Minnesota Wild News: Pro Sports Daily

February 10

Vancouver Sun

"When the buzzer sounded at the end of the third period Thursday night, the Vancouver Canucks didn't quite know what to do. They're not used to leaving the ice after 60 minutes. But after five straight overtime games, the Canucks finally won in regulation. And they won by three goals, which hasn't happened in over a month. "It feels good, I don't feel so tired right now," defenceman Kevin Bieksa said after the Canucks' 5-2 decision over the Minnesota Wild at the Xcel Energy Center. "I'm used to the 65-minute games, but I could get used to this.""

Wild coach Mike Yeo after loss to Vancouver: 'We flat-out stink the last two months''

February 10

St. Paul Pioneer Press

"Speaking softly but forcefully, Wild coach Mike Yeo refused to mince words Thursday night after his team lost 5-2 to Vancouver to drop out of the top eight teams in the NHL's Western Conference. "We flat-out stink the last two months. We stink," Yeo said. "And we come in and we don't have a good enough effort from too many guys. "I'm concerned about the fact that we come into games and we don't have enough guys, when we should have absolute desperation in our game playing against a team like this, and we have too many guys that aren't ready to pay a price." Yeo fell silent for a moment. He could offer almost no upside to the events of an evening in which captain Mikko Koivu returned to the"

Wild rookie Nate Prosser promised a goal Tuesday, and he delivered

February 10

St. Paul Pioneer Press

"Nate Prosser was kidding when he called his shot. But it was no joke when, a few hours later, he shot and the puck slithered past Columbus goaltender Curtis Sanford. It was the first NHL goal for the rookie from Elk River in a 3-1 loss to the Blue Jackets on Tuesday night at Nationwide Arena. Prosser signed a two-year contract extension with the Wild on Monday, and during an interview with TV commentator Kevin Gorg, he said he'd celebrate by scoring against the Blue Jackets. "I was just kind of throwing it out there," Prosser recalled before the Wild-Vancouver game Thursday night at the Xcel Energy Center. "It was kind of a blessing. It was pretty cool to get a contract one day and get a"

Stoner injury may keep Lundin here

February 10

Minneapolis Star Tribune

"Chuck Fletcher's the type of guy to give a player a new lease on life if he's unable to get in the lineup, but it might be tough for the Wild general manager to trade rarely used Mike Lundin before the Feb. 27 trade deadline. Defenseman Clayton Stoner was placed on injured reserve Thursday because of a leg injury, so trading Lundin could deplete the Wild's blue-line depth. Greg Zanon is also trade bait as a potential free agent, and Marek Zidlicky has indicated he would consider waiving his no-trade clause. "You trade a D, now you might be down to six guys not counting Marco," Fletcher said, referring to Houston's Marco Scandella. "At this point, we've got to do what's best for the team."

After ugly loss, angry Yeo says: 'We stink'

February 10

Minneapolis Star Tribune

"Friday's practice should be a doozy. After a 5-2 loss to the Vancouver Canucks knocked the Wild from eighth to 10th in the West, Wild coach Mike Yeo looked like a man who wanted to bag skate his team 10 minutes after Thursday's game had ended. His anger was measured but unmistakable. His eyes piercing and red. He never raised his voice, but he paused numerous times in order to stay composed. "We flat-out stink the last two months. We stink," Yeo said, his team 5-14-5 since Dec. 13. "And we come in and we don't have a good enough effort from too many guys. That's concerning. ... We have too many guys that aren't ready to pay a price." That was exemplified all over the stat sheet. The Wild"

Koivu's return looking likely

February 9

Minneapolis Star Tribune

"Wild coach Mike Yeo and Mikko Koivu stopped short of declaring the captain ready to return, but all signs point to him being in the lineup for Thursday's home game against Vancouver. Sidelined since suffering a separated left shoulder on Jan. 14 at St. Louis, Koivu participated in every contact drill Wednesday in practice and reported no problems. If his shoulder responds favorably overnight, he will return to the lineup. That scenario seems likely because the team placed Jed Ortmeyer on waivers to clear a roster spot. "It's getting better, and each and every day it's getting stronger," Koivu said. "That's a good sign. Being in practice and being involved physically and having contact, you"

Koivu returns tonight vs. Vancouver; Stoner placed on IR; Lots of interest in Ruutu

February 9

Minneapolis Star Tribune

"Captain Mikko Koivu will return tonight after missing eight games with a shoulder injury. He missed two days shy of four weeks since being injured Jan. 14 in St. Louis. He skated on his old line with Devin Setoguchi and Dany Heatley. Coach Mike Yeo jokingly said he plans to manage Koivu's ice time by "getting him out there as much as possible." He said it was a tough decision to break up the Heatley-Kyle Brodziak-Nick Johnson line, but he says it's important to surround Koivu with top players because he's so important and that he feels Heatley is playing so well right now, it'll help Koivu. Erik Christensen will move to wing with Matt Cullen and Cal Clutterbuck. Yeo believes that gives the"

Canucks to start Cory Schneider in Roberto Luongo's House of Horrors

February 9

Vancouver Sun

"It's the Xcel Energy Center, so that can only mean one thing for the Vancouver Canucks. Cory Schneider starts and Roberto Luongo watches from the bench on Thursday night (5 p.m., Sportsnet Pacific, Team 1040). Luongo's struggles in Minnesota have been well documented. He is 0-3-0 with a 7.00 goals-against average and .768 save percentage in his last three starts at the Xcel Energy Center, where his career numbers are 3-9-2 with a 3.56 GAA and an .873 save percentage."

Mikko Koivu takes full part in Wild practice, could return Thursday

February 9

Minneapolis Star Tribune

"Mikko Koivu practiced today with the Wild as it prepares for tomorrow night's game against Vancouver, but it's still not certain the Wild captain will play, three weeks after separating his left shoulder in a game at St. Louis on Jan. 14. "It's getting better each and every day it's getting stronger. That's a good sign," Koivu said. "Being in practice and being involved physically and having contact, you get more comfortable each and every time it happens. It helps a lot conditioning-wise but more important timing-wise." Jed Ortmeyer was placed on waivers so he can return to Houston, however, so it seems likely Koivu will return."

Koivu scratched again but might play Thursday

February 8

St. Paul Pioneer Press

"Although center Mikko Koivu was unable to make his return from a left shoulder injury Tuesday night, Wild coach Mike Yeo said the team is shooting for Thursday's home game against Vancouver as a better option to put its captain back on the ice. Koivu hasn't played since Jan. 14 and was scratched Tuesday after he talked with the coaching staff and decided he wasn't ready to play. He skated Tuesday morning, as he did Monday in St. Paul, but wasn't put on a line for drills during either practice. "He's not quite ready yet, but he's very, very close," Yeo said. "He wants to play, but he needs a couple more days. We're fairly confident that Thursday could be a good target date for us, so we'll"

Nate Prosser scores first NHL goal, but Wild lose to lowly Blue Jackets

February 8

St. Paul Pioneer Press

"If, at the end of the season, the Wild are preparing for their first playoff series since 2007-08, this one won't matter so much. It will just be one data point in a set of 82, another moving average on the chart of a team whose stock seems prone to big swings. But if they're sitting at home in April? Oh, how Tuesday night's 3-1 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets will hurt. The Wild came into the game looking as if they had rediscovered a blueprint for winning through a 3-1-1 stretch that included seven points against teams chasing them for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. They left it having missed a chance to beat the worst team in the league, and they reverted to some of"

Goalie coach seeking solution to Backstrom's shootout woes

February 8

Minneapolis Star Tribune

"Bob Mason, Niklas Backstrom's goalie coach since 2006, is at a loss as to why the Wild goaltender can be so poised in games, yet when it comes to shootouts, he's like a fish out of water. "We've tried everything," Mason said. "We've done video, verbal scouting reports, watched video of him. Sometimes too much information is just too much. Sometimes you're thinking a guy might do something and he changes the book on you. "I think it's just reading and reacting, being patient. When he's patient, he's a little bit tighter in the net, doesn't open up. He practices it a fair amount. He rehearses it in his mind. His preparation is always good on everything. I don't know. We really can't put a"

Last-place Blue Jackets throttle Wild

February 8

Minneapolis Star Tribune

"If you want to make people believe you're a playoff contender rather than a pretender, you can't lose to the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Blue Jackets are dead last in the NHL by 11 points! Yet the Wild, after five good games in a row, took a step back Tuesday night when it got outworked and outclassed during a 3-1 loss at Nationwide Arena. Only Niklas Backstrom's 34 saves kept the score from being totally one-sided. "We have to understand that we're playing playoff hockey right now," coach Mike Yeo said. "And I don't think we played that game like that. You play playoff hockey, you play like every play is the difference. There was too much complacency in our game. We need desperation every"

Blue Jackets 3, Wild 1: Jilted get revenge

February 8

Columbus Dispatch

"Colton Gillies did not try to hide his feelings: Ever since the Blue Jackets claimed him on waivers from the Minnesota Wild last month, he'd looked forward to last night's game against his former club. Blue Jackets interim coach Todd Richards, fired by the Wild last summer, wasn't quite so obvious. He said all the right things, but the players knew better. "We're not stupid," Gillies said. "We could tell how much this meant to Coach. We all wanted to get this one for him." Too bad the Blue Jackets couldn't have conjured up motivation like this earlier in the season."

Ex-Wild coach Todd Richards not looking back as he prepares to face old team

February 7

St. Paul Pioneer Press

"There are times, when Todd Richards is back in Minnesota for a holiday or a family get-together, when his mind drifts to thoughts of what might have been. Everybody in sports - certainly hockey fans in Minnesota - loves a homecoming story. Richards lived it the past two seasons, coaching the Wild 20 miles from where he grew up in Crystal and seven miles from where he starred as a Gophers defenseman. But as sweet as the local-boy-made-good narrative might be, there's a unique pain when it doesn't work out - because the next job means leaving home. Richards, fired last April after two seasons as the Wild's coach, is learning to move on from those feelings. His parents still live in the Twin"

Elk River native Nate Prosser plans to stay at home after signing two-year deal with Wild

February 7

St. Paul Pioneer Press

"Nate Prosser had gone back and forth between Minnesota and Houston so many times the past two seasons that when he wanted to fly his wife, Brittani, from Texas to the Twin Cities, he paid for the trip in the frequent flyer miles he earned on the fringes of the Wild's depth chart. He won't be needing those anymore. Prosser signed a two-year, $1.65 million extension Monday, ensuring the Elk River native will be with his hometown team for the foreseeable future. While the one-way deal doesn't start until next season, Prosser seems set to stay with the Wild the rest of this season - and he'll be moving into a higher tax bracket next year. "It's a good day for me and my family," Prosser said."

Contract deal helps Wild's Prosser live his dream

February 7

Minneapolis Star Tribune

"The razzing just kept going. But what did Nate Prosser expect? Prosser signed his two-year contract extension with the Wild before the team's practice Monday at Xcel Energy Center. During practice, coach Mike Yeo called the team to center ice, then announced the deal. Prosser knew what to expect. So he smiled when one teammate said cameras would need a wide-angle lens to capture Prosser's head from now on. Goalie Josh Harding asked if Prosser was taking the team charter to Columbus for Tuesday's game or if he was going to fly in a private jet. "It's a good day for me and my family," Prosser said. "I was able to celebrate with them yesterday. There was a lot of excitement. I mean, my first"

Top line's success without Mikko Koivu has Wild reconsidering configurations

February 6

St. Paul Pioneer Press

"When Mikko Koivu went out of the Wild's lineup Jan. 14 because of a left shoulder injury, it initially looked as if he had taken much of the team's offense with him. The Wild scored just four goals in three games with Koivu out of the lineup, nearly losing their grip on the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. The team hurriedly tried to recalibrate its top line, and without a playmaker next to him, forward Dany Heatley took only seven shots in those games. How long ago that seems now. Not only have the Wild found a way to survive without Koivu, they have a new, better problem: trying to decide if they want to reunite him and Heatley."

Minnesota Wild sign Nate Prosser to 2-year deal

February 6

St. Paul Pioneer Press

"Nate Prosser, who has been one of the Minnesota Wild's best defensemen in the team's recent 3-1-1 stretch, has signed a two-year extension, general manager Chuck Fletcher announced today. The 25-year-old, who has six assists in 23 games for the team this season, was due to become a restricted free agent this summer. Prosser has given the team a physical presence in its own zone and has consistently made smart, low-risk decisions with the puck."

Prosser deal official; Koivu practicing

February 6

Minneapolis Star Tribune

"The Wild announced the Nate Prosser deal this morning. The rookie defenseman gets a two-year, one-way deal worth $1.65 million. That's an $825,000 salary cap hit starting next year. Prosser, 25, has six assists this season in 23 games with the Wild. He's been back and forth between the NHL and the AHL's Houston Aeros this season because he doesn't have to clear waivers to be sent down. The team is 14-7-2 when he is in the lineup."

Heatley's line running on all cylinders

February 6

Minneapolis Star Tribune

"For five games now, it seems every single time the Dany Heatley-Kyle Brodziak-Nick Johnson line hops the boards, the puck enters the offensive zone, the opponent is hemmed in for long stretches and the trio generates oodles of scoring chances. Heatley, in particular, has been jumpstarted in a way Wild fans have waited for since he was traded to Minnesota last July. Well, captain Mikko Koivu, Heatley's linemate from Day 1, is close to returning from a shoulder injury, maybe as early as Tuesday in Columbus. What to do? What to do? Thursday morning in Denver, when asked if he would keep the Heatley-Brodziak-Johnson line intact, coach Mike Yeo was noncommittal. After Saturday's 2-1 shootout"

Marek Zidlicky returns to Wild lineup after layoff

February 5

St. Paul Pioneer Press

"Defenseman Marek Zidlicky returned to the Wild's lineup Saturday night, playing for the first time in five games with Clayton Stoner still recovering from a lower body injury he sustained during a fight Thursday against Colorado. Zidlicky met with general manager Chuck Fletcher and coach Mike Yeo earlier in the week, after airing concerns about his lack of playing time. He was scratched for the fourth game in a row in Colorado, but Yeo decided to bring him back over Mike Lundin on Saturday. "This is how we've done things all year long - we've given guys chances to respond," Yeo said. "The reason we took Zid out of the lineup in the first place was not to punish him or try to make any"

Wild lose to Dallas in another dreaded shootout

February 5

St. Paul Pioneer Press

"For 65 minutes Saturday night, the Wild continued to build a case that they're returning to the form that rocketed them to the top of the NHL standings earlier this season. They played fundamentally sound hockey in their zone, commanded the game in the third period and came back from a one-goal deficit to secure a point in a building in which they haven't won since 2003. But in the regular season, the league decides tie games with this pesky proceeding called a shootout. It's an annoyance to purists, but based on what Commissioner Gary Bettman said at the All-Star Game last month, it's not going anywhere. And right now, it's a problem the Wild need to solve. They lost 2-1 to the Dallas"

With meetings over, coaches put Zidlicky on ice, and on notice

February 5

Minneapolis Star Tribune

"Five days after airing publicly his unhappiness over being scratched and how Mike Yeo was using him, defenseman Marek Zidlicky was unchained and released from the coach's doghouse Saturday night against the Dallas Stars. Of course, if the veteran had not played with defenseman Clayton Stoner out due to a lower-body injury, that would have been a sure sign that Yeo was not willing to forgive and forget after he and General Manager Chuck Fletcher met with Zidlicky during separate meetings. "This is how we've done things all year -- we've given guys chances to respond," Yeo said. "The reason we took Zids out of the lineup in the first place was not to punish him or try to make any point. It"

Wild falls in shootout after rally to force OT

February 5

Minneapolis Star Tribune

"It was Mike Yeo's first trip to Dallas as Wild coach, but had a grand idea as to how to end the Wild's slump inside the house of horrors that is American Airlines Center. "This afternoon, we're looking for a live chicken, getting a few candles, some incense," Yeo said earlier Saturday. The sacrifice didn't work, but from now on, maybe the Wild should try it before shootouts. Despite a strong 60-minute effort, especially considering the venue and despite a second-consecutive outstanding performance by Niklas Backstrom, the Wild lost for the fifth time in six shootouts Saturday night when the Stars took a 2-1 victory. Dating to March 21, 2003, the loss stretched the NHL's longest current"

Wild take out insurance policy by acquiring Erik Christensen from Rangers

February 4

St. Paul Pioneer Press

"At first glance, the trade the Wild made Friday morning appears to be a minor move, acquiring center Erik Christensen and a 2013 conditional seventh-round draft pick from the New York Rangers for forward Casey Wellman. After all, Christensen has played just 20 games this season, scoring only five points, and has topped 10 goals only once since the 2006-07 season. Though the addition seems like a trivial one, the Wild are hoping it's worth more - because they might need Christensen to help plug a big hole. The 28-year-old, who worked with both general manager Chuck Fletcher and coach Mike Yeo when all three were with the Pittsburgh organization, brings raw skills that match up with many of"

Niklas Backstrom has edge over Josh Harding

February 4

St. Paul Pioneer Press

"Earlier this week, Wild coach Mike Yeo said it was time for one of his two goaltenders - Niklas Backstrom or Josh Harding - to take over the No. 1 job on a consistent basis. If both are auditioning for the majority of the work, Backstrom has made a strong impression. He stopped 37 shots in the Wild's 1-0 victory Thursday night over Colorado, turning away 17 shots in the third period. Backstrom has played in 31 of the Wild's 56 games, but as Minnesota struggled through the second half of December and much of January, his play dipped; he allowed at least three goals in seven consecutive games, and the Wild won just one of those games. In his past two games - both wins over the Avalanche -"

Wellman, Wild never really clicked

February 4

Minneapolis Star Tribune

"In March 2010 when the Wild signed Casey Wellman, he was Chuck Fletcher's first big college free-agent pickup out of the University of Massachusetts. Wellman immediately was considered the Wild's top prospect. But that was pre-Mikael Granlund, Brett Bulmer, Johan Larsson, Jason Zucker, Charlie Coyle, Zack Phillips and Mario Lucia. Slowly, Wellman slipped down the depth chart, scored only 13 points in 41 games over three seasons and on Friday was traded to the New York Rangers for Erik Christensen. "I wanted things to work out in Minnesota and it's disappointing that it didn't," Wellman said. "I had some chances there, but stuff like this happens and I just look forward to the future and"

Wild makes move in push to help its lagging offense

February 4

Minneapolis Star Tribune

"Chuck Fletcher can't wait anymore for Pierre-Marc Bouchard and Guillaume Latendresse to return to the lineup. "I have to manage assuming the worst," the Wild general manager said Friday of the two wingers, who are sidelined because of concussions. In an effort to infuse skill into a lineup desperate for it, Fletcher acquired experienced but out-of-favor forward Erik Christensen from the New York Rangers for once-top Wild prospect Casey Wellman. If the Wild doesn't re-sign Christensen after the season, it receives a 2013 seventh-round pick. Bouchard has been shut down since Jan. 4. Latendresse has played twice since Nov. 10 and is experiencing symptoms again after practicing this week. "We"

Rangers trade Christensen to Wild for Wellman

February 4

New York Post

"Erik Christensen will get the opportunity to revive his NHL career in Minnesota after being traded to the Wild by the Rangers on Friday for 24-year-old forward Casey Wellman, who was immediately assigned to the AHL Whale. The move opens a Rangers roster spot for the return of defenseman Steve Eminger, who is set to come off injured reserve after having missed the past 19 games with a separated shoulder he sustained in Phoenix on Dec. 17. Though Eminger said he believes he is "very close," coach John Tortorella said he has gotten a "yes" from trainer Jim Ramsay on his availability for Sunday afternoon's Atlantic Division showdown against Philadelphia. Tortorella, however, said he has not"

Avalanche fall to Wild, 1-0, for fourth straight loss

February 3

Denver Post

"The Avalanche's record against divisonal opponents is now 2-12. The number of overall consecutive losses is now four. The number of goals scored in those four contests is six. Thoughts of a playoff appearance are beginning to seem awfully far out now. Somebody cue the tape of football coach Jim Mora talking about the playoffs. It's starting to apply to the Avalanche."

Wild rebound from staggering loss to beat Avs

February 3

St. Paul Pioneer Press

"For two days, the Wild had preached to themselves the importance of forgetting what had happened in the final 10 minutes of their loss to Nashville, when four pucks found the net from increasingly bizarre spots and turned a certain victory into a loss that threatened to wipe out the momentum they had been building. It was a bold message - and really, what else could the Wild do but talk themselves into it? They didn't know until Thursday night, though, whether they could carry it out. Their confidence had been rattled through a six-week stretch in which they won just twice, and the loss Tuesday threatened to wipe out the good feelings they'd built before the all-star break. After a 1-0 win"

Mikko Koivu's return put on hold

February 3

St. Paul Pioneer Press

"After saying Wednesday that center Mikko Koivu might return from a shoulder injury in time for the Wild's game in Dallas on Saturday, coach Mike Yeo backed off that timetable Thursday, saying Koivu likely wouldn't return until Tuesday's game against Columbus at the earliest. Koivu will be re-evaluated when the Wild return home for practices Monday and Tuesday. He hasn't played since Jan. 14, and though he had participated in a pair of team practices the past two days in St. Paul, he hadn't been cleared for contact yet. "I don't expect him to play on this trip (in Colorado and Dallas)," Yeo said. "We can kind of end the questions now." Once Koivu returns, the Wild will have to decide"

Brodziak to carry currency into negotiations

February 3

Minneapolis Star Tribune

"With less than a month before the Feb. 27 trade deadline, contract discussions regarding an extension for Wild center Kyle Brodziak will start soon, both General Manager Chuck Fletcher and Brodziak's agent, Allain Roy, said, Thursday. "We've talked about having talks," Roy said, laughing. While both Roy and Fletcher said there is no rush, Brodziak can become a free agent July 1. Because of his age, 27, and valuable role on the team, it seems logical the Wild would want to try to lock him up before having to consider trading him this month. "As long as things make sense, why wouldn't we want to sign Kyle Brodziak?" Fletcher said. "He's been a good player for us, he fits in well, I think"

Backstrom is back, shutting out the Avs

February 3

Minneapolis Star Tribune

"Mike Yeo met with Niklas Backstrom after the All-Star break. The Wild coach told him it was time for one of the goaltenders -- Backstrom or Josh Harding -- to step up, seize control of the nets and get on a run. Thursday night at Colorado, Backstrom, quiet in his crease and in control throughout, made 37 saves for his 25th career shutout as the Wild beat the Avalanche 1-0 for its second victory at the Pepsi Center in nine nights. "He [Backstrom] said right there he'd like to be that guy [to get the majority of the starts], and he's obviously going to get another chance [Saturday] in Dallas," Yeo said. "I thought he was in control all night. He was seeing pucks and he was controlling his"

Backstrom is back, shutting out the Avs

February 3

Minneapolis Star Tribune

"Mike Yeo met with Niklas Backstrom after the All-Star break. The Wild coach told him it was time for one of the goaltenders -- Backstrom or Josh Harding -- to step up, seize control of the nets and get on a run. Thursday night at Colorado, Backstrom, quiet in his crease and in control throughout, made 37 saves for his 25th career shutout as the Wild beat the Avalanche 1-0 for its second victory at the Pepsi Center in nine nights. "He [Backstrom] said right there he'd like to be that guy [to get the majority of the starts], and he's obviously going to get another chance [Saturday] in Dallas," Yeo said. "I thought he was in control all night. He was seeing pucks and he was controlling his"

Wild looks forward; Latendresse takes step back

February 2

Minneapolis Star Tribune

"Wild practice today was surprisingly upbeat at Xcel Energy Center after Tuesday night's collapse in a 5-4 loss to Nashville. Most newsworthy thing was probably Guillaume Latendresse (concussion) taking a slight step backwards and being held out of Wednesday's practice. Latendresse did not travel with the team. Greetings. Kent Youngblood here. I was at practice while Russo made his way towards Denver. Wild coach Mike Yeo ran a fast-paced practice that felt almost relaxed in its tone. Perhaps that's by design, after the disappointing way the team finished its game with Nashville last night, blowing a 4-1 lead in a 5-4 loss. Yeo's theme in practice today was taking the positives out of the"

No time for Wild to dwell on improbable loss

February 2

Minneapolis Star Tribune

"Wild coach Mike Yeo wants his team to dwell on what happened Tuesday night at Xcel Energy Center. OK, so maybe that's not the whole story. Wednesday, the day after the Wild blew a 4-1 third-period lead in a 5-4 loss to Nashville, Yeo held a surprisingly upbeat, high-paced practice. After it was over, he said he wanted his team to remember what it did in the first 50 minutes of that game and forget the final 10. "If we want to dwell on anything, it should be the fact that we should have won the game," Yeo said. "For the majority of the game we were playing our game, doing the things we were supposed to do. And we gave ourselves a chance to win three games in a row." Of course, that didn't"

Giguere back in goal for Avalanche on Thursday vs. Wild

February 2

Denver Post

"Avalanche goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere will start Thursday night in a key Northwest Division showdown against the Minnesota Wild at the Pepsi Center. Colorado coach Joe Sacco will give Giguere his fifth start in the team's last six games, after 23-year-old Semyon Varlamov took the loss in Tuesday's 3-2 setback at Edmonton, the first game back from the All-Star break. The Avs practiced this afternoon after a long night of travel, returning to Denver around 2:30 a.m."

Wild sleepwalk into disaster

February 1

St. Paul Pioneer Press

columnist Tom Powers

"It's not accurate to say the Wild went into a shell. It's more like they went into a coma. Tuesday night's game against the Nashville Predators resulted in a miserable, heartbreaking, discouraging 5-4 loss. And the Wild deserved every bit of it. Cruise control is a nice feature to have on an automobile. But it is deadly for a hockey team. The Wild played about 2-1/2 periods of beautiful hockey against the Predators, and the results were astounding: a 4-1 lead against a good opponent. Then they took their foot off the gas. That damned cruise control must look awfully inviting when a team isn't quite in shape after the all-star break. So they went into prevent mode. Just flip the puck out of"

Benched Zidlicky: 'I can't be quiet'

February 1

Minneapolis Star Tribune

"Two trade deadlines after the Wild signed defenseman Marek Zidlicky to a three-year contract extension, the Wild might now look to trade Zidlicky before this year's Feb. 27 deadline. The Wild has an unhappy veteran on its hands. Zidlicky was a healthy scratch for a third game in a row Tuesday night, and in a bruise to his pride, it came against his former team, the Nashville Predators. During an unsolicited interview after Tuesday's morning skate, Zidlicky said he would consider waiving his no-trade clause if he continues not to play. Zidlicky, who had a long, animated conversation with Mike Yeo on the ice in November, said he has butted heads with the coach over his high-risk, high-reward"

Wild's déjà vu scenario does not bode well

February 1

Minneapolis Star Tribune

columnist Jim Souhan

"The young coach, hand-picked by General Manager Chuck Fletcher, had rallied the Wild into playoff contention, earning praise all around the league. His temporary success only served as a prelude to the greatest challenge to and of his career. By the time the public had reacted to a surprising stretch of winning hockey, the Wild had stumbled, and franchise player Mikko Koivu had suffered a pivotal injury. Worse, a key player, a talented veteran from the Czech Republic, had revolted, and suddenly the affable young coach had to wonder how he was going to survive the season. That's true today, in the wake of veteran defenseman Marek Zidlicky complaining about his role under Mike Yeo on a day"

Wild suffers colossal collapse

February 1

Minneapolis Star Tribune

"The Wild was steamrolling one of the NHL's hottest teams so easily Tuesday night it could have sleepwalked to the finish line. Figuratively, though. Not literally. A three-goal, third-period lead and certain three-game winning streak disintegrated into a devastating loss when the Wild fell asleep at the steering wheel and all but stood around and watched the Nashville Predators roar back and deliver a stunning, throbbing 5-4 loss in regulation. "I'm in shock still," defenseman Justin Falk said. "There's no way in 100 years we should have lost that game," goalie Josh Harding said. "If you've ever been punched in the stomach really hard, that's pretty much what that one feels like," coach"

Unhappy Wild defenseman Marek Zidlicky: 'I can't be quiet'

January 31

Minneapolis Star Tribune

"As I hinted at this morning, this Marek Zidlicky thing has hit a breaking point. Zidlicky is unhappy, something I learned this morning when the veteran defenseman came looking for me to offer his opinion on the fact that tonight against his former team, the Nashville Predators, he'll be scratched for a third consecutive game. Zidlicky was critical of coach Mike Yeo, the way he has been treated and the fact that he loves the game too much to sit idly by if the Wild keeps scratching him. While Zidlicky didn't say he has asked for a trade, he indicated he is willing to waive his no-trade clause if this continues. "I can't be quiet," Zidlicky began during our sitdown, which you can read more"

Wild's top stars need to lead this push to playoffs

January 31

Minneapolis Star Tribune

columnist Chip Scoggins

"Nick Schultz insists he wasn't attempting to send a message inside his locker room or to ignite his own game when he delivered an uncharacteristically terse and expletive-filled rant after the Wild's uninspired 4-1 loss in Toronto two weeks ago. It just sort of spilled out. "It's just something where you're frustrated after a game and still fired up," he said. Coincidence or not, Schultz responded with two strong performances to help the Wild enter the NHL All-Star break in a positive frame of mind after a monthlong skid caused them to tumble precipitously in the standings. As the unofficial second half of the season begins Tuesday, the Wild needs more of that from Schultz and its group of"

Latendresse practices, but Koivu nearer to returning

January 31

Minneapolis Star Tribune

"The last we saw of Guillaume Latendresse, he was making a surprise comeback in Winnipeg from a concussion after one practice. That was Dec. 13. The Wild power winger was clean-shaven, wore a smile. His return lasted four periods. Monday, with the All-Star break over, Latendresse once again made a surprise return, this time to practice after missing the past 17 games -- and 32 of the past 34. His trademark full beard was back, too. "That's how we know this will be a real comeback," Latendresse said. "I'll keep the dirty look." Latendresse wasn't the only returnee Monday. Captain Mikko Koivu, who injured his left shoulder Jan. 14, skated hard and shot pucks with Latendresse before practice."

Crunch time for Wild

January 31

Minneapolis Star Tribune

"The NHL All-Star break featured sand and sun for some Wild players, wine country or casino visits for others ... and that was apparent for the first few minutes of the team's practice on Monday. "It's weird getting on the ice after being five days completely off," forward Cal Clutterbuck said. "You feel like you're a first-timer again." But the energy and the execution quickly returned during a crisp, up-tempo practice in anticipation of the soaring Nashville Predators coming to town Tuesday. The Wild hopes to build off the momentum it created with a modest two-game winning streak that put the team just barely inside the playoff bubble before the break. "Reenergize the body and the mind,"

Wild recalls three players

January 30

Minneapolis Star Tribune

"With the All-Star break over, the Wild resumes practice this afternoon at Xcel Energy Center at 2 o'clock. I'm hearing Chad Rau, Jed Ortmeyer and Matt Kassian, who were part of the Wild's two-game winning streak over Dallas and Colorado before the break, will all return. Hopefully we'll get injury updates on Mikko Koivu, Pierre-Marc Bouchard and Guillaume Latendresse later, too."

Back to the real NHL games

January 30

Ottawa Sun

columnist Chris Stevenson

"The days at the beach, as tweeted by Capitals defenceman Mike Green from the Cayman Islands, are over. The neon tans from Las Vegas will now start to fade. The NHL's feel-good weekend here — a resounding success which revolved around the emotional outpouring between Ottawa captain Daniel Alfredsson and Senators fans — now becomes a fond memory. Ahead is a 30-game sausage grinder that is the rest of the NHL season. "You need the break whether you're here or somewhere else doing something different. This is a part of the season the guys really look forward to, just to recharge the battery," said Maple Leafs winger Joffrey Lupul. "When you get back from this break, you're re-energized and you"