Your Name Is Wild: Week #6

Damn, I'm gettin' fat!

Well hello again, Wild fans!  Welcome to Your Name Is Wild: Week #6!

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?

Well hey, everybody.  Thanks for stopping by this week's edition of Your Name Is Wild.

The Wild entered the week with an 8-4-3 record, holding down 3rd place in the Central Division, just a point ahead of the St. Louis Blues (who are off to their best start in franchise history).  After beating Montreal and New Jersey at home last week the boys were set to host Calgary Tuesday night before heading out on an East Coast roadie to play the Capitals and the Hurricanes.

Boys went into the week in the driver's seat.  Let's see how it played out.

The Week That Was

Tuesday 11/5 - Wild: 5  Calgary: 1

I remember back in the day when a Calgary Flames visit to the Xcel Energy Center meant a tough, hard-fought, frustrating game was at hand.  Franchise icons Jarome Iginla is the all-time leading scorer against the Wild, scoring 350 goals in 100 career games against the Wild (all numbers approximate).  Defenders Jay Bouwmeester & Robyn Regehr would routinely shut down Wild forwards and, in the rare instance that one of the forwards broke through, goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff was always there to make sure the puck stayed out of the net.

Well, Iginla, Bouwmeester, Regehr, & Kiprusoff are gone.  In there place the rebuilding Flames are icing a lineup featuring Tim Jackman, Lance Bouman, Matt Stajan, & rookie goaltender Reto Berra.  Basically, the Flames rebuild in in full effect.

Surprisingly, that lineup managed to string together two solid, efficient periods in St. Paul, forcing the play and keeping Wild goaltender Josh Harding (who seemed to be fighting the puck a bit), on his toes.

Heading into the third period down 2-1, however, the wheels came off for the Flames.  Justin Fontaine gave the Wild a two-goal lead when he circled out from behind the net, faked a shot with a shoulder dip for the ages, and buried the puck behind Berra.  Just thirty seconds later Wild enforcer Zenon Konopka buried his first goal as a member of the Wild (no small accomplishment considering this is his second season in St. Paul), effectively icing the game.  Tim Jackman started a fight with Clayton Stoner, the Wild played tic-tac-toe for a Zach Parise goal (unarguably the sexiest goal the Wild have scored this year) and the Wild found themselves with a 5-1 victory despite really only carrying play for one period.

Wild Player Of The Game:  Zenon Konopka - Quick rule: Any time Zenon Konopka scores he's the player of the game.  Specifically, though, Konopka's done everything that's been asked of him over the last season & a half.  He came to St. Paul with a reputation as a hard-nosed grinder, solid enforcer, and great faceoff man and he's proven to be just that.  It's nice to see him officially in the Wild record books.

Impression Of The Game:  As I mentioned above, a Flames visit to St. Paul used to mean something.  Thanks to realignment (which moved the Flames out of the Wild's division) and a rebuilding effort from the Flames these games just aren't the same.  The scoreboard makes it seem like this game was a dominant Wild win, but that's just not true.  If the Flames still had the players I mentioned above I'd bet my blogger credentials that Iginla would have scored, Bouwmeester would have thwarted at least one goal and Kiprusoff another.  However, those guys aren't walking back through the door.  This is a team that the Wild should run out of the rink.  The fact that it took them 40 minutes to do so is mildly troubling.

Thursday 11/7 - Washington: 3  Wild: 2 (SO)

After dousing the Flames (sorry, all bloggers are legally obligated to refer to a victory over the Flames as "dousing"), the Wild finished up that four game homestand with a 3-1 record and headed off to the Washington to face the Capitals.  Unfortunately, they had to do so with defenseman Keith Ballard back in the Twin Cities nursing an injury.  That meant Nate Prosser would see the ice against a fast, talented Capitals squad.

As they've proven to be for nearly the entirety of the Alex Ovechkin Era, this year's Capitals team is a tough nut to crack.  On the one hand, they sport two of the best forwards in the game in Ovechkin & Nicklas Backstrom and a former Norris Trophy finalist in defenseman Mike Green.  On the other hand, they've spent that same era fattening up on the dregs of the league playing in the former Southeast Division and tasting defeat in the playoff each season.  This year they find themselves in the Metropolitan Division.  With the exception of the Penguins, this division has proven to be as bad as the old Southeast Division.  True to form, the Capitals entered this game in second place in the division, neither overwhelming weaker competition or sinking under the weight of realignment.

While the Western Conference has essentially dominated their Eastern counterparts league-wide, the Wild have not had much luck on the road out East.  This Capitals game would prove to be another frustrating night along the lines of their losses in Toronto, Tampa Bay, & Sunrise, Florida.

The game started on a bad note for the Wild when defenseman Clayton Stoner was taken into the boards by Aaron Volpatti of the Caps.  Stoner would not return to the game, meaning the Wild spent the ensuing 60+ minutes of hockey with only five defensemen (none of which were Ballard or Stoner, and one of which was Nate Prosser).  The Wild then fell behind early in this one, giving up a power-play goal to Alexander Ovechkin at the 8:05 mark of the first.  This was an especially frustrating start for the Wild.  The Capitals have the #1 ranked power play in the league, so everybody's game plan consists of staying out of the penalty box.  Everybody knows that, if you do find yourself on the PK, you can't allow Ovechkin to take one-timers from the weak side.  Well, everybody except Jonas Brodin, who failed to block Nicklas Backstrom's cross-crease pass and spun around valiantly as Ovechkin buried the goal.

After giving up the Ovechkin goal, the Wild quickly righted the ship.  Charlie Coyle netted his first goal of the year at the end off the first period.  The Wild then controlled play for most of the second period, grabbing the lead at the 6:07 mark on Mikael Granlund's second goal of the season.

The Wild were playing well enough to make that lead stand up for most of the third period, but it wasn't quite enough.  The Capitals were able to tie the game with just over three minutes left when Marcus Johansson scored a controversial goal.  Caps forward Tom Wilson circled out of the corner with the puck and was able to find room to slide the puck to Johansson when Brooks Laich laid a very illegal pick on Jonas Brodin.  Wilson threw the puck at the net, it went off Nate Prosser (who would not have been playing in this situation if Ballard or Stoner was healthy), and Johansson tipped it behind Harding.

Regulation ended with the score tied 3-3.  The Wild had several chances in overtime, but were thwarted by Caps goalie Braden Holtby (who finished the game with 33 saves for 1st Star honors).  The Wild then headed to the shootout where, despite employing three of the most successful shootout shooters of all-time in Parise, Koivu, & Pominville, were shut out.  As the Caps third shooter Nicklas Backstrom put the puck behind Harding and that was all she wrote.

Wild Player Of The Game:  Ryan Suter - As I mentioned above, the Wild played all but three minutes of this 65 minute game with only five defensemen.  Unsurprisingly, head coach Mike Yeo turned to Ryan Suter to make up the difference.  Suter ended up playing 36:51 on the night, a remarkable number when you consider the quality of the opposing forwards.

Impression Of The Game:  The Wild had a legitimate complaint that Johansson's game-tying goal shouldn't have happened because of Laich's pick.  However, there's nothing to be done about that after the fact.  The Wild played an outstanding road game against a quality opponent and, at the end of the day, there's no shame in taking only one point on the road against an Eastern Conference team.  A frustrating loss, to be sure, but one of little consequence.

Saturday 11/9 - Wild: 3  Carolina: 2 (SO)

The big story heading into Saturday's game against Carolina was the reappearance of Wild defenseman Mathew Dumba.  Since struggling in the Wild's 5-1 loss to the Blackhawks almost two weeks ago Dumba had been living in the press box as a healthy scratch.  That move was less about how Dumba was playing (though he hadn't been great) and more about the Wild deciding whether or not to let Dumba play a tenth game this season.  As I've mentioned before, that tenth game is significant in Dumba's case because he's on his rookie contract.  By playing ten games the first year of that very affordable contract is burned up.  However, with both Keith Ballard and Clayton Stoner on the shelf with injuries, Mike Yeo had little choice but to swallow hard and put Dumba on the ice.

With Josh Harding back in the net, the Wild found themselves ahead after one period.  Ryan Suter, again carrying the defense on his back, sprung Jason Pominville for a breakaway.  Pominville put the puck behind Justin Peters for his 11th goal of the season and 200th of his career.  Unfortunately, the Hurricanes tied the game only 1:20 later when Ryan Murphy's shot deflected off Jared Spurgeon's stick and fluttered over Harding.

The Wild and Hurricanes traded goals in the second period, with Jiri Tlusty scoring for Carolina and Justin Fontaine netting his sixth of the season when he deflected Marco Scandella's shot from the point up and over Peters' shoulder.

Entering the third period tied at two, the Hurricanes took control of the play.  A major reason for the Hurricanes dominance in this period was the play (or lack there of) of Mathew Dumba.  Much like the Wild had been hampered by only having five defensemen back in Washington, Dumba's struggles through the first two periods forced him to the bench for much of the third, leaving Ryan Suter & Marco Scandella to eat up his minutes.  While this strategy played out OK for Mike Yeo in Washington, it nearly derailed his team this time.  The Wild spent the majority of the third frame chasing the puck around their own end, failing to mount any attack of their own.

Fortunately, Josh Harding yet again bailed out his squad.  He made several strong saves in the third period and in overtime to force this game into a shootout.  Again, the Wild have struggled in the shootout this season, but they finally found the right mix Saturday night.  All three Wild shooters (Parise, Koivu, & Pominville) scored against Justin Peters while Josh Harding allowed only one goal on two Carolina opportunities.  Two points in the bank and the shootout monkey off their backs.

Wild Player Of The Game:  Josh Harding - I'm naming Harding the Player Of The Game both for his efforts in thwarting the Canes (27 saves) and for the body of work that he put together over the week.  The Wild finished this week 2-0-1 despite being outplayed for large stretches by all three opponents.  Little plays here and there may seem like difference makers, but the Wild wouldn't even have the opportunity to make those plays if Harding hadn't backstopped them to the opportunity,

The Week Ahead

Wednesday 11/13 - Toronto at Wild

The Wild get a rare three days off before spending the week at home.  First up, the Toronto Maple Leafs.  The first Wild/Leafs game proved to be a major talking point for the Wild through this first quarter of the season, with the Wild outshooting and outplaying the Leafs but finding themselves losing 4-1.  That loss led to a bizarre stretch of line shuffling that found the Wild losing to both Tampa Bay & Florida on the rest of that trip.  Wild coach Mike Yeo essentially conceded that game in Toronto by starting Darcy Kuemper instead of Josh Harding (in hind sight, this move is comical, as Yeo stated he needed to "manage Harding's workload," a plan he's since abandoned).  Yeo has said that forgotten man Niklas Backstrom would get at least one start on this homestand.  Giving it to him Wednesday night would mean five days off for Josh Harding, a break he could likely use.

Friday 11/15 - Florida at Wild

Tom Gilbert's homecoming!  The former Wild defenseman finds himself playing for his second coach in as many months as the Panthers fired Kevin Dineen this week and replaced him with Peter Horacek.  Whatever.  If the Wild fail to beat the Panthers at home then they may as well pack it in for the season.

Sunday 11/17 - Winnipeg at Wild

The Wild finish up the week hosting the Jets for the second time this season.  The Wild notched their first victory of the year the first time the Jets visited St. Paul.  While that game acted as a springboard for the Wild, it was just another loss for a franchise that seems to specialize in them for the Jets.  Regardless, divisional games are always spirited and the influx of Jets fans to St. Paul will likely bring a great atmosphere to this one.

The Big Picture

Taking three out of for points on any road trip is a successful week.   However, the Wild are fattening up on the also-rans of the league.  A lot of the games the Wild have won this season are games that they should win.  This week brings two more opponents that the Wild should be able to handle (especially on home ice).  It's important for them continue accruing points now.  It'll be a lot more difficult to take them from Chicago or St. Louis in February than Florida in November.

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.

Your Name Is Wild: Week #5

Steady, as she goes...

Well hello again, Wild fans!  Welcome to Your Name Is Wild: Week #5!

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?

Well hello, everybody.  The Wild spent the week at home hosting the Blackhawks, Canadiens, & Devils.  They came into the week riding high after a big win in Chicago last Saturday night, finally easing some of the sting of losing to Chicago in the first round of last year's Stanley Cup playoffs.  That left their record at 6-3-3 on the season and that's where our story resumes.  Let's have a look at how this week played out:

The Week That Was

Monday 10/28 - Chicago: 5  Wild: 1

When I wrote about the Wild's victory over the Blackhawks in Chicago on Saturday night I prefaced it by saying that the Blackhawks were "not at the top of their powers."  I don't know if it was the Wild's dominant victory that night, but the Blackhawks came to St. Paul on Monday firing on all cylinders.

After playing so well in his first start in two weeks Wild goaltender was less-than-stellar in this rematch.  Backstrom faced 28 shots on the night and only stopped 23 of them.  He spent most of the night fighting the puck and never really looked like he found his rhythm. 

Backstrom didn't get much help from his defense in front of him.  With Keith Ballard & Jonas Brodin on the shelf with injuries the Wild were forced to play rookie Mathew Dumba & frequent healthy-scratch Nate Prosser.  Prosser played a fine game, but Dumba became the star for all the wrong reasons.  With the game tied 1-1 in the second Dumba found himself out of position, eventually crashing into Backstrom and knocking him out of position.  Hawks defenseman Sheldon Brookbank capitalized on the confusion by burying a slapper form the point.  Bazinga!  The Hawks never looked back.

The game was especially tough for Dumba because it was his 9th game of the season.  For those unfamiliar with the NHL's rookie contract rules, teams are allowed to play rookies for up to 9 games before it counts toward a year of their three-year rookie contracts.  What that means is that after this game, regardless of how Dumba played, the Wild would have to make a decision about keeping him with the Wild (and burning the first year of his contract) or sending him back to Red Deer of the WHL.

Unfortunately for Dumba, that goal wouldn't be his most glaring mistake of the night.  That would come in the third period.  With the Hawks up 3-1 and controlling the play, Brandon Saad came into the Wild zone and pulled the old spin-o-rama before sending a pass just past a confused Dumba and over to frat boy Patrick Kane, who promptly buried the biscuit.  Dumba admitted after the game that the pressure of his contract situation had gotten to him, which is understandable.  If you had a winter in Red Deer, Alberta staring you in the face you'd struggle too.  As of the end of the week the Wild have yet to play Dumba again or send him back to Red Deer.

Anyway, the Hawks went on to win the game 5-1.  Former Wild draft pick (and Eden Prairie native) Nick Leddy scored his first goal against the Wild, making up for Mikael Granlund's abuse in the previous game and causing one blogger (yeah, me) to christen the game "Leddy's Revenge."

Wild Player Of The Game:  Nate Prosser - It's tough to find a lot of bright spots when your team is thrashed like this, so I'm giving it to Prosser.  Prosser's become something of a folk hero to Wild fans despite typically watching games from the press box.  While far from the best player on the ice (he can't beat out Marco Scandella for a regular role.  Marco Scandella!), he provides a level of sandpaper and grit that the Wild usually lacks.  In this game he came to Backstrom's defense after Brandon Saad crashed the net with the score already 5-1.  Prosser earned a match penalty for his trouble, but earned points with fans and teammates for sticking up for his goalie in a game that had devolved into farce.

Impressions Of The Game:  Those of us who have been Wild fans from the beginning have trained ourselves to be cynical.  When the Wild beat the Blackhawks last week we were thrilled, but I don't think any of us thought that was a "changing of the guard" victory.  Monday's loss was discouraging, to be sure, but if the Wild are going to play with the big boys they're going to have to beat the best when they're at the best.

(Quick Fun Fact:  The Wild wore their new "Road Whites" at home on Monday night in an effort "let the fans see the new sweaters" aka "We're going to have a full house because the Blackhawks are in town, what a golden opportunity to try to get our fans to fork over $200 for a new sweater."  It's a much better plan if the Wild don't lose by four.  Just sayin'...)

Friday 11/1 - Wild: 4  Montreal: 3

After a rare three-day break during the week the Wild played host to the Montreal Canadiens for the first time since the 2011-12 season.  That year the Habs finished in last place, but they bounced back during last year's lockout-shortened season to finish the year atop the Eastern Conference.

As is the case all Eastern Conference teams this season, the first came is coming against an unfamiliar opponent.  All teams, that is, except Montreal.  Much like the Wild they are led by their defensemen (Ryan Suter & Jonas Brodin for the Wild, P.K. Subban & Andrei Markov for the Habs).  Also, Montreal is coached by Michel Therrien, Wild coach Mike Yeo's mentor when they were both in the Pittsburgh organization.  So, despite being "unfamiliar," the two teams should have known what to expect out of each other.

Oddly, this led to an up-and-down affair that likely left each coach disappointed in his squad's defensive effort.  The two teams traded goals in the first period, with the Wild's Justin Fontaine getting on the board by deflecting a shot from the point.  Montreal's Brendan Gallagher answered when he tapped a picturesque saucer pass from Alex Galchenyuk behind Josh Harding.

The game continued at this pace during the second period, but only the Wild were able to put numbers on the board.  With defending Norris Trophy winner P.K. Subban pinching down low Mikael Granlund was able to beat him to the biscuit and fire and spring a streaking Jason Pominville for a breakaway.  The Rocket Man fired a wrister between Carey Price's pads to put the Wild ahead.

Subban would have his revenge in the third, though.  After Granlund through a gorgeous pass from the half-wall to Nino Niederreiter for the Wild's third goal Subban found the back of the net on a power play to cut the lead to 3-2.  Just three minutes later he & defensive partner Andrei Markov combined to set up Brian Gionta for an easy tap-in to tie the game up.  Fortunately Jason Pominville continued his hot streak by burying the eventual game-winner when Keith Ballard's point shot hit Zach Parise and caromed directly to Pommer for his team-leading 9th of the season..

-Wild Player Of The Game:  Jason Pominville - Pominville said after the game that he was glad to finally be getting some bounces after being stifled over the last week.  I'd said during the first half of the season that, after only watching him for 10 games last season and 10 this season I had yet to really get a sense of what type of player Pominville is.  Over the last week he's proved emphatically that he's just as good as Chuck Fletcher said he was when he was acquired last season.  While not a dominant offensive force, it's clear that the Rocket Man is a threat with either his big shot or his soft hands.  The fact that he & Finnish Jesus seem to bring out the best in each other has made the second line the Wild's most exciting line this season.

-Impression Of The Game:  The Wild welcomed back both Jonas Brodin & Keith Ballard to the defense and their impact was immediate.  Yes, Ballard notched two assists, but more than that, having those two guys on the ice (as opposed to Dumba & Prosser) allowed the Wild to sustain their attack either in the Habs zone or breaking out of their own.  Montreal is a team built on speed and the return of Brodin & Ballard not only allowed the Wild to keep up, but to beat them at their own game.

Sunday 11/3:  Wild: 4  New Jersey: 0

The Wild caught a break on Sunday night, facing a Devils team that was missing key cogs Travis Zajac, Ryane Clowe, & Patrik Elias.  They also gave sure-fire Hall-Of-Fame goaltender Martin Brodeur the night off, though he could hardly be considered a "key cog" when notorious Wild slayer Cory Schneider started in his place.

Also playing into the Wild's hands:  New Jersey had just played (and lost) the night before in Newark, meaning that the Wild was able to practice and watch football all day while the Devils made up sleep from the night before.

Perhaps knowing that they didn't have the legs (or, frankly, the talent) to keep up on Sunday the Devils tried to land their knockout punch early.  They fired 10 shots in the first period, testing Josh Harding on several occasions before the Wild found their footing.  Fortunately that was about all the fight the Devils had in them.  When Mikael Granlund gave the Wild the lead at the 13:20 mark of the first period there was no looking back.

The Wild dominated the second and third periods, holding the Devils to just 9 shots over the two frames.  Torrey Mitchell managed to score a goal by refusing to stop as he crashed the net and knocked in a loose puck.  That was followed by Dany Heatley scoring his second goal of the season (and first against a goalie) to put the Wild up 3-0.  Jason Pominville added an empty-netter to make it 4-0 and that was that.  No really, that was it.  I wish I had more to tell you about this game, but that's the whole story.

Wild Player Of The Game:  Mikael Granlund - Granlund's been on fire lately, putting the second line on his back and making Jason Pominville forget he was ever a Buffalo Sabre.  Granlund's first goal of the year was great, but the sequence of events leading up to it are even better.  Keith Ballard fired a breakout pass from his own goal line toward Granlund at his own blue line.  Granlund, covered by a New Jersey defender, realized he wouldn't be able to handle the pass.  Rather than just swipe at the puck, Granny angled his stick so that the puck would ramp up into the air and over the heads of player in the neutral zone.  The puck landed at Pominville's feet.  Pommer fired a shot that was stop, Nino grabbed the biscuit and fed it to Granlund (who had somehow raced all the way to the top of the crease) who buried it into the empty net.  Finnish Jesus!

Impression Of The Game:  The Devils are not a good hockey team even when they have their full compliment of players.  Considering the roster they iced on Sunday it would have been embarrassing if the Wild had lost.  I bring this up because last year's Wild team would play up to (or down to) the level of their opponent all the time.  Starting this week by losing to Blackhawks may have been disappointing, but beating the teams that they should beat is a sign of progress for this squad under Mike Yeo.

And so here the Wild sit a month into the season.  8-4-3, 3rd place in the Central.

The Week Ahead

Tuesday 11/5: Calgary at Wild

The Flames roll into town... at least... I think it's the Flames.  No Kiprusoff, no Iginla... I guess Mike Cammalleri's still there.  And wait, yup, that's the unmistakable stench of Matt Stajan.  It's a mix of rodeo & perpetual defeat.

Thursday 11/7: Wild at Washington

The Wild open a two-game swing through what used to be the Southeast Division by heading to Washington to take on the Capitals.  The Caps have underachieved this year, going an even 7-7-0 through their first 14 games.  Regardless, Alex Ovechkin & company vs. Ryan Suter & the Wild's defense should make for a compelling matchup.  And, if that's not enough (and really, it should be), it'll be the first battle of Ni(c)klas Backstrom's in over two years!

Saturday 11/9: Wild at Carolina

The Wild head to Carolina to face a Canes team that they defeated here in St. Paul.  During that game the Hurricanes lost #1 goaltender Cam Ward.  Ward won't be back for this one, but hopefully former Wild goalie Anton Khudobin will be healthy enough to see the ice for Carolina.

The Big Picture

We're one month into the season and the stresses from the beginning of the season are starting to wear away.  It may seem early, but the Wild find themselves in a playoff spot right now which, traditionally, means good things to come.  Then again, only one team in history has ever lead the NHL in December and wound up missing the playoffs (Ladies and gentlemen, your 2010-11 Minnesota Wild!).

Regardless, the offense is clicking, the defense is healthy, both Josh Hardin & Niklas Backstrom are healthy (hold on a second while I knock on every piece of wood in the apartment), things are shaping up nicely for the local squad.  A visit from the Flames and two Eastern Conference games could put the boys in the driver's seat.

Talk to you 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.

Your Name Is Wild: Season Preview

Kings are gonna die, assassins only live...

Well hello, hockey fans!  Welcome to the inaugural installment of our Your Name Is Wild, our new weekly column on the Minnesota Wild!  Regular contributor TCDroogsma has been a diehard fan of the Wild since their inception back in the 2000-2001 season.  He's been there for the highs, lows, and years & years of mind-numbing ordinariness.  He's also the author of the Wild blog Wildly Biased (which existed the previous two seasons here).  This year he'll be stopping by every Monday to recap the previous week & give us a preview of the upcoming week.  He'll also be throwing in some goodies here and there.

The NHL kicked off its season last night, but for those of us in Minnesota our beloved home team doesn't drop the puck until tomorrow night in St. Paul.  That means it's pretty much the last possible day for Droogsy to give us something resembling a season preview.

Droogsy, take it away!

Hello everybody!  I can't tell you how excited I am to be writing a weekly column on the Wild for Newest Industry.  As mentioned above, you can swing by my Wildly Biased blog for more in-depth coverage off the Wild.  Here at Newest Industry I'll be focusing on the broad strokes of the season.  I'll recap the week that was, break down the upcoming games, hand out some awards, and, like any good hockey fans, curse at pretty much everybody who's not a fan of my favorite team.

Seems appropriate that we kick off this season by hammering out a quick recap of the last season.

WHEN LAST WE SPOKE:

The last memory most people have of the 2012-2013 edition of the Wild is of a team skating off the United Center ice with their tail between their legs.  The Wild limped into the playoffs (needing a win on the last day of the season to even get in) and were then soundly beaten by a Blackhawks team that would go on to win the Cup.

(Quick "I'm Still Bitter" Aside: Once the Wild lost to the Hawks I found a lot of Wild fans were cheering for the Hawks under the always reprehensible, "Well, if they win the Cup it'll make my team's loss seem better" line of thinking.

First of all, if you're a Minnesota sports fans you do no cheer for a team from Chicago.  Let me repeat, you do not cheer for a sports team from Chicago.  The Vikings, North Stars, & Twins didn't fight all their battles just to watch you cheer for Patrick Kane.

Second, even though the Hawks did go on to win the Cup, it didn't validate the Wild's loss in any way.  The Wild played sloppy, ugly hockey.  They were outmuscled at every turn by the Hawks Bottom Six forwards.  Josh Harding, despite a valiant effort, was outplayed by Corey Crawford.  Hell, the Wild didn't score a single power play goal.  This wasn't a "Good Team Runs Into A Buzzsaw" narrative that people hoped rose-tinted hindsight would provide, it was a "Deeply Flawed Team Stumbles Into The Playoffs And Gets Thrashed Because They Just Weren't That Good" narrative.

Third, Wild fans have actually been down this road before!  When the 2007 Ducks physically destroyed the Wild in the first round (with iconic cheap shots from Brad May & Chris Pronger), people took the same, "Well, I hope they win The Cup..." approach.  Well, when the Ducks won The Cup later that spring my first thought was, "I have to watch these d-bags hold The Cup?"  It didn't validate the first round loss at all.)

Sorry, lost the plot for a second.  Anyway, reasonable fans were able to look back at the 2012-2013 season as a success.  The Wild bowed out meekly, but they made it back to the land of the relevant.  On their way back to the playoffs they were able to get rookies Jonas Brodin, Charlie Coyle, & Jason Zucker some valuable experience in high-leverage games.  Those guys will be counted on to play major roles this season and a trip to the playoffs last year counts as a major silver lining to the loss.

(Wild GM Chuck Fletcher)

So, that's where we were at the end of last season.  The Wild made some intriguing moves this offseason:

-Traded fan favorite Cal Clutterbuck & a 3rd round pick to the New York Islanders for 21 year old former 1st round pick Nino Niederreiter.

(A necessary move as Clutterbuck was due a raise that the Wild couldn't afford.  Clutterbuck's grit and mustache will be missed, but he was a known quantity.  Niederreiter represents a cheap, young, talented player who has yet to realize his full potential.  Final Grade: B+)

-Re-signed goaltender Niklas Backstrom to a three-year deal.

(I'm not a fan of giving three year deals to injury-prone goalies in their mid-30's even if they are franchise cornerstones.  It's not coincidence that this signing came just a day after young Kings goalie Jonathan Bernier was traded to the Maple Leafs as Wild GM Chuck Fletcher was definitely in on those trade talks.  Regardless, once Bernier was off the market their weren't better options out there. Grade: B-)

-The Wild trade Devin Setoguchi to Winnipeg for a 2nd round pick, use the new cap space to sign longtime Wild villain Matt Cooke

(Man oh man!  I haven't seen the Wild fanbase this riled up in years!  I'll admit, like many Wild fans I've been anti-Matt Cooke since 2003 when he was somehow the dirtiest player on that reprehensible Canucks squad.  Unlike most Wild fans, I'm willing to welcome Cooke with open arms.  Every team the guy has played for won games.  Frankly, the Wild's sandpaper guys from 2012-13 (Clutterbuck, Rupp, Konopka) just weren't getting the job done.  Cooke is a huge upgrade to the 3rd line/PK unit.  Exiling Guchi Mane to Winnipeg seems like reasonable punishment for him showing up to camp looking & playing like a cheeseburger last season. Grade: A-)

-The Wild buy out defenseman Tom Gilbert & sign defenseman Keith Ballard

(No more Tom Gilbert!  Grade: A+)

And with that, here we are.

Before I get into breaking down this squad, let me remind you that the NHL realigned its divisions this season, dropping the old Six Division format for a new Four Division format.  That means no more of the old Northeast Division battles against Vancouver, Edmonton, & Calgary.  The Wild now call the Central Division home.  They share the Central with Chicago, St. Louis, Dallas, Nashville, Winnipeg, & Colorado.  It should be phenomenal.

For a breakdown of a look at my picks for the Eastern Conference & Western Conference have a look at the Wildly Biased blog.  I pick the Wild to finish 2nd in the Central.

Alright, let's break this thing down.  Don't have me break this thing down for nothin'!

Forwards

It's been twelve years since the Wild began playing the NHL and if they've established one trait that's held true all these years it's that they will struggle to score goals.  Through different coaches, different players, & different styles the Wild has never been a high flying offensive team.  This year doesn't appear to be any different (at least as the far as the forwards go).

(Parise & Koivu)

The Wild's first line is made up of Zach Parise, Mikko Koivu, & Jason Pominville.  All three players are hard nosed, talented, two-way players.  While those traits will make them favorites to "knowledgeable" fans, it won't result in a lot of high-flying offense.  These three guys will match up against other skill lines and, theoretically, be able to defend well enough to turn the puck the other day.  This style of play (and by extension, these three players) are the franchise personified.

(Charlie Coyle)

The second line, however, provides quite a bit of intrigue.  Young Charlie Coyle has been switched back to his natural center position and, by all accounts, has been a revelation.  Head Coach Mike Yeo has put together a line that is high on size & low on subtlety.  Coyle's wins will be Dany Heatley (hoping to revive his career in a contract year) and the newcomer Niederreiter.  All three players are big with soft hands.  If any line is going to provide an offensive jolt this season it'll be these guys.

(Matt Cooke)

The Wild's third line sports more skill than in years past.  Kyle Brodziak will be looking to rebound from his worst season in a Wild sweater.  Fortunately, the Wild have provided some interesting wings for him to center.  The aforementioned Cooke brings the type of skill, speed, & grit that we always wanted to see out of Clutterbuck.  They'll be joined by either Mikael Granlund, Justin Fontaine, or Torrey Mitchell on the other wing depending on the opponent.  Granlund brings skill but lacks size, Mitchell brings speed but little skill, and Justin Fontaine is average in every possible way.

(Hoppy & Zenon Konopka)

The fourth line will center around Zenon Konopka.  Konopka's ability to win faceoffs & fights makes him a useful piece of the puzzle (and his rabbit Hoppy makes him a cult hero).  He'll be joined by a rotating cast of Mitchell, Fontaine, & Mike Rupp once Rupp's healthy.

While it's hard to write this without sounding like I'm covered in Iron Range Red Kool-Aid, the truth is that this is arguably the most talented group of forwards the Wild has ever assembled.  We pretty much know what to expect from Koivu, Parise, & Pominville, but if young guns like Coyle, Granlund, & Neiderreiter are ready to contribute this could be a very formidable group.

Defensemen

(Ryan Suter & Jonas Brodin)

Once again the defense will be led by Norris Trophy Finalist Ryan Suter.  When the Wild signed Suter to that 13 year deal last offeason there were a lot of questions about how Suter would handle the load of being an undisputed, #1 d-man.  All Suter did was put together the best offensive & defensive season every by a Wild defenseman.  And he did it in 48 games.  Watching him dominate the game from the back end made me feel like a fool for talking myself into players like Nick Schultz & Brent Burns as #1 d-men in the past (and let's not get into the days of Keith Carney, Filip Kuba, or Willie Mitchell).

Suter will be paired with 21 year old wunderkind Jonas Brodin.  Brodin joined the Wild last season with the reputation as a smooth-skating d-man with a lot of potential.  I don't think any of us, however, were prepared for just how good this kid is.  He spent last season paired with Suter and focusing on the defensive/breakout aspect of his position and looked better than 85% of the defensemen in the NHL while doing so.  As the season progresses here's hoping that he continues tapping into his immense talent and becomes more comfortable on the offensive side of the puck.  He should see significant PP time with the second unit this season.

(Jared Spurgeon)

The Wild's second pair defense will likely be Jared Spurgeon & Marco Scandella, two guys who have played with each other off and on for 4 years now.

Despite his diminutive frame Spurgeon has established himself as a bona-finde NHLer.  His play with the puck makes him a key cog in the Wild's power play, where he'll likely quarterback the second unit.  The emergence of Brodin has pushed Spurgeon to the second pairing, but that may be a blessing as it will allow him more freedom to be creative than he was allowed as a number one pairing player.

(Marco Scandella)

Superstorm Scandy has been an enigma in the Wild organization forever.  Each season he comes into camp and seems to play well enough to earn a spot with the big squad.  Sooner or later, however, his play falls off and he finds himself back in the minors.  For those of us who are fans of his game it's been incredibly frustrating.  GM Chuck Fletcher threw him into the first last season by calling him up just before the Wild's playoff series.  Scandy played well during the loss so hopefully that confidence carries over.

(Clayton Stoner)

Four player round out the rest of the Wild's defensive corps.  Longtime d-man Clayton Stoner spent his offseason shooting bears in British Columbia.  He's remains the prototypical big, strong, slow defender that will always have a place on an NHL team.

(Keith Ballard)

Newcomer Keith Ballard is essentially Clayton Stoner Version 1.5.  Though not as large he's slightly faster, better with the puck, and plays with a nastier edge.

Young pup Mathew "Odd Future" Dumba made the team after an impressive training camp.  He hits hard, has a good shot, & is filled with untapped potential.  The Wild retain the right to send him back to the Western Hockey League after 9 games if they aren't going to keep him with the big squad all season.  How Dumba plays (and how Stoner & Scandella play) will dictate how that battle plays out.

(Prosser & Stifler)

Nate Prosser is still on the team.  He still looks like Stifler.

Goalies

I'll be honest, it's really difficult for me to discuss the Wild's goaltending situation without ending up with a 15,000 word diatribe that goes back through two years of contracts, trades, health issues, declining performance, & long-term planning (or lack there of).  Let's just say that if I was Chuck Fletcher the Wild's goaltending situation would look dramatically different.  That post if for another day.

Here's where we're at this year.  Niklas Backstrom is the starter and Josh Harding is the backup.  To quote the great Morrissey, "Stop me if you think that you've heard this one before..."

Let the record state that I think both Hards & The Scientist are exceedingly good dudes.  They're both very professional (never a given with goaltenders), they've both overcome myriad physical obstacles, & they both seem very dedicated to the Wild organization.

Frankly though, they're just not that good.

(Niklas Backstrom)

Niklas Backstrom's pushing into his upper 30's and is essentially the definition of "average."  He rarely plays poorly, but his days of stealing games have long passed.  His poor games are usually extremely poor, though he follows up those poor outings with stellar performances so consistently that it's almost frustrating.  Fletch gave Backstrom a three-year deal this offseason, so for better or worse, he's the man.

(Josh Harding)

Basically assuring Backstrom remains the man is Josh Harding.  Even though Harding has said repeatedly over the years that his goal is the to be the #1 goalie for the Wild and lead the team through the playoffs, his health pretty much assures that it'll never come to that.  While MS has pretty much shut down his chance of being a #1, his health in the years prior thwarted any shot he may have had.  The Wild has a rich history of goalie usurping (Manny Fernandez stole Jamie McLennan's job, Dwayne Roloson stole Fernandez's job, Backstrom stole Fernandez's job... maybe the Wild just has a history of screwing Fernandez).  The fact that Harding couldn't steal the job from either Fernandez or Backstrom at some point over the years tells you all you need to know.  He's a fine backup, but that's where it ends.

(Quick Harding Sidenote:  The job that Harding did in the playoffs last year when taking over for an injured Nicklas Backstrom despite having sat out nearly the whole season with MS complications was nothing short of incredible.  It was one of the truly special moments for a franchise sorely lacking them.  Despite any criticism I may level at Harding over the course of the year, know that I do hold him in high respect.)

(Darcy Kuemper)

The third man in the crease is the boyish Darcy Kuemper.  Kuemper played fine as a warm body last season, but he's down in Houston for a reason (and no, that reason is not Harding's contract, he needs to play in the AHL).  I promise we'll see Kuemper with the Wild at some point this season.  I can promise you it won't be because he earned the call-up either.

5 Things To Watch This Season

01. Are the kids ready?

(Mikael Granlund)

A big factor in landing Parise & Suter two years ago was selling them on the development of the prospect's in the Wild's system.  Jonas Brodin stepped onto the blue line & exceeded expectations.  He'll have to continue to play at a high level.  The Wild let Matt Cullen walk because they think Charlie Coyle is ready to be the #2 center, no small task.  Wingers Mikael Granlund & Jason Zucker ran hot & cold last season.  Granlund will start the season with the Wild while Zucker finds his game in Iowa.  Just what do the Wild have in Nino Niederreiter?  Is he a legit Top 6 forward?  The Wild know what they're getting from the Koivu's & Parise's.  The success of this season hinges on the kids.

02. Can Dany Heatley return to form?

(Dany Heatley)

Power forward Dany Heatley finds his stock awfully low at the start of this season.  The former 50 goal scorer has been in steady decline for years and his two Wild campaigns have been mostly average.  Heatley has an extra long offseason after suffering a shoulder injury late last season and has supposedly showed up to St. Paul in great shape.  Heatley's in a contract year and a big year would be beneficial for both Heater & the Wild.

03. Can Andrew Brunette fix the power play?

(Andrew Brunette)

Wild coach Mike Yeo has never been known as a great power play mind.  Dating back to his days as an assistant in Pittsburgh his PP units have struggled (and those units had Sidney Crosby & Evgeni Malkin).  Despite adding Suter & Parise the Wild's PP continued to spin its wheels last season before finally crumbling during an 0-for-the-playoffs showing.  Former Wild forward Andrew Brunette was brought in as a power play consultant.  If he can get this group going the Wild could make some noise.

04. Can the Wild play with the lead?

(Head Coach Mike Yeo)

Maybe I was spoiled by years of Jacques Lemaire-led Wild teams putting the clamps on squads once they got the lead, but Mike Yeo's Wild is comically terrible when trying to close out games.  Over the last two years I've spent more words on this subject than just about anything else Wild related, but if I have to watch another season of the Wild trying to dump-and-trap their way to a win with 10 minutes left in a game I might storm the ice.

05. Can the goalies stay health?

(Backstrom & Harding)

Or, more accurately, how will Darcy Kuemper respond when he has to play in St. Paul.  If every one of the Wild's game is started by either Backstrom or Harding I'll personally go to every Wild fans house & program their TV to find FSN+.

All right, that's about enough.  Let's have a quick look at what's on tap for the Wild this week and the I'll be on my way.

The Week Ahead:

Thursday 10/3: Los Angeles at Wild

The season kicks off tomorrow night and brings with it the kind of bloodlust that makes hockey the greatest sport on Earth.  For those who don't recall: Kings captain (and notorious cheap shot artist) Dustin Brown essentially ended Jason Pominville's season last year with a vicious, concussion-inducing elbow.  The hit got Brown suspended for two games and robbed the already thin Wild of one of their offensive weapons as they staggered toward the finish line.

Well, the Kings return to the scene of the crime to face a Wild franchise that has never lost a home opener.  The Kings are bound to be one of the better teams in the West this season, so it'll be no small task for the Wild to keep that unbeaten streak alive.

Saturday 10/5: Anaheim at Wild

While the Wild's rivalry with the Kings is just budding, their rivalry with the Ducks is waning.  Those of us who are longtime fans of the Wild will always have a special type of loathing for the formerly "Mighty" Ducks dating back to '03 & '07.

This edition of the Ducks (like all edition's since 2007) is led by Corey Perry, Ryan Getzlaf, & Teemu Selanne.  There will likely be a hint of melancholy in the air as the universally beloved Selanne has announced that he'll retire at the end of this season.  This could also be one of the last times that Wild Captain Mikko Koivu's brother Saku visits St. Paul to square off against his brother.

While these sort of things are the type of little moments that remind us all why we're hockey fans let's not forget what makes hockey fun: Complete and utter disdain for every other team in the league.  Go fuck yourself, Getzlaf.

Well there you have it, hockey fans!  The Season Preview is in the books1

Be sure to stop back here at Newest Industry each Monday as TCDroogsma stops by with a new Your Name Is Wild column!

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