wild:

MINNESOTA WILD ACQUIRES RIGHT WING CHUCK KOBASEW FROM THE BOSTON BRUINS

    SAINT PAUL/MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – Minnesota Wild General Manager Chuck Fletcher tonight announced the National Hockey League (NHL) club has acquired RW Chuck Kobasew from the Boston Bruins in exchange for RW Craig Weller, a second round pick in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft and the rights to RW Alexander Fallstrom, who was selected by Minnesota in the fourth round (116^th overall) of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft.

    Kobasew, 27 (4/17/82), recorded one assist in seven games with the Boston Bruins this season. The 6-foot, 192-pound native of Vancouver, British Columbia notched 42 points (21-21=42) and 56 penalty minutes (PIM) in 68 regular season contests with the Bruins in 2008-09. He set new career-highs in assists and points and reached the 20-goal mark for the third time in his career. Kobasew added six points (3-3=6) and 14 PIM in 11 playoff contests.

    He has tallied 155 points (78-77=155) and 272 PIM in 368 career NHL contests during seven seasons with Calgary and Boston. Kobasew collected 49 points (27-22=49) in 43 games with Boston College in 2000-01 and was named the Most Valuable Player of the Frozen Four helping the Eagles claim the 2001 NCAA championship. He was originally selected by the Flames in the first round (14^th overall) of the 2001 NHL Entry Draft.

Craig Weller

#12 / Minnesota Wild

Height: 6-4

Weight: 220

Born: Mar 17, 1981

Chuck Kobasew

#12 / Right Wing / Boston Bruins

Height: 6-0

Weight: 192

Born: Apr 17, 1982

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2009 - Chuck Kobasew	7	0	1	1	-2	2	0	0	0	0	13	0.0

Career Stats for Kobasew:

GP: 368 G: 78 A: 77 P: 155 +/-: -15 PIM: 272 PPG: 28 PPA: 20 SHG: 3 GWG: 12 SOG:632

Cap Hit: $2.333 Million

Signed through 2010/11 Season

Michael Russo Interview with Hockey Wilderness

nathaneide — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 17:10:13 -0000

If you follow the Wild, you live and die by the words of Star Tribune Wild beat writer Michael Russo. We are fortunate enough to have one of the best beat writers in the NHL covering our squad. And I was lucky enough to get 20 minutes of his time this morning as he was headed to the X. I'm hoping I didn't make too big a fool out of myself and get a chance to speak with Mr. Russo again once the season is underway.

Hockey Wilderness: What is different about covering this regime compared to Lemaire/Risebrough?

Michael Russo: I loved dealing with Jacques. He was outstanding for what we need. Joked around, had fun. I had a lot of respect for him. I respect Todd too, don't get me wrong, but there's a feeling out process here. Jacques was brutally honest. Ask him how a guy played and he was straight with everyone. Sometimes he would tick off the player. Todd will very rarely rip a player. Monday night, I had to ask about Kim Johnsson playing terribly. He wouldn't insult my intelligence by denying it, but spins it into a positive.

I liked Doug. Doug was great talking about players, but wouldn't talk about moves, rumors, etc. Chuck's much more transparent. I have a great working relationship with him, going back to 1995 in Florida, where I covered 7 of his 9 years there.

Who has been the best quote you've covered?

Jeremy Roenick, Brett Hull were always fantastic, though I never got a chance to cover them extensively. Of the guys I have covered, Mark Parrish, Len Barrie, Ray Whitney, Mike Sillinger, Olli Jokinen were always great. Currently Eric Belanger is brutally honest and a great quote. Derek Boogaard and Brent Burns are hilarious. Brian Rolston was great to deal with and rarely spoke in cliches, which is always nice for a journalist.

From a journalists perspective, what's the major difference you've seen pre and post-lockout?

Before the lockout, you had to really work sources to get info on a contract. Now it's an email away. With the cap, teams want you to be accurate with what you write. No GM wants it out there that they have $8M of space when it's really $1.2.

As far as the on-ice product, it's just 10 times better. Gone is the clutch and grab of the Roger Neilson and Doug MacLean-era Panthers. It was ugly, but successful. Now, we've evolved past that.

What has been the most fun you've had covering a team?

It's gotta be that 95-96 Panthers team. Shocked the world, went to the Stanley Cup. That was the year of the rat. Florida was playing in the decrepit Miami Arena, and before a game there was a rat running across the locker room. Scott Mellanby winds up and takes a slapper at the rat into a wall, killing it. He then goes out, scores twice and John Vanbiesbrouck calls it the "Rat Trick". Well, you've all seen the YouTube videos of thousands of plastic rats raining down onto the ice. There are great shots of guys like Barrasso hiding in the net from the rats. That was a special season and the most fun I've had covering a team.

Winter Classic, Yay or Nay? If the Wild were to get one, would you want to have it held at TCF Bank Stadium or Target Field? Who would you choose to have the Wild play?

I'm for it. I haven't been inside Target Field, but TCF Bank Stadium is a great environment, and with that open end would be a great place for it. If it were me, I'd pick Vancouver because there's a hatred there.

What is still the biggest unanswered question for the upcoming season?

Boy, there are so, so many. But the main one is will they be able to turn the switch and be consistent in the new system? They did it in bits and pieces. There were 5 minutes stretches against Philly that were really fun to watch, but they gave up 39 shots and 35 quality chances. They can't do that and be successful.

Who is your impact guy?

[Brent] Burns is the guy who is going to be key. He looks like he's going to be extraordinary in the new system. He shouldn't be unheralded, but Greg Zanon is a fantastic signing. Now he isn't going to score 14 goals like Marc-Andre Bergeron, but he's going to block 300 shots and be the guy on the ice at the end of the game. He puts his body in harms way night in and night out, and risks injuries. If he stays healthy, he will be a rock solid defender.

We've heard that Josh Harding is going to get more time this season. Is that to showcase him for say ... Chicago? What kind of player/pick/prospect can we expect for Harding?

They could've traded him by now for picks and prospects. What they're hoping for is a team like Chicago or a true conteder to suffer an injury and need a goalie. There's no rush right now though. He's too precious an asset to give up for nothing. They would love to turn him into a scorer, and that's the way I see this going. That being said, he isn't an unrestricted free agent after this season, so they can still take their time and get the best deal possible.

Versus v. DirectTV. Whose fault is it?

I don't know whose fault it is, but its gotta get fixed. It makes the league look amateur. It needs to get resolved and Comcast and DirectTV need to get it taken care of. Both are NHL partners and the league may have to step in. You can't have your national partner on Satellite.

Is this a rebuilding team?

This is a better team than last year. They missed by 3 pts, added a perennial star in Martin Havlat, added a 25 goal guy in Petr Sykora. This is a transitional year. The problem is that everyone else got better too, and has better, younger talent than the Wild. If this were a Lemaire team, in that system, they'd make the playoffs. No knock against Richards, but it takes time to install a new system. I've covered a rebuilding team. This is definitely not a rebuilding team. I disagree with anyone who says this is a rebuilding year or that last years' team was better. This is a team that has to learn a new system, has a horrible road schedule and is in the hardest conference. Next season, they're in the playoffs. Houston will be a better team this year too. They have more NHL experience. They have guys like Andy Hilbert, Colton Gillies, Petr Kalus, Craig Weller, and those guys who are ready to come up will be able to produce, and remember this was a team that was a round away from the AHL title last season. Fans will have to be patient at the beginning, but this is a year in transition, not rebuilding.

Colton Gillies assigned to Houston, Craig Weller and Nathan Smith on waivers, Andy Hilbert update

nathaneide — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 17:58:14 -0000

According to Michael Russo and sources close to the team, Colton Gillies has been assigned to Houston, where he will start the season with the Aeros, getting a lot of game time. This is probably the best course of action to make sure he's ready when he gets the call, and I can't imagine he doesn't get a call at some point this season.

Craig Weller and Nathan Smith have been placed on waivers, and will likely clear and head to Houston as well.

Andy Hilbert will not be heading to Philadelphia for the final preseason game with the Flyers. Russo is reporting that Hilbert has likely been given a two-way offer to start the season in Houston and Todd Richards is waiting on Hilbert's decision.

Rosters need to be finalized on Wednesday, by 2:00pm.

Minnesota Wild @ Chicago Blackhawks: Game Recap

nathaneide — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 04:24:02 -0000

More photos » by Charles Cherney - AP

2 months ago: Chicago Blackhawks' Rob Klinkhammer, center, celebrates with teammates Brent Seabrook (7) and Jake Dowell (8) after tipping in the winning goal during the third period of a preseason NHL hockey game against the Minnesota Wild in Chicago on Friday, Sept. 25, 2009. (AP Photo/Charles Cherney)

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Minnesota Wild 3-4 Chicago Blackhawks

At least Martin Havlat looks game ready.

The Wild tonight could only amass 18 shots. Things aren't still aren't looking so good for the new system. However, it's hard to tell if it's injuries to regulars that is having this effect, or if it's because the guys aren't grasping the system very well. In the first, the Wild played its best period of hockey in the preseason. They looked like they had captured the essence of the new offense with nine shots and two goals (one by James Sheppard on a great feed from Martin Havlat and one by Brent Burn, rocketing home a slapper from a nice pass from Greg Zanon), but things unraveled in the second.

The second period was a flashback to December of 2008. Guys were out of position, the team was scuffling to clear the zone. Passes were ineffectual. Players tried to do too much and they were penned in their own zone.

The worst part of the preseason has to be the injuries, but injuries happen in the NHL and teams need to overcome them in order to succeed. Everyone on the ice needs to be on the same page, or at least in the same playbook. As Michael Russo stated however,

Richards said he’s using St. Louis and Chicago as a measuring stick, and the Wild has a lot of work to do. He wants the Wild to take a page out of the Blackhawks’ book. Chicago’s forwards pursue the puck relentlessly, Richards said, while the Wild continues to have one forward go and two hang back — a staple of yesteryear, he says.

This is disheartening. The Wild are still getting lazy and falling back into old habits.

Speaking of injuries, Kim Johnsson left the game with a leg injury of some kind. The team has not released the extent of his injury, but Todd Richards indicated that it might be a result of Johnsson's first back to back games of the year. If this is the case, it could be a groin, or just soreness. Let's hope that's all it is. Johnsson is going to need to be 100% this season. He'll be one of the go to guys on the blue line. He'll be responsible for leading the break and using some of that offense he had in Philadelphia, before losing it in Lemaire's system.

And speaking of Philadelphia (nice segue, huh?) the Wild end the preseason against the Flyers, then rosters need to be in place by 2pm on Wednesday.

The final cuts will be interesting. The Wild is $797,000 of the $56.8 million cap with 24 players, one more than they’re allowed. But Derek Boogaard probably starts the season on IR to get to 23, but that doesn’t solve the cap problems - Russo

So, what do you do? My gut says Colton Gillies, Matt Kassian, Danny Irmen, Robbie Earl, Nathan Smith and Scott are headed to Houston. Andy Hilbert, Nathan Smith and Jaime Sifers make the squad. Marco Scandella heads back to the Q. This leaves Craig Weller. If I remember correctly, he can go to Houston without waivers, but has a one-way contract. I just don't know what goes on there, but I think he stays. Let's see who is on the ice for Philly.

Hockey Wilderness Three Stars

Patrick Kane (2 G)
Martin Havlat (1 G, 1 A)
Antti Miettinen (2 A)

Questions to Answer

Will Martin Havlat be booed or cheered? I'm not certain what happened here.
With no Danny Irmen and no Robbie Earl, does Andy Hilbert actually make the squad? I think he does. He's put in a fantastic camp.
Is anyone else sick of watching the Houston Aeros, and can't wait to see the Wild actually take the ice? I definitely want to see the regulars.
Will there be less confusion amongst the Wild tonight? For one period, yeah.
Why have the Wild played 5 games and the Blackhawks only 3? They are playing exhibition games in Switzerland, then starting the season there against the Florida Panthers.

Wild vs Blackhawks coverage

Wild vs Blackhawks recap

Minnesota Wild @ Columbus Blue Jackets: Game Recap

nathaneide — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 03:14:11 -0000

More photos » by Jay LaPrete - AP

3 months ago: Columbus Blue Jackets' Rick Nash, right, carries the puck across the blue line as Minnesota Wild's Andy Hilbert defends during the second period of an NHL preseason hockey game Monday, Sept. 21, 2009, in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)

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Minnesota Wild 1-5 Columbus Blue Jackets

So, as chippy as these preseason games have been, tonight may have taken the cake. Not only did the lineup the Wild threw out there not provide the offense we've been looking for, but they took ill-advised penalties and played an ugly, chippy game all around. While tonight's 68 PIM fell just short of last nights, there was a 10 minutes misconduct last night to add to the amount, making tonight a much chippier game. Too much stick work, not enough moving the feet and not nearly enough playing the mental game. I guess that's to be expected from a team filled with guys headed back to Houston or juniors, but the guys need to put this behind them and look forward to Thursday.

What were the bright spots? Well, Kyle Brodziak continued to look like a good acquisition, scoring the only goal of the game; Petr Sykora got quality chances on the power play; Wade Dubielewicz didn't allow a goal. Oh, wait, he didn't play. Never mind.

What will happen to the bubble guys? Well, if the injury bug sticks around, we'll need plenty of bodies in Houston, and Pouliot may be on the shelf:

Richards is mostly concerned though with all the injuries. Benoit Pouliot went down in the third period with a strained groin, and Richards was so worried, he benched Antti Miettinen (he should have gotten benched because of his play, quite honestly) and Kyle Brodziak due to the soft ice.

Back in Minnesota, Mikko Koivu, James Sheppard, Andrew Brunette, Craig Weller, Shane Hnidy and Derek Boogaard are also hurt, and that’s just who we know about. I have seen other players wrapped up like a mummy, too. Richards, and the Wild highers-up, says the ice at the X has been terrible, and that’s a large reason for all the leg injuries. - Michael Russo

So, guess we'll just take this and move on. I'm glad this wasn't on TV, it sounded too reminiscent of last December.

Hockey Wilderness Three Stars

Derick Brassard (1 G, 2 A)
Kristian Huselius (2 A)
Kyle Brodziak (1 G)

Questions to Answer

With Andy Hilbert and Danny Irmen both in the lineup tonight, and only $600k left on the cap and one too many people on the roster, will Hilbert play up to the pressure? Hilbert had 18:29 TOI, -1, 2 SOG and 4 PIM. Not a positive step to try to get himself ingratiated to the club. Irmen went for 13:35, -1, 4 PIM. If I were a betting man, I'd say Irmen back to Houston, Hilbert out the door.
Do Marco Scandella and Tyler Cuma find themselves on the outside looking in? Tonight was a tough night to judge, but neither guy really impressed, and Cuma was directly responsible for three of the five Columbus goals.
Can anyone keep the two-goal streak alive? Definitely not.
Are the Wild ready for a back to back, or will they be dragging? While I couldn't tell since it wasn't on TV, it certainly didn't sound good at all.
With Belanger out of the lineup, will the Blue Jackets be looking to someone else for revenge? One might say that, considering there were 15 fighting or roughing penalties.

Wild vs Blue Jackets recap

Wild vs Blue Jackets coverage

Minnesota Wild @ St. Louis Blues: Game Recap

nathaneide — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 13:13:15 -0000

More photos » by Jeff Roberson - AP

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Minnesota Wild 1-3 St. Louis Blues

Well, since this isn't on TV, we'll let the esteemed Michael Russo take over from here:

Wild lost 3-1 at St. Louis, but as mentioned in the paper, Wild brought its minor-league team mostly and St. Louis many of its real players. Of the Wild guys, you’ll like Greg Zanon. Steady Eddy, and tough as nails. As advertised, just throws himself in front of shots. Shane Hnidy had some Martin Skoula moments, but also tough as nails in a different way. Won’t back down to anyone. James Sheppard played well. Kyle Brodziak was all over the place. I don’t see a ton of skill there, but won 13 of 16 draws (as you all know, the Wild need that) and had six shots. To me, he’s a center, not wing. Andy Hilbert worked his you know what off, but he’s thrown down pretty easily and as mentioned previously, with Petr Sykora here now, it’ll be a little more difficult for him to make the team. Craig Weller and Colton Gillies were minus-3’s. Benoit Pouliot scored a goal and didn’t back down physically in skirmishes, but there’s still a lack of drive every shift.

So ... as said yesterday, this team wasn't supposed to win. This was simply to find out who is ready to learn the system and who should just get on the plane and head to Houston ASAP.

Hockey Wilderness Three Stars

Benoit Pouliot (1 G)
Matt Kassian (first NHL action ever)
Todd Richards (There has to be some reason the team had 34 shots, right?)

Questions to Answer

Who are these guys? Your 2009-2010 Houston Aeros!
What can we possibly take away from Todd Richards' first game with this roster? They'll shoot the puck.
Will Petr Kalus and Benoit Pouliot find new life with a new coach and GM? Pouliot scored and played physically, but inconsistently. Kalus played physically but inconsistently. Sounds like same old same old with these guys.
Why is St. Louis taking this game this seriously? As it turns out, they're jumping right into it, heading to Sweden for exhibition play. Oh, and it was a home game. We'd be pissed too if last night's Wild lineup was out there this Friday.
How effing happy are you that hockey is back??? You have no idea.

Summer Hockey Fill: Get to know the Minnesota Wild

Jim Schmiedeberg — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 11:00:16 -0000

The hockey managers at SBNation decided to pair up and swap a few questions about their respective teams. In a strange bit of irony, Blueshirt Banter was paired up with Hockey Wilderness, the SBNation blog for the Minnesota Wild. Nathan and his team do a great job over there; make sure you check out their site.

Without further ado, here is what Nathan and I discussed regarding the Wild's upcoming season.

Blueshirt Banter: The Wild made a couple of great hiring's at GM and head coach. After many years of playing Jacques Lemaire's system, do the Wild have the right players for what is expected to be a much more offensive-minded system under new coach Todd Richards?

Hockey Wilderness: The right players? That is the ultimate question, isn't it? The Wild, never known for their offensive prowess, will suddenly find themselves in a new system with players drafted, developed and evaluated on their abilities to play positionally, play a puck possession/counter-attacking offense, take few chances and always know where their defensive responsibility lies. Players like Mikko Koivu, Nick Schultz, Antti Miettinen, Eric Belanger, Kim Johnsson, Cal Clutterbuck and Martin Skoula have found (reasonable in some cases) success in Jacques Lemaire's system, because they weren't expected to be everything to everyone. They were expected to stop the other team from scoring first, make offensive plays second.

Players like Pierre-Marc Bouchard, Marek Zidlicky, Marc-Andre Bergeron, Benoit Pouliot, Colton Gillies and James Sheppard who found themselves in Lemaire's doghouse for taking risks in the offensive zone and abandoning their defensive responsibilities or not back-checking as hard as possible, will likely find the new system refreshing, as they'll probably have much more latitude with the puck.

Guys like Andrew Brunette and Owen Nolan can find a home in any system. Anyone who can create traffic and score down low will find a spot on an NHL roster and succeed. Guys like John Scott, Derek Boogaard and Craig Weller were a staple in the old NHL, but having three on a roster in the new NHL and particularly in a free-flowing system, might find themselves on the outside looking in.

BSB: The injuries to Marian Gaborik are well documented, but after Gaborik left to sign with the Rangers, the Wild signed a player who has also had his fair share of injuries, Martin Havlat. I know many of your readers were not all that sad to see Gaborik leave for NY, but how have they reacted to the Havlat signing?

HW: Havlat is the kind of guy who, like Marian Gaborik, would find a home on any roster because they can make plays and put the puck in the net. The fans have been drawn to Havlat like moths to a flame because of his talent and on-ice determination to score, not to mention his twitter-driven openness. Gaborik had none of that in the eyes of many. I don't speak for many Wild fans when I say that I was absolutely crushed to see Gaby leave Minnesota. I think he would have been a 50+ goal guy on a Todd Richards team. It's as if they remember only the injuries and attitude of Gaborik, but ignore all of Havlat's injury history. We'll see what happens when Gaborik plays 65 games for the Blueshirts and goes for 85 points.

All this being said, the biggest question will be the impact on Niklas Backstrom and Josh Harding. Going back to Manny Fernandez and Dwayne Roloson, the Wild have had fantastic goaltending numbers, which many believed to be inflated due to the system. Backstrom signed a massive deal last season, and Harding will likely be tradebait this year to bring in young offensive talent. But if they suddenly find that the kinds of quality chances that the opposition had been denied for so long in Minnesota start showing up and Backstrom nears a 3.00 GAA, you might find people turning on Backs in a hurry or dreaming for the days of "The Trap."

Thanks again to Nathan over at Hockey Wilderness. My answers to his questions about the Rangers are up on their site today.

Minnesota Wild vs. Detroit Red Wings: The Morning After

nathaneide — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 04:55:33 -0000

Minnesota Wild 5-2 Detroit Red Wings

via cdn.nhl.com

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Owen Nolan show, starring Owen Nolan!

The Wild were aggressive on the forecheck, took advantage of scoring chances, played the counter attack well and the NHL's best penalty kill unit stopped the NHL's best power play unit on five chances. Jimmy Howard, freshly called up from Grand Rapids by the Red Wings had little to no chance tonight. He was the victim of great plays by Nolan and Bouchard as well as a nice feed from Mikko Koivu to Martin Skoula who looked like a sniper on his goal. You can't pin this loss on Howard at all. Minnesota simply played a better game in all facets, even being outshot 37-29. Heck, even Stephane Veilleux's empty net goal with two seconds left in regulation was a beautiful shot, and that's great to see because the Wild have struggled this season facing the empty net.

Not much to complain about tonight. All lines were going hard, moving the puck well. One Red Wing goal was a tough rebound that Backstrom made at least one save on before Kopecky scored. The other was a great redirect from Leino on a shot by Rafalski. The Wild did a fantastic job neutralizing Franzen, Zetterberg, Datsyuk and Hossa. If none of those four score, you're going to have a great chance to beat the scariest team in the NHL.

I'm really happy with the performance tonight. Now, again, the key is consistency. Can the Wild bring this game out tomorrow night in Chicago?

Hockey Wilderness Three Stars

Owen Nolan (2 G, 1 A)
Pierre-Marc Bouchard (1 G, 1 A)
Niklas Backstrom (37 shots, 35 saves)

Questions to Answer

Can the Wild get more than one shot in a period tonight? They certainly did. Nice to see them go for 60 minutes.
Does Mike Greenlay make anyone else want to shove pencils through their eardrums? Apparently so. He is not well liked by the FSN viewing audience.
Will anyone provide a spark, the way Olvecky, Gillies, Sheppard, Fritsche and Olvecky did in the second period against Calgary? Thank you Owen Nolan!
Can the Wild keep Detroit under 5? They did. Keeping Detroit under 5 seems to be the key. They have a ridiculous record when scoring 5 or more.
Has Lemaire lost the team? Well, after Thursday's sad performance, I wasn't sure. But they rebounded well tonight.

Notes

Andrew Brunette's streak of 509 consecutive games came to an end tonight.
Craig Weller played for the first time in the past 13, after being battered by the cast on Sheldon Souray's arm.

The Game In Pictures

via d.yimg.com

Game Highlights