Your Name Is Wild: Week #13

I watched in desperation as you stumbled before my eyes...

Well hello again, Wild fans!  Welcome to Your Name Is Wild: Week #13!

For those of you who are new to the column, here's the scoop:  The NHL season is a long, tedious journey.  We decided that this season we would ask TCDroogsma of the blog Wildly Biased to stop by each week and give us an update on our local squad.

Droogsy, what'd we miss?

What'd you miss?  What'd you miss?!?  The State Of Hockey is in full-fledged freak out mode after the things you missed!

Alright, quickly, when last we spoke the Wild were heading off for their Christmas break with visions of diminishing playoff odds dancing in their heads.  They had lost three straight on an Eastern Conference road trip and found themselves on the outside of the playoff picture looking in.

Well, Week #13 was a brief week for the boys, but it'll likely go down as one of the most peculiar (and disappointing) of the season.  Let's get into this.

The Week That Was

Friday 12/27 - Winnipeg: 6  Wild: 4

The boys returned from Christmas break to make the short trip up to Winnipeg.  Heading into this game the Wild were 3-0 against the Jets and, more importantly, has used their division rivals to right the ship multiple times this season.  Unfortunately, the Wild would have to attempt to right ship without the services of Josh Harding & Zach Parise.

Now, I don't know exactly what the Wild & Jets players did over their three day Christmas vacation, but one thing was clear:  It only took three days for the goaltenders to completely check out.

The first period featured a combined seven goals, four lead changes, and three goaltenders as the Jets & Wild took turns making a mockery of each other's goaltending.  And make no mistake, this was not two struggling offensive teams finally figuring it out, this was Ondrej Pavelec outsucking Niklas Backstrom followed by Backstrom outsucking Al "Colonel" Montoya.  The period featured goals by the likes of Stephane Veilleux, Justin Fontaine, Olli Jokinen, Dany Heatley, Blake Wheeler, Evander Kane, & Dustin Byfuglien.  That's a ginger, a plugger, two enigmas, two underachievers, one drunk boating enthusiast, and a partridge in a pear tree!

Now, with that wacky first period behind them, the two teams settled into what they do best:  struggling in just about every facet of the game.  Neither team's offense returned as both goaltenders played well enough to stop the few shots thrown their way.  Eventually Mikko Koivu tied the game with his first (!) power play goal of the season.

With the game tied 4-4 and reduced to a mere 20 minutes, the Jet found a way to pull out the W.  Blake Wheeler scored his second goal of the game (notably, from the crease) and Toby Enstrom cashed the emtpy netter to finish it off.

Wild Player Of The Game: Stephane Veilleux - I've been blogging about the Wild for quite some time and I have only one firm rule:  When Stephane Veilleux scores he is the player of the game.

Bask in his reflected ginger glory!

Impression Of The Game:  This game was set up as a collision between two things we know for certain:  The Wild absolutely suck on the road vs. The Wild own the Jets.  Unfortunately, "Wild suck on the road" proved to overpower "It's the JETS!?!"  That's an 0-4 road trip, a tumble out of the playoff picture, and an unhappy fanbase.  But hell, at least the Wild were returning home to face the hapless Islanders.  Everything will be fine...

Sunday 12/29 - New York Islanders: 5  Wild: 4

Oh no!  Everything's not fine!

Let's rewind for a minute.  The Wild have been a pretty dreadful road team all season, but they've been able to get away with it because they've been dominant in St. Paul.  The Islanders visiting after the Wild pissed away yet another road trip is just another variation on the script the Wild have been reading from ever since Mike Yeo rolled into town on his eyebrow-less horse.  The Wild would come out fired up, kick ass for three periods, and everybody would walk away thinking, "Good, the boys are back on track."

The first period and a half played out just the way it was supposed to.  Ryan Suter got the show started with is first goal of the year just 3:22 into the game.  The Xcel Energy Center exploded with a mixture of excitement and relief.  The boys are back on track.

The second period brought quick scores from Jonas Brodin (0:39 into the period) and former Islander Nino Niederreiter (2:20 later).  The rout was on and everybody was feeling saucy.  Or was it...

(Cut to frozen shot of Niederreiter smiling, fade to black, commercial)

The Wild were riding high with a 3-0 lead at home against the lowly Islanders.  It seemed like all the breaks that had eluded the Wild over the last week and half were finally going their way.  Everything was coming up Milhouse.

Except that, when push came to shove, the Islanders had the most talented player on either team: John Tavares.  Tavares showed exactly why he's the supernova of young stars in the NHL when he pulled his team back from the abyss with a goal at 8:45.  The rest of his team followed suit, tightening up and playing smart hockey until returning hero Cal Clutterbuck  changed the narrative of the whole period by netting goal with just over a minute left in the second.  Suddenly, this was the Islanders period and they were heading into intermission down just one goal.

The St. Paul faithful were definitely restless (I was there, trust me, nobody felt confident that this one was over), and there fears were realized 6:30 into the third when Thomas Hickey tipped the puck past Harding. Tie Game.

The teams traded shots for the next six minutes, but eventually St. Paul native (and one of the most unfairly cast villains in Wild history) scored to give the Islanders the lead they had been building toward since Tavares got them on the board.  The Xcel Center was silent (excepting the boo birds and their week's worth of pent up frustration).

From there it was an exciting, if disappointing, finish.  Justin Fontaine scored just one minute after Okposo, restoring hope to the Wild faithful & order to the world, but both were plunged back into the darkness yet another minute later when Okposo delivered the knockout blow.  5-4, 5:48 to play.

Proving that the hockey gods have a sick sense of humor (and/or humour), Calvin de Haan took a tripping penalty with 4:58 left in the game, sending the Wild's power play unit out for a chance to tie the game (and save Mike Yeo's job).  Inevitably, failure ensued.  The power play came up empty and, just to give the fans one last disappointment, Kyle Brodziak took a penalty with 2:31 remaining, robbing the Wild of the opportunity to pull Harding at the end of the game.

Wild Player Of The Game:  Nino Niederreiter - There's an awful lot of blame to go around for this one, but we should acknowledge Nino's efforts against his former team.  By all accounts his relationship with the Islanders was one of mutual disdain.  I doubt he'll score many more goals as satisfying as the one he scored Sunday.

Impression Of The Game:  Fear. Anger. Regret. Disappointment. Resignation...  These were all feelings felt by me, every other Wild fan, Wild players, Mike Yeo, Chuck Fletcher, & Craig Leopold as the Wild pissed away a three-goal lead at home to the Islanders.  I don't know if/who the fall guy will be for this loss, but it definitely felt like the low-tide moment of the season.

The Week Ahead

Tuesday 12/31 - St. Louis at Wild

One of the many reasons that the Wild's loss to the Islanders stung was the fact that the Blues were coming to town New Year's Eve.  As much as I'd like to see something different, I just can't imagine a scenario where the big, bad Blues do anything less than kick the shit out of the fragile Wild.  If Yeo isn't fired before this game I wouldn't be surprised if he's fired afterward.

Thursday 1/2 - Buffalo at Wild

The Wild beat the flailing Sabres earlier this year, but that was back when Ron Rolston was the coach.  The Sabres are still flailing, but with Ted Nolan back at the helm, it's flailing with a purpose.

Saturday 1/4 - Washington at Wild

Alexander Ovechkin & the good Nicklas Backstrom come to town for a Saturday night showdown.  Will Mike Yeo be coaching for his job?  Will Mike Yeo be watching from his own personal island in Ontario?  Tune in to find out!

The Big Picture

Most of this losing streak was covered in last week's post, so I'm going to do my best to focus on just these two losses.

Two things jump out immediately:

1.  The Wild gave up 11 goals to the Jets & Islanders!  Holy shit!

2.  The Wild scored 8 goals in two games without Zach Parise and came out of it with zero points.

When a team lays an egg like that there's usually a scapegoat.  In this case blame likely falls on the defense (atrocious) and the goaltending (equally bad).  But, as the old saying goes, you can't fire the players.

It's become clear that Mike Yeo's voice is being tuned out in the dressing room.  We have several seasons of evidence now that points to Yeo being unable to pull his team out of tailspins, tailspins that have occurred in each of his seasons. Frankly, I'm surprised Leopold (via Fletcher) didn't pull the trigger already.  Yeo will likely have to win both the St. Louis & Buffalo games to keep his job secure.

Meanwhile, the Wild are now sitting in 10th place, losing ground quickly.  Should be a fun week.

Until next time...

 

 

For more of TCDroogsma's hockey ramblings be sure to give him a follow on Twitter (@WildlyBiased).  He can also be found writing about the Wild in greater detail on his hockey blog Wildly Biased.

 

For more Newest Industry be sure to give us a follow on Twitter (@NewestIndustry1) to stay up on the work being done by all of our contributors.  More importantly, we have a Facebook page here.  Trivial as it seems stopping by & giving us a "Like" is a free & legitimate way to support the blog.

Songs Of The Week #72: TCDroogsma & MinneSarah

Kita Klane, Wooden Shjips, We Are Scientists, Courtney Barnett, & The Person & The People...

Well hello again, MP3 junkies!  Welcome to Songs Of The Week #72!
 
For those of you who are new to the SOTW column, here's the story:  TCDroogsma and MinneSarah are both fans of The Current's Song Of The Day podcast.  They're also both opinionated and have access to computers.  Seeing an opportunity to let them indulge in their MP3 habit and put them to work writing reviews we created the Songs Of The Week column.  Over a year later later and here we are.

As always, we strongly suggest that you follow this link and subscribe to the podcast yourself.  It's free and it's fun for the whole family!

To that end, once you've given each song a spin or two, feel free to cast a vote for your favorite song of the week in the poll to the right side of the page.  The artist who accrues the most votes wins the validation that comes from winning an anonymous internet poll, arguably the loftiest height to which a modern musician can aspire.

As per tradition TCDroogsma and MinneSarah have not read each other's reviews prior to posting

So... Droogsy, Sarah... thoughts?

01.  Kita Klane - Running Circles (from the EP In Love With The Enemy)

TCDroogsma:

     Kita Klane's Bandcamp page describes her as an, "L.A. natie & songwriting chanteusse."  I'm not 100% certain what that "songwriting chanteusse" means, but it sounds an awful lot like the kind of buzzword that stupid people use to sound important.

     With "Running Circles," Klane seems to be aiming for the soft, gooey middle ground between Adele & Amy Winehouse.  She hits the mark, but that's not necessarily a good thing.  She lacks Adele's "everywoman" charm (to say nothing of her vocal chops) while her "edgy" seems to be more a press-photos-and-artist-description concept than anything that's apparent in the music.  Maybe this sort of thing is just better left to the British.

MinneSarah:

     The mood of this song is reminiscent of Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds with the bell keyboard organs.  Kita Klane has a fire in her belly and it's all directed towards her ex in this smoothly delivered, dark and angry song.  Her caramel voice calmly describes her disappointment in a guy whose life choices seem to be wrong turns.

     Revenge break up songs only live in two camps - 1.) I'm better off without you and the best revenge is living well - think Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive" - 2.) You suck and you've always sucked and my condolences go out to anyone who will have to even look at you in the future - think The Toasters, "I Wasn't Going To Call You Anyway" (for instance, strange bedfellows to be sure). This one is in the second camp, but with a tangible sense of betrayal - she's not been off this one for a while and may drunk dial him to sing him this song. Ironically, nothing says running circles like checking your ex's Facebook twice a day. 

Final Score - TCDroogsma: 1.5/5
                     MinneSarah: 3/5

02.  Wooden Shjips - Everybody Knows (from the album Back To Land)

TCDroogsma:

     When I was going through these songs at the beginning of the week and saw that I'd be reviewing a band out of San Francisco that's described as "spacey psychedelic rock" and has little regard for proper spelling, I feared the worst.  That's a lot of minuses.

     However, proving the age old "Droogsy is usually wrong about everything" lesson yet again, "Everybody Knows" turned out to be a pleasant surprise.  The floats along on a guitar riff that seems basic, yet, over the course of five minutes, reveals itself to be a Kevin Shields-esque hypno-riff.  It's steady pulse provides the canvas for guitar solos, vocals that push falsetto (but don't force the issue), and the first tolerable use of harmonica to ever appear on the SOTD podcast.  Honestly, after a week with this song I still have no fucking idea what they lyrics are.  It doesn't matter, though.  That guitar sets the mood and never lets go.

MinneSarah:

     Distorted guitar saves the homesick harmonica, but that harmonica really drags this song down.  The mood of this one is low key, a little Velvet Underground, a little Phishy.  The vocals are comforting and carry the song throughout a haze - after several listens, I'm still not sure what any of the lyrics are or what they could be about. When in doubt, add a guitar solo - it also adds a good thirty seconds.  Though I don't know much  about this band, they seem like they've got a lot going for them in terms of tapping into their artistic creativity.  The harmonica really lost it for me, and that's sort of a deal breaker. 

Final Score - TCDroogsma: 4/5
                     MinneSarah: 3/5

03.  We Are Scientists - Dumb Luck (from the EP Business Casual)

TCDroogsma:

     On a scale of 1-10, how tired of reading reviews that start, "Holy shit!  We Are Scientists is still a thing?!?" do you think the guys in We Are Scientist are?  It's gotta be at least an 8, right?

     Well, I'm nothing if not out of date, so holy shit! We Are Scientists is still a thing?

     Now, obviously, We Are Scientists have already carved out their niche in early Aughts history with "Nobody Move, Nobody Get Hurt."  It wasn't a big hit, but it was definitely the kind of song that would scroll down my television if Time Life every put together a "Best Of The Early Aughts: The Hipster Years" compilation (or if they still sold CD's on television).

     So, with that in mind, just enjoy "Dumb Luck" for what it is.  It's hardly a redefining single (for the genre or the band), but it has it's charms.  Namely: Bitter, bitter anger.  I mean, the song opens with, "It took you long enough to figure this out... it should have been hours ago..."  At its heart, "Dumb Luck" is a solid, if half-formed rant.  However, We Are Scientists use all the veteran savvy they have, dressing the song up with plinking keys, double-tracked guitar solos, echoing vocals, and a stop-start chorus built around one monster riff to turn the song into a fully formed jam.

MinneSarah:

     For as much as "Dumb Luck" starts out as a Queens of the Stone Age song, eventually I stop tapping my foot and feel like I'm listening to something at my dentist's office.

     The first verse is the best - the vocals are layered, guitar is looping, and the drums keep building the mood.  The chorus and beyond is just too much - what I imagine the Wild Onion is like on the weekends.  It has all the good elements of a good pop/metal/alternative crossover, but the refrain is just a little too upbeat and out of place compared to the rest of the tune. 

Final Score - TCDroogsma: 3.5/5
                     MinneSarah: 3/5

04.  Courtney Barnett - Avant Gardener (from the double EP A Sea Of Split Peas)

TCDroogsma:

     This poor, stupid song.

     Let me explain.  I listen to these SOTD tracks as I walk to work every morning.  Courtney Barnett's rambling "Avant Gardener" had the misfortune of being cut off halfway through everyday (with the second half waiting to be picked up when I went on break).  While this didn't do the song any favors, it was doubly disappointing for me, as this break made it seem as if I was slogging through the song twice a day.

     I read a blurb about "Avant Gardener" earlier this week in which Barnett claims that this is one of the only songs she's written that began with the music (with lyrics added after the fact).  Maybe that's the problem.  The music itself is a pretty standard country-tinged shuffle.  Perhaps the psuedo-clever lyrics (a story in which Barnett passes out and is rescued by an ambulance filled out by the kind of jokes & references that make dumb people feel smart) seem so desperate because it would take something daring to give the song any color.  Barnett aims for "Dylan-esque" (bluntly referenced in the song's video), but comes off like somebody captioning photos on Instagram.  If this is the next generation of folk music I pray Mr. Tambourine Man never lays down his guitar.

MinneSarah:

     One of the things I dislike about Bob Dylan is that at times his lyrics seem to be recounting or explaining a scenario in excruciating detail.  "Avant Gardener" certainly fits this description.  Who would have thought someone could write a five minute song about an asthma attack and have it be listenable?  The guitar is twangy and distorted throughout, with pops and buzzes fighting through the narrative.  There is something endearing about hearing every thought - what do the neighbors think?, they must be wrong, these people sound decent!

     After a couple listens, this song seemed like a masterpiece - the vocalist is clever because she plays guitar - or maybe it is just her Australian accent.  After about ten listens in and this song is particularly annoying and the guitar and detailed narrative is stale.  Hands together for making a song about asthma sound interesting, at least for several listens.

Final Score - TCDroogsma: 1/5
                     MinneSarah: 3/5

05.  The Person & The People - I Was Wrong (from the album Big Whoop)

TCDroogsma:

     I don't know what they're putting in the water over in St. Paul, but it's leading to tremendous power pop.  Somewhere between The Persian Leaps and Panther Ray lies The Person & The People.

     Now, a large chunk of the appeal of "I Was Wrong" is that absolutely no aspect of it sounds new.  In fact, I could pretty much hum along with the melody as it unfolded the very first time I heard it.  Whether that means the songs appeal is in "timeless pop craftsmanship" or "listener nostalgia" is an interesting question, though it's rendered absolutely moot for the three minutes I spent bobbing my head while the song played.

MinneSarah:

     You know what the world needs?  A good pop song.  "I Was Wrong," is a straightforward example of an unapologetic (okay, the song is about an apology) rock pop song.  It's a formula that is beyond refreshing.  While I'd give my left nut to have a new Superdrag albums, I'm lucky (mostly because I lack nuts) that there is a local band capable of carrying on the torch of straight forward, catchy, pop music.

Final Score - TCDroogsma: 3.5/5
                     MinneSarah: 4/5

Well there you have it, MP3 junkies!  Another week's worth of songs downloaded, reviewed, & filed away!

As always, please keep in mind that neither Newest Industry nor our contributors are in any way affiliated with the artists above, The Current, or MPR.  We're just music fans with laptops and a bit too much time on our hands.

For more TCDroogsma be sure to give him a follow on Twitter (@TCDroogsma).  He can also be found right here on Newest Industry hosting our free weekly podcast Flatbasset Radio

For more MinneSarah be sure to give her a follow on Twitter (@MinneSarah).  She can also be found right here on Newest Industry filing reports out of St. Paul for our Big Day Out column






For more Newest Industry be sure to give us a follow on Twitter (@NewestIndustry1) to stay up on the work being done by all of our contributors.  More importantly, we have a Facebook page here.  Trivial as it seems, stopping by and giving us a "Like" is a free & legitimate way to support the blog.

Newest Industry Presents - Flatbasset Radio: Episode #25

Me & Garrison Keillor on the four-wheeler sippin' tequila...

Hello again, free music fans! Welcome to Flatbasset Radio: Episode #25!
 
For those of you who are unaware of the Flatbasset Radio format, here's what you're looking at: TCDroogsma is our resident MP3 junkie. As you've probably noticed in his Songs Of The Week column, he's not always the most positive music fan. In an effort to prove that he is, in fact, a fan of music, we give him an hour each week to play the songs he's digging and talk a little bit about them. Once he's recorded his podcast we put it right here on the website for free to stream!

In this week's episode Droogsy eschews Christmas songs for "secular music," uses the term "dream-poppy-prog-rocky...," celebrates a young rapper who passed too soon, concedes that he's let his laser noise game lapse, ranks Santa's reindeer in this week's Power Rankings, indulges his love of dopey love songs, and, at least for this week, puts down his axe in his fight against an indie rock icon.

You can download the podcast for free by clicking the episode's title or stream the episode by clicking on the Mixcloud player below.

Flatbasset Radio: Episode #25

Flatbasset Radio: Episode #25 by Tcdroogsma on Mixcloud

01. Atmosphere (w/Dem Atlas, Joe Horton, & Toki Wright) - Color In The Snow
02. King Tuff - Bad Thing
03. Homeless & The Van Gobots - Math Automatic
04. The Henry Clay People - Clean Sheets
05. Capital Steez - Cab Fare
06. Jamie XX - Untitled
07. Run The Jewels (w/DJ Q-Bert) - Pew Pew Pew
08. Mason Jennings - Raindrops On The Kitchen Floor
09. Cymbals Eat Guitars - Some Trees
10. FINS - Transatlantic Tryst
11. Tom Waits - Christmas Card From A Hooker In Minneapolis

There you have it, music fans! Enjoy!

For more TCDroogsma be sure to give him a follow on Twitter (@TCDroogsma).  Previous episodes of Flatbasset Radio are archived on his Mixcloud page.  Stop by Flatbasset Radio's Facebook Page & give it a "Like" if you have the time.

For more Newest Industry be sure to give us a follow on Twitter (@NewestIndustry1) to stay up on the work being done by all of our contributors.  More importantly, we have a Facebook page here.  Trivial as it seems, stopping by and giving us a "Like" is a free & legitimate way to support the blog.

Your Name Is Wild: Week #12

Fa-la-la-la-la...

Well hello again, Wild fans!  Welcome to Your Name Is Wild: Week #12!

For those of you who are new to the column, here's the scoop:  The NHL season is a long, tedious journey.  We decided that this season we would ask TCDroogsma of the blog Wildly Biased to stop by each week and give us an update on our local squad.

Droogsy, what'd we miss?

Week #12 is upon us, which means our beloved Wild are wrapping up their third month of play.  The Wild entered the week barely hanging on in the Western Conference playoff race.  The week brought an old rival to the Xcel Energy Center before the boys went out on the road to test their mettle against the "inferior" Eastern Conference. 

Let's break this thing down!

The Week That Was

Tuesday 12/17 - Wild: 3  Vancouver: 2 (SO)

Tuesday brought the Vancouver Canucks to the Xcel Energy Center for the first time this season and a lot has changed since they last met.  The Wild & Canucks no longer share the Northwest Division (R.I.P), which means that this rivalry is likely on its last legs.  The Canucks have moved on from longtime coach Alain Vigneault.  I'll miss Vigneault.  His mannequin-esque appearance behind the Vancouver was always a joy.  Now, when I say "mannequin-esque," I'm not referring to his appearance (mannequin's are designed to be attractive), I'm referring to the fact that even a brainless, human shaped lump of plastic could have handled those Canucks squads as well as Vigneault.

In his place the Canucks have brought in former Rangers coach/professional troll John Tortorella.  One of Tortorella's first orders of business when he came to Vancouver was to make nice with goaltender Roberto Luongo, the deposed #1 goalie who had been returned to his previous standing during the offseason.

Now, one of the great quirks of the Robeto Luongo Era in Vancouver is that, after several poor performances, Alain Vigneault decided that Luongo was not allowed to play in St. Paul.  He always played well against the Wild in British Columbia, but every time he came to the Xcel Center he fell apart.  This wasn't much of a problem for the Canucks the last couple of years because they had Corey Schneider to start, and usually win, the games in St. Paul.  However, with Schneider and Vigneault now languishing in the Tri-State area, Luongo got the nod in St. Paul.

As has been the case for the last month of the season, the Wild came out without much energy.  They spent the first few minutes of the game chasing the puck before Jannik Hansen (with assists from both Henrik & Daniel Sedin), put the puck behind Josh Harding.  Unlike most of the last month, the Wild were able to rally to tie the game before the first period was up when Zach Parise buried a power play goal.

The second period played out in much the same fashion.  Notorious bear hunter David Booth scored to give the Canucks a 2-1 lead.  Unfortunately the Wild were unable to net an equalizer as the period ended with the Canucks nursing a one goal lead.

The third period found the Canucks putting the clamps on the Wild.  Vancouver controlled play for most of the period and looked to be on their way to adding to their three-game winning streak.  And then, it happened.  The Hockey Gods, known more for their sadistic sense of humor than anything else, looked down from their press box in the sky, saw Roberto Luongo about to win a game in St. Paul, and laughed as they prevented Luongo from closing the five-hole on Charlie Coyle's wrister.  Softy.  Tie game.

The game went to a shootout and, fortunately for the Wild, the Canucks are one of the worst shootout teams in the format's short history.  Harding stopped all three Canucks shooters, while Luongo stopped Zach Parise, dodged a bullet when Koivu dented the crossbar, and finally took the loss when Jason Pominville buried a wrister to give the Wild the two points.  Somewhere Brian Rolston was smiling.

Wild Player Of The Game:  Mikko Koivu - The Captain paced the Wild with assists on each of the goals in this one.  Had he put his shootout attempt half an inch lower he would have netted that winner too.  Of course, half an inch higher and he would have missed the net entirely.  Hmmmm...

Impression Of The Game:  The Wild continued to build their playoff hopes on home wins.  Considering they're about to spend the rest of the week out East, this was an important victory (made all the more fun by screwing with Luongo & Tortorella).

Thursday 12/19 - Pittsburgh: 5  Wild: 2

The Wild headed to Pittsburgh Thursday night for the first of four games out East.  Unfortunately, they flew with one less passenger than usual.  Josh Harding, the Wild's workhorse all season, was placed on IR to deal with adjustments to his MS medication.  Being placed on IR means that player must miss at least a week of action, which means it was the Niklas Backstrom show until at least December 27th in Winnipeg.

Now, I've been as critical as anybody when it comes to the Wild's goaltending situation, but I'd like to take a second to give Backstrom a bit of credit.  Here's a guy who's been a good, well compensated soldier in St. Paul through three different head coaches.  He was basically run into the ground last year as the Wild tried desperately to make the playoffs (read: As Chuck Fletcher & Mike Yeo tried desperately to save their own asses).  He was left to dangle in the wind during the offseason (and offseason in which he was recovering from hip surgery due playing so frequently during the season) while Fletcher attempted to trade for Jonathan Bernier.  When Fletcher proved not to have the stones to make that move he brought Backstrom back on a reasonably priced three year deal.  The season's been downhill from their as Backstrom's battled injuries while trying to overcome a head coach who puts him in the worst possible position to succeed (second games of back-to-backs on the road).  I know Backstrom loves to be a Wild and is trying to make the best of a bad situation, but this isn't working out for anybody right now.

Alright, back to the game.  The Wild entered the game attempting to notch their first win in Pittsburgh since their first visit to Pittsburgh back in the inaugural 2000-01 season.  Good times.

This one was over before it even had a chance to get going.  Canadian Olympic troll Chris Kunitz staked the Penguins to a 1-0 lead a mere 0:49 into the game.  Niklas Backstrom failed to hold on to a Pascal Dupuis wrist shot, dropped the puck right in front of the net, and Kunitz capitalized.

The Wild were able to hold down the fort for the remaining 19 minutes of the period, but failed to mount any sort of sustained attack against the Penguins and their netminder Jeff Zatkoff.

The second period turned out to be just about the worst period the Wild has put together this season.  Brandon Sutter gave the Pens a 2-0 lead at the 1:54 mark of the period.  Matt Niskanen (who always scores against the Wild) notched a power play goal just 90 seconds later to make it 3-0.  The Pens then put the final nail in the coffin when Chris Kunitz & Sidney Crosby hooked up to make it 4-0 just past the 10 minute mark of the period.  When Jason Pominville mercifully got the Wild on the board, the goal was most noteworthy for ruining Zatkoff's shutout attempt.

The Wild showed signs of life in the third period when Dany Heatley scored to cut the Pens lead to 4-2 with nearly 17 minutes left to play.  Unfortunately, that glimmer of hope ended up being taken away in the most depressing way possible.  The Penguins Olli Maatta & Craig Adams took consecutive penalties just 14 seconds apart, meaning the Wild would have 1:46 worth of 5-on-3 power play time to get themselves back in the game.

Now, the Wild have been gifted several extended 5-on-3's this season and each one has ended horribly.  Typically the Wild not only fails to score, but also gives up at least one shorthanded opportunity to their opponents.  This has happened frequently enough that this 5-on-3 in Pittsburgh was greeted online with the most tepid of optimism.  Unfortunately, even tepid optimism turned out to be a mistake.  Not only did the Wild fail to score, but they failed to cover Ollii Maatta as he left the penalty box.  The rookie defender took a headman pass, came in alone on Backstrom, and was brutally hooked from behind by Jonas Brodin.  Maatta was awarded a penalty shot (which he buried), the Pens killed off the remainder of Adams' penalty, and that was all she wrote.

Wild Player Of The Game:  Keith Ballard - The concussion-prone defenseman answered the bell twice when Penguins players were upset about his very legal hip checks.  He lost a close decision to former Wild player Chuck Kobasew and then fought renowned idiot James Neal to a draw.  All because they don't know how to avoid a hip check.

Impression Of The Game:  As I mentioned at the top, the Wild haven't won in Pittsburgh in more than a decade.  Coming into this game the Penguins were missing 10 (!) regulars from their lineup and starting a goalie I've never even heard of.  At no point during the 60 minutes of this game was the outcome ever in doubt.

Sunday 12/22 - New York Rangers: 4  Wild: 1

After losing to the Penguins the Wild had two days off after to reevaluate their existence in the NHL.  They headed up to Manhattan for a game against Alain Vigneault & the Rangers.

In desperate need for a shot of optimism, the Wild welcomed Mikael Granlund back to the lineup.  The Wild's offense has stagnated since Granlund went down a few weeks ago.  In particular, Jason Pominville & the second line has been pretty much useless.

Granlund's return had its intended effect just 4:08 into the game when Jason Pominville netted the games first goal (with Finnish Jesus notching the secondary assist).  It was the first time the Wild had scored first in a game since... um... I don't remember the last time the Wild scored first in a game.  Against a Rangers team that had been struggling (and who was starting their backup goalie), this was an encouraging sign.

Unfortunately, this was just yet another in what's become a season of false starts.  The Wild surrendered the lead twelve minutes later when Benoit Pouliot (easily one of the most loathed ex-Wild players), tied the game 1-1.  From then on it was all Rangers.

Carl Hagelin & Mats Zuccarello netted goals in the second period to stake a 3-1 lead.  The wheels finally came off in the third when Chris Kreider fanned on a shot while streaking down the wing.  Backstrom attempted to shovel the shot away, fanned as well, and watched helplessly as the puck slid through his legs.  It was easily the worst goal I've ever seen Backstrom give up.  Easily.

Wild Player Of The Game:  Mikael Granlund -  A distressing mixture of dread & lethargy seems to have infected the Wild dressing room lately.  Fortunately, Granlund has been nowhere near the dressing room for a couple of weeks.  He made his way onto the scoresheet early in this one but, more importantly, looked like the same guy that was flying up and down the ice in the halcyon days of November.  Whether Granlund's reemergence is enough to pull the Wild up out of the muck (or whether the muck will consume him) has yet to be seen.

Impression Of The Game:  The old saying goes, "If you can make it in New York you can make it anywhere!"  If you can't make it in New York?  Against these Rangers? You're probably not a playoff team.

Monday 12/23 - Philadelphia: 4  Wild: 1 

After being thoroughly beaten in New York, the Wild packed up their sinking ship and set course for The City Of Brotherly Love.

To be honest, I didn't watch one moment of this game.  I got together with my family to celebrate Christmas and take a well-earned reprieve from watching this floundering squad.  Unfortunately, my love of the Wild is a family affair.  As my dad and I followed along on Twitter, the Wild beaten handily by a Flyers squad that began this season as one of the worst in the NHL.  Ugh...

Wild Player Of The Game:  Niklas Backstrom - I have no idea if Backstrom played well or not, but I'm giving him the trophy because he received four goals in three games for offensive support and didn't kill anybody.  He's a stronger man than me.

Impression Of The Game:  The Wild head into Christmas break out of the playoff race and losers of three straight.  This has to be rock bottom, right?

The Week Ahead

Friday 12/27 - Wild at Winnipeg

The Wild return from their three day Christmas break to find a trip to Winnipeg waiting for them.  The Wild have taken all three games they've played against the Jets this season, so perhaps this will be just what the doctor ordered to get the boys back on track.

Sunday 12/29 - New York Islanders at Wild

Sunday brings Thomas Vanek and the Islanders to St. Paul.  On paper this looks like a matchup between two underachieving teams, but the game does hold special significance, as it marks Thomas Vanek's last appearance in St. Paul in a visitor's sweater.

The Big Picture

As the Wild/Flyersgame entered the third period (with the Wild down 3-1) on Monday night, my two nephews opened their Christmas gifts: Matching Wild t-shirts, one with "Pominville" on the back, the other with "Parise."  They couldn't have been more excited.

That's the note I'm leaving this week with.  Is it a fun time to be a Wild fan?  Not really, but that's only if you're old enough to take this stuff too seriously.  I promise you those little maniacs have never been more excited to be Wild fans.  Merry Christmas.

Until next week...

 

 

For more of TCDroogsma's hockey ramblings be sure to give him a follow on Twitter (@WildlyBiased).  He can also be found writing about the Wild in greater detail on his hockey blog Wildly Biased.

 

For more Newest Industry be sure to give us a follow on Twitter (@NewestIndustry1) to stay up on the work being done by all of our contributors.  More importantly, we have a Facebook page here.  Trivial as it seems stopping by & giving us a "Like" is a free & legitimate way to support the blog.

Ten & Six With Mike Otto: Week 16 - Minnesota Vikings at Cincinnati Bengals (Plus Picks!)

Baby, if you've ever wondered what became of me...

Well hello again, football fans!  Welcome to Ten & Six!

YOUR Minnesota Vikings put together a surprisingly convincing victory last Sunday over Lil' Chippy Kelly's Philadelphia Eagles.  This week they head to Cincinnati to face Andy "Crystallized Ginger" Dalton, AJ Green, and the rest of the Bengals in a game that has significant AFC playoff implications.

Mikey Otto is back to tell us what went right last week, what went wrong, and what to watch for this week.

Mikey, what do ya think?

How about that! The Matt Cassel led-Purple scored the most points by a Vikings team since our boys hung 50 on the Jaguars in 1998, and we all remember that year, don't we? What does this tell us?

First and foremost, the Jaguars have always been terrible, and secondly, maybe Christian Ponder didn't "give the team the best chance to win" for all those weeks in the middle of the season. I don't now whose choice it was to keep trotting the lame mule that is Christian Ponder on the field week after week, but whoever insisted on that should be fired at seasons end.

The Eagles have had one of the best offensive attacks in the NFL for the last seven weeks, and the Vikings starting 11 unquestionably outperformed them on Sunday. Greg Jennings looks like he's worth his money when Matt Cassel starts. Jennings set a personal record for receptions on Sunday! Remember this is the guy who played with Brett Favre Brett Favre AND Aaron Rodgers previously. Jennings has 4 TD's on the season and all of them have come from the right arm of Matt Cassel.

Think about the first score in the game. Cassel gets pressure up the gut, side steps it, keeps his eyes downfield in a collapsing pocket, takes two steps forward and launches a perfect pass to Jennings, who has gotten behind three Eagles defenders 50 yards downfield. If Ponder is in the game for that play, one of two things happen. Either Ponder tucks it and runs for a 2 yard gain, or he curls into the fetal position and accepts a sack for a loss of 8 yards. In no world does that play end in a touchdown if Christian Ponder is throwing the football. 

Now tell me again, who gives the team the "best chance to win?" 

Much more on the offensive outburst from our Vikings later, time to dive into some league picks. WOOOO? WOOOOO!

Miami (8-6) at Buffalo (5-9)

The Dolphins are on the brink of a playoff birth. Things are looking up. Ryan Tannehill looks like a real-deal NFL quarterback. This can only mean one thing: A terrible let-down is around the corner. The Bills represent the ever present (if you're a Dolphins fan) trap game, a shitty team that is well out of contention yet has the ability to put out a scrappy, halfway decent football game every three weeks or so.

The Dolphins have been doomed ever since that perfect season. It's like the Football Gods gave them that, and in the same breath decided that any success they ever had for the next 40 years would be short-lived. Who knew the football Gods were Japanese? Anti-Dolphin bastards! I saw "The Cove", I know what you're about. Bills pull the upset, and crush the hopes and dreams of Dolphins fans everywhere, 23-20.

New Orleans (10-4) at Carolina (10-4)

Both teams are 10-4, but the Saints hold the tiebreaker over the Panthers. Cam Newton faces his greatest test yet, with a bye week in the first round of the playoffs on the line, the pressure has mounted. He faces an inconsistent defense in the New Orleans Saints, so if he fails to win this game it comes back to him. This is going to be a tightly contested game, but I don't think Cam Newton can out-perform Drew Brees at this point. Saints win 27-26.

Denver (11-3) at Houston (2-12)

The Texans season has been one to forget. I mean, for god's sake, you know things are going bad when Wade Phillips becomes the best option at head coach. You might as well let JJ Watt call the plays. I know the Broncos lost to manic human pin cushion Philip Rivers last week, but they won't choke this one away. Broncos win 33-20.

Tennessee (5-9) at Jacksonville (4-10)

What a crapper of a game this will be. Two much maligned teams will no doubt play a clunker of a contest, fraught with turnovers, stumbles and flubs. That's a lot of stupid words for one football game. Mike Munchak learns to munch on another pathetic loss, Jags win 26-16.

Indianapolis (9-5) at Kansas City (11-3)

If Andrew Luck can figure out how to run a decent offense with any consistency (but without Reggie Wayne), the Colts will have a chance to win this game. If he can't, Kansas City is going to run him out of Arrowhead Stadium with ease. I have no doubt Andrew Luck will one day be a franchise QB and the cornerstone of the Indianapolis Colts, but I don't think he is ready to realize that future this year. Chiefs win, 31-23

Dallas (7-7) at Washington (3-11)

Tony Romo might have the worst luck of any guy in the NFL. That, or he just really sucks when the pressure is on. DeMarco Murray was averaging 7 yards a carry at halftime of a game the Cowboys were leading by 23. He got 7 carries the second half. Who was calling those plays? Jerry Jones? That type of game-plan is senile. Hand the ball off, run the clock, and make the Packers come to you. Chances are, if you don't give them any turnovers, play field position and tack on a couple field goals, they have NO CHANCE to catch you. The December Dallas swoon is predictable, and at times, a little sad. Redskins win 24-23.

Cleveland (4-10) at New York Jets (6-8)

How do teams like this manage to care about a game like this? It's Week 16, everyone is sore, tired and the weather is cold so every collision hurts a lot more than it did in September. Both your teams suck, and what's the point? This is probably why I stock groceries for a living (LOL TEE HEE). Browns win 22-13.

Tampa Bay (4-10) at St. Louis (6-8)

ALL TONY SCHIANO DOES IS WIN BABY! As long as his team is already out of it and there is no longer any pressure on him or his players. Oh well, he will get another shot next year, waste everybody's time again, then get fired. I look forward to that. Bucs win, win, WIN! 23-20.

Arizona (9-5) at Seattle (12-2)

Sorry Cardinals fans, your squad has put up an impressive effort this year, but they are about to get squashed by the 'Hawks. These chickens that live by the sea don't lose in their own roost. Not to some bullshit bird like the Cardinal. Skiddish and bashful, Cardinals get eaten by house cats. Seahawks eat house cats. Getting the picture? 'Hawks win 42-27.

New York Giants (5-9) at Detroit (7-7)

Not even the Lions can fuck this one up. The NFL set a record for combined points last week and lets see the Giants chipped in....ZERO of those points. It's like someone stole Eli Manning's talent in a Space Jam-esque way. On the plus side, I haven't to watch that horrible salsa dance TD celebration once this year. ONCE! This is a year removed from watching it at least once a week, sometimes two or three. ESPN even made a special about that shit. Seriously. Justice has been served. Lions win 24-16.

New England (10-4) at Baltimore (8-6)

This should be a good one. Tom Brady looks like he is going to struggle to find offense without resident bridge troll and All-Pro tight end GRONK. The Ravens continue to pull victories out of their ass, but how much does that really mean when it's coming against NFC North opponents? We'll find out on Sunday. Pats win 24-19.

Oakland (4-10) at San Diego (7-7)

This is the game the Chargers lay an egg right? Big time let down game right? Fresh off a win on the road against the mighty Broncos, with 9 days to prepare for the lowly Raiders at home. This all adds up to a typical Philip Rivers 4 INT game. Even with the shit game by Rivers, the Chargers will have a chance in this one late, but alas, it gets flushed down the toilet. Raiders with the upset 20-17.

Pittsburgh (6-8) at Green Bay (7-6-1)

Aaron Rodgers still has yet to be cleared to play, but has started to look like himself during practice this week. He won't be back this Sunday, but I know for a fact the Packers are going to win this game, it doesn't matter who starts at QB for them. You know why? Because I desperately want them to lose. It won't happen, Packers are going to the playoffs this year, probably thanks to that tie, because God hates me. Packers win 23-21.

Chicago (8-6) at Philadelphia (8-6)

If the Bears and Packers both win, the division will come down to the final week of the season and set up a dream football matchup of the Bears/Packers at Soldier Field with everything on the line. Now, I hate both the Bears and Packers with a fiery passion, but even I want to see that game. That's just good TV. Don't fuck this up, Chicago. Bears win 28-26.

Atlanta (4-10) at San Francisco (10-4)

For fuck's sake, the NFL couldn't flex a halfway decent game to Monday night? What a shitstorm route this is going to be. The Falcons have no chance, nor do they really deserve to have one. Terrible franchise which I will always hate. YOU STOLE MY CHILDHOOD HAPPINESS YOU FILTHY DIRTY BIRDS!!! TAKE A KNEE? HOW ABOUT YOU TAKE A KNEE UP THE ASS?!? Niners win easy 42-23. 

That's it folks, on to the main event!

MINNESOTA VIKINGS (4-9-1) at CINCINNATI BENGALS (9-5)

The Vikings have their work cut out for them so I won't waste any time. Lets get into some positives and negatives from last weeks destruction of the Eagles. As always the positives first.

Positives:

-Matt Cassel  He looked like a field general is supposed to look. After watching week after week of Christian Ponder look like a quarter pounder (read: Quarter Ponder) it was nice to see someone look like a quarterback. 382 through the air and 3 total TD's. Ponder could have never done that.

-Greg Jennings  He is obviously a different player when Matt Cassel is throwing him the ball. He has 4 TD's on the year and all of them came from Cassel. Ponder doesn't make anyone better, quite the opposite actually, it appears he makes everyone around him a little worse. In Greg Jennings' case, A LOT worse.

-Sean Prater  It took him one game to nab his first INT as a Viking. Chris cook has played 25 games for the Vikings and has forced no turnovers. No INT's, no forced fumbles, just a lot of failure. Prater made a nice play on the INT, he stayed home, read Nick Foles' eyes and didn't let DeSean Jackson get behind him. He was rewarded with an easy pick.

Negatives:

-The Defense Nearly Let The Eagles Back In It  If Cassel doesn't throw a rocket to backup tight end Chase Ford on 3rd and 14 to get down to the 5 yard line, I think the Vikings lose the lead. If they punt to the Eagles there, I guarantee you the Eagles march down the field with ease and take the game from the Vikings. This defense is awful, and it needs to be improved vastly through free agency and the draft.

Three Keys To A Vikings Victory:

Key #1:  Double AJ Green All Game

The Vikings don't have a single player that could cover AJ Green one on one. Can you imagine Marcus Sherels trying to run deep with him? I love Marcus, but even the fastest dog isn't going to win a horse race. Hopefully Harrison Smith puts a good hit on him early and makes him think twice about going across the middle.

Key #2:  Defensive Linemen Need To Get Their Hands Up

Andy Dalton has been sacked a league low 27 times, mainly because the Bengals do a lot of three-step drop, quick release, timing routes. He is also near the top of the league in balls batted down at the line of scrimmage. Jared Allen needs to get his hands up, hopefully pop the ball into the air and let our linebackers and D-backs work on their tip-drill skills.

Key #3:  Keep The Pedal To The Floor With The Passing Game

Even with Adrian Peterson coming back to action this week, I want the Vikings to come out and pass, pass, PASS. AP can get his carries later in the game once the Vikings build a two touchdown lead. The Bengals will be expecting a heavy dose of the reigning MVP early, lets surprise them and come out firing through the air.

Two Matchups To Watch:

Matchup #1:  Rookie Running Back Giovanni Bernard vs. The Vikings Defense

In my opinion Giovanni Bernard would be a Rookie Of The Year candidate if he weren't under-utilized by the Bengals. I think the Purple is going to get a heavy dose of this guy early. We will be expecting the Bengals to stretch the field and they will try to drive it right up the gut on us. Our front 4 needs to have a good game. 

Matchup #2:  The Vikings vs. Their Road Woes

Our beloved team is the only one left in the NFL without a road win, and they're down to their last chance. The Vikings have always been bad on the road, but this year has been epically terrible. They have been blown out, they have been beat on the last play a few times, and even jobbed by the refs once. I'm rooting for the "W", but I am very skeptical at this point.

Mike's All-Purpose Flour Lock Of The Week

Jerome Simpson, Wide Receiver, YOUR Minnesota Vikings

Jerome will be facing his old team, and I think he gets in the end zone. 4 Catches/ 90 yards/ 1TD

Final Takes

As this season is nearing an end, it's nice to look back and realize at least we're not the Texans. One more road game to go, against a likely playoff team that is trying to fight off the surging Ravens and secure the division title.

I like Matt Cassel at QB, and I hope he comes back next year to start and groom whatever rookie quarterback the Vikings draft.

I don't think the Vikings can win this game. Jennings won't look nearly as good as he did last week and I don't see the squad staying away from costly turnovers two weeks in a row.

Who knows what the record might look like if Cassel had won the starting job out of camp. I think the team would still be in the mix with the Packers and Bears, but I am also aware that heartbreak would likely be right around the corner. At least we have already got past that this year. The Vikings will hang tough for 3 quarters but lose it in the 4th.

Final Score

Minnesota Vikings: 24
Cincinnati Bengals: 33

That's it folks, ONE MORE GAME IN THE DOME TO GO EEEEEEEK!!!! 

Well there you have it, folks!  The Vikes play well, but it's not enough to get the job done in Cincy.

For more Mike Otto be sure to give him a follow on Twitter (@SwervinTaters).  The line between sad & entertaining runs awfully thin on a Sunday.  He can also be found right here on Newest Industry contributing to our Trendsetting column.

For more Newest Industry be sure to give us a follow on Twitter (@NewestIndustry1) to stay up on the work being done by all of our contributors.  More importantly, we have a Facebook page here.  Trivial as it seems, stopping by and giving us a "Like" is a free & legitimate way to support the blog.