Sports News and Trade Rumors: Pro Sports Daily

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November 7

Minneapolis Star Tribune

"Doug Risebrough used to say that James Sheppard was the only member of the Wild's five-player "core" who had yet to experience "crisis." Whether it was being ridden by former coach Jacques Lemaire, or being a defenseman forced to play forward, or being small in stature, the former Wild general manager felt that "core" players Mikko Koivu, Brent Burns, Pierre-Marc Bouchard and Nick Schultz had overcome early-career adversity that made them stronger as players. Sheppard, on the other hand, hadn't gotten that -- let's call it, privilege -- yet. "He hasn't really been pushed yet, but believe me, he will be pushed," Risebrough said before last season. "I'm comfortable to say he's going to come ..."

Wild testing Leipold's patience

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November 7

St. Paul Pioneer Press

"Craig Leipold admits he often isn't thrilled with what he sees when he watches the Wild from the owner's box at the Xcel Energy Center. Leipold's team has won just five of 15 games this season and, as it did during the first period of a 5-2 home loss to the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday night, there are times when it seems no one is in sync. "I'm thinking just like every other fan was," Leipold said Friday, shaking his head. But Leipold, who purchased the Wild in January 2008, said that with new general manager Chuck Fletcher and new coach Todd Richards running the show, things "don't change overnight." When Leipold hired Fletcher last summer, he said he expected the Wild to become a ..."

Waiting game is getting old for Wild's Bouchard

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November 7

St. Paul Pioneer Press

"The Wild's fanciest skater can't skate, and it's killing him. Forward Pierre-Marc Bouchard, he of the dynamic spin moves and pinpoint passes, donned ice skates for the first time in a month Friday morning to join teammates for the official team photo. As soon as he stepped on the Xcel Energy Center ice, he grabbed a stick and a puck and glided toward one of the nets to launch a few shots. Sidelined by post-concussion syndrome, Bouchard has played just one game this season while the Wild have sputtered to a 5-10 record. "It feels good to skate, stickhandle a little bit and just feel the ice," he said. "It definitely feels good, even if it's only for two minutes." Bouchard, who at 25 already ..."

Raycroft sees Canucks' team chemistry evolving

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November 6

Vancouver Province

"From his vantage point, Andrew Raycroft couldn't help but marvel at what he was witnessing Thursday. "We're having fun and believe in each other," Raycroft said after backstopping the Vancouver Canucks to an impressive 5-2 victory over the Minnesota Wild. "Every night, a new guy is stepping up and with the depth in the organization, it's kind of contagious. When one chips in, the next guy wants to do his thing." Raycroft did his thing when it mattered most to finish with 28 saves and post his third-straight win. Late in the second period with the Canucks leading 4-2, Raycroft stoned Petr Sykora and then Owen Nolan on a partial breakaway. In the third period, he got his right pad on a hot ..."

Practice makes perfect for Hordichuk in 5-2 win over Minnesota Wild

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November 6

Vancouver Province

"It wasn't the shot heard around the world, but in Darcy Hordichuk's world it had the decibel level of a boom box cranked to full volume. When the Vancouver Canucks enforcer pounced on a James Sheppard turnover in the slot and wired a first period slapshot over the glove of startled goalie Niklas Backstrom on Thursday, it wasn't just Hordichuk's first goal in 50 games. It was his first shot of the season. In an improbable 5-2 victory over the well-rested Minnesota Wild — five injured forwards, one flu-ridden winger, an ailing starting goalie and a suspended defenceman were missing from the Canucks' lineup — it was another night when the forgotten emerged from the shadows to make it seven ..."

Lordy, it was Hordy - Canucks have winning feeling as Hordichuk becomes hero

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November 6

Vancouver Sun

"The dance music started as soon as the game ended and wafted from the Vancouver Canucks' dressing room like a soundtrack for victory. "I've got a feeling. . . . that tonight's gonna be a good night, that tonight's gonna be a good night, that tonight's gonna be a good, good night." The music was the first thing you heard. Darcy Hordichuk, surrounded by reporters, was the first player you saw. The Canucks have had a lot of good, good nights lately. Hordichuk finally had one. The fourth-line enforcer, scratched due to poor play only last week, blasted his first goal in 50 games to send the Canucks on their way to a 5-2 wire-to-wire victory against the Minnesota Wild. The goal — on his first ..."

Little-used Wild goalie Josh Harding looks to rebound soon

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November 6

St. Paul Pioneer Press

"While Josh Harding took several days off to recuperate from what the Wild termed "lower-body soreness," he cleared his head, too. Harding's goaltending numbers wouldn't look good in midget hockey, much less the NHL, but he jumped into the Wild lineup for the third period against the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday night and showed that for 20 minutes he was able to put an uneven start somewhat behind him. "Just like anybody in the world, they have bad days," he said before the game. "It happens to everybody, and it's how you react to it, how you move on from it. Hopefully the next one goes good. Go out there and play your game." Harding endured a summer when he was involved in trade rumors. ..."

Identity crisis has Wild losing face

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November 6

St. Paul Pioneer Press

columnist Tom Powers

"The problem right now is that the Wild aren't sure who or what they are. They know what they used to be. We all know that. They used to be a hard-working, airtight defensive hockey club. Ask anybody around the league, and that's what he will tell you: "Oh, man, the Wild don't give you much." That was then. Now, the Wild are stuck in the fifth dimension. They aren't anything. In between coaches and systems, they have yet to establish an identity. There is no collective personality. And it shows. Their 5-2 loss to the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday night dropped them to 5-10. "Yes, I would say we're still looking for an identity," coach Todd Richards said. "I have a good idea what that ..."

New-sprouting lip fuzz is for a good cause

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November 6

Minneapolis Star Tribune

"Wild players didn't lose their razors. They're not trying to make a fashion statement. The moustaches growing on more than a dozen Wild players' faces are for a good cause. Movember (movember.com) is the month men grow moustaches for 30 days to raise awareness and funds to help find a cure for prostate and testicular cancer. The money raised by movember.com is split between the Prostate Cancer Foundation and the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Defenseman Nick Schultz introduced the idea to teammates in honor of his friend Casey Heintz's father, Hugh, who is battling prostate cancer. Schultz registered the Wild as the Minnesota Mo Bro's and made a donation on behalf of the team. "My ..."

Wild slow to stir from two-period sleepwalk

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November 6

Minneapolis Star Tribune

"Wild coach Todd Richards sensed it coming. After four days off following victories over the Rangers and Penguins, Richards worried about his team "getting too high on yourselves." "We still have to remember where we're at," Richards said Thursday morning. "All you have to do is look at the standings." The Wild is the worst team in the Western Conference, and it reverted back to that during a 5-2 loss to the wounded, yet gutty Vancouver Canucks on Thursday night. "I thought maybe [we'd have] a little bit of a slow start, maybe a little bit of rust, but that pretty much lasted the whole first period," Richards said. Despite Kyle Brodziak twice pulling the Wild within one goal, the Wild ..."

New GM Fletcher knew what he was getting himself into

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November 6

Minneapolis Star Tribune

columnist Jim Souhan

"Here in the State of Hokey, the Wild will invite just about anyone to yell, "Let's Play Hockey." If they need help finding "celebrities" to fire up the "Team of 18,000," I am here to help. Next game, they should bring back Doug Risebrough. That way Risebrough could get the fans riled, and then the Wild would get to fire him all over again. Thursday night at the X, it was hard to tell if there were more empty seats or empty Wild jerseys, as the Fighting Christmas Trees played pathetically while losing 5-2 to the beat-up Canucks. There are four prime figures you could blame for the Wild's lousy play so far: Risebrough, new GM Chuck Fletcher, old coach Jacques Lemaire or new coach Todd ..."

Belanger injury adds to Wild's pain in loss to Canucks

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November 6

St. Paul Pioneer Press

"The painful beginning to the Wild's season took one to the midsection Thursday night. A team with just five wins in 14 games before the opening faceoff snoozed through a first period so uneventful that only the scattered boos kept many in the Xcel Energy Center crowd of 18,105 awake. When it was over, the Wild had absorbed a 5-2 loss at the hands of the Vancouver Canucks that snapped their two-game win streak and left them with an ugly winning percentage of .333. That first period was a beauty. "We weren't prepared coming into the game," said center Kyle Brodziak, who scored both his team's goals and was one of the few bright spots in the Wild lineup. "Our first period, it was unbelievable ..."

Wild's system suits Belanger

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November 4

Minneapolis Star Tribune

"Some Wild players have found it more difficult than others to adapt to the new ideas espoused by coach Todd Richards. Eric Belanger has been a quick study, thanks to a sweet taste of déjà vu. During his time in Atlanta three years ago, Belanger became familiar with the less-rigid style of play Richards is implementing in Minnesota. He found it suited him there -- and he's thriving again this season, with four goals and eight assists through 14 games. Last weekend, Belanger scored in both of the Wild's back-to-back victories, highlighted by his game-winner at Pittsburgh in the Wild's first road triumph of the season. The center is in the final year of a three-year contract. His desire to ..."

Wild's Marek Zidlicky is scoring less this season but still packs a punch

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November 3

St. Paul Pioneer Press

"Although the Wild's Marek Zidlicky has altered his reputation as an offensive defenseman a bit this season, his actions were plenty offensive to Sidney Crosby over the weekend. Zidlicky knocked Crosby down behind the Minnesota net Saturday night, and the Pittsburgh Penguins' captain dropped his gloves and fought for just the fourth time in his career. Crosby, the man many consider the face of the NHL, was sent off for seven minutes for fighting and slashing and the Wild skated away with a 2-1 win in Pittsburgh. "I was ticked off," he said after the game. Zidlicky chuckled at that Monday and commented, "That's what I have to do." He said he's been asked about it by friends, but noted it ..."

Wild's Zidlicky not tied down

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November 3

Minneapolis Star Tribune

"Asked Monday if he got away with one, Marek Zidlicky smiled nervously like a child caught with his hand in the leftover-candy pumpkin. Two days earlier, the Wild defenseman dropped the gloves with Pittsburgh Penguins superstar Sidney Crosby after the two clashed behind the net, then in front of it with a nasty slashfest. The YouTube clips combined for more than 56,000 views by Monday evening. But the video also shows one other subtle yet very vital detail. Zidlicky's jersey wasn't tied down. If the refs had noticed, Zidlicky could have been assessed a game misconduct and the Wild would have been down to five defensemen in the third period of an eventual hold-on-for-dear-life first road win ..."

Richards' decision to lighten up has brought out the best in Wild

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November 2

St. Paul Pioneer Press

"Things have lightened up for the Wild. Just in time. After dropping eight of their 10 previous games, the Wild had a relaxed optional practice Thursday at the Xcel Energy Center followed by a loose-goosy morning skate Friday before going onto the ice and that evening and stopping the New York Rangers for a 3-2 home win. They followed that up by having the regulars skip their morning skate on Saturday in Pittsburgh before posting a gritty 2-1 victory over the defending Stanley Cup champion Penguins. Coach Todd Richards saw the tightness when he looked at his players and when he looked in the mirror. He took steps to change that. As part of that, the coaching staff showed video that included ..."

Richards seeing rewards after road win

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November 2

Minneapolis Star Tribune

"No one had to explain things to Dan Bylsma. When he and Todd Richards coached the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins three years ago, eager to initiate fresh ideas, Bylsma said it required 20 or 25 games for the new culture to fully take hold. So he figured the Wild would remain a work in progress when it came to Pittsburgh last weekend. But while others weren't sure where things were headed, Bylsma -- now the Penguins' head coach -- knew what kind of team Richards was molding in his first season behind the Wild bench. It finally revealed itself in the Wild's first back-to-back victories this season, including Saturday's 2-1 shocker at Pittsburgh that halted its 0-8 start away from home. His ..."

Backstrom comes up big as Wild make it two in a row with road win over Penguins

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November 1

St. Paul Pioneer Press

"Don't break out the champagne just yet, but the Wild invaded the home of the Stanley Cup champions Saturday night and snuck out with a victory. The 2-1 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins was the first on the road this season for Minnesota and not only gave the Wild back-to-back victories for the first time but also gave the unbelievers out there a few things to ponder. Credit this one to goalie Niklas Backstrom and a supporting cast that somehow carried the good feelings from a 3-2 home victory over the New York Rangers the night before into the home of the team ranked No. 1 in the NHL and stole a win in front of 16,960 at Mellon Arena. "You definitely have to give the credit to Backstrom in ..."

Minnesota Wild GM Fletcher gets Stanley Cup ring, but wants one for new team

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November 1

St. Paul Pioneer Press

"Wild general manager Chuck Fletcher sat down with Penguins GM Ray Shero, assistant GM Jason Botterill and Pens coach Dan Bylsma and reminisced Saturday before Shero handed Fletcher a special gift for his services as assistant GM last season: a Stanley Cup championship ring. Later, Fletcher wore a smile but not the ring. "It was a great moment," he said, "to get the ring." Former Penguins forward Petr Sykora, who received a nice cheer when he was introduced in Minnesota's starting lineup Saturday night at Mellon Arena, also was given a ring. "It was great; a really exciting game and I feel good, I really do," Sykora said after the Wild's 2-1 win. Fletcher talked about how he'd like to get ..."

Pens' Crosby drops gloves after he's tripped

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November 1

Pittsburgh Tribune Review

"Penguins captain Sidney Crosby dropped the gloves and was assessed a fighting major for the third time in his career Saturday. He landed a number of right hands on Minnesota defenseman Marek Zidlicky late in the second period. Crosby became agitated when Zidlicky tripped him, sending the Penguins' leading scorer feet-first into the boards in a similar looking play to two years ago when Crosby injured his ankle against Tampa Bay. "I didn't appreciate that," Crosby said. "I got pretty ticked off." Crosby was lost for seven minutes because he and Zidlicky were both assessed slashing minors along with fighting majors. The Penguins had an uneventful power play while Crosby was in the penalty ..."

Minnesota clips Penguins at Mellon Arena

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November 1

Pittsburgh Tribune Review

"A commonly held hockey truth is that over the course of six regular-season months, even the best NHL club willa handful of games they have no business losing. The Penguins rediscovered that axiom in an October they otherwise dominated. A 2-1 loss to the Minnesota Wild tonight was their third at home, and their second against a Western Conference foe that rates a long-shot bet to reach the Stanley Cup Final. The Penguins (11-3-0, 22 points) enjoyed their finest opening month - and, really, dominated last night in an attempt to become the first league team to win 12 games. However, only one of their shots bested Minnesota goalie Nicklas Backstrom, who was sharp, but also benefited from ..."

Dominant month ends badly for Penguins

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November 1

Pittsburgh Tribune Review

"Lady Luck turned a trick on the Penguins, who probably deserved a treat on Halloween. Despite a 35-15 shots advantage and a considerable time spent swarming in the offensive zone, the Penguins closed October with a 2-1 loss to the Minnesota Wild at Mellon Arena on Saturday night. In a franchise record-setting opening month, the Penguins (11-3-0, 22 points) scored only two goals in three losses at home to Phoenix, New Jersey and Minnesota. Perhaps the Penguins are fortunate that a four-game road trip opens Tuesday at Anaheim because they are a franchise-best 6-0-0 away from Pittsburgh - including a stirring comeback victory on Friday night when they scored twice in the final three minutes ..."

Penguins lose to the Wild

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November 1

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

"The Penguins lost for just the third time this season, 2-1, to the Minnesota Wild tonight at Mellon Arena. That leaves them at 11-3, with all three losses coming at home. The teams traded goals in the first period, with Minnesota striking first and last. Kyle Brodziak made it 1-0 for the Wild when he tapped in a slow-moving rebound from just to the left of the crease at 12:11 of the first period. The Penguins tied it, 1-1, when Pascal Dupuis, set up at the top of the crease, one-timed a pass from Martin Skoula from the left-wing boards at 14:18 of the first. Minnesota regained the lead, 2-1, when Eric Belanger whipped it past Penguins goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury's blocker from the right ..."

Penguins don't go down without a fight (and it involves Crosby)

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November 1

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

"Lose a game, any game, and there are things a team would like to change. It stands to reason, then, that the Penguins would like to have back their 0-for-3 performance on the power play last night. They would like to do something about that game-deciding goal they allowed with six-tenths of a second left in the first period, too. Get beyond that, though, and there was not a whole lot about their 2-1 loss against Minnesota at Mellon Arena that they would like to do over. "We play every game that way," Penguins coach Dan Bylsma said, "and we'll like the result." The Penguins have liked the outcome a lot during the first four-plus weeks of the regular season. They finished October 11-3, and ..."

Excited Sykora receives his Stanley Cup ring

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November 1

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

"On his way from the Minnesota team bus to the visiting locker room at Mellon Arena a couple of hours before the Wild played the Penguins last night, winger Petr Sykora stopped by the familiar Penguins offices to receive his diamond-heavy Stanley Cup ring from general manager Ray Shero and coach Dan Bylsma. "I knew I was going to get my ring, so I was very excited," Sykora said a few minutes later. "This is why I play hockey. I was shaking when I got the ring." Sykora signed with Minnesota at the beginning of this season after spending the past two with the Penguins. He struggled during the stretch run of the regular season and did not play regularly in the playoffs, then struggled some ..."

Wild buy more patience with come-from-in-front win

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October 31

St. Paul Pioneer Press

"In a world of tweets, texting and video on demand, patience no longer is a virtue. And what little we have left was close to being used up on the Wild. Twelve games into the season, some of us were fed up with the Wild's new system, their lack of scoring and new coach Todd Richards, who was last heard to say, "glub, glub, glub ..." as he appeared to be sinking into the Mississippi River. There is no room for slow starts in today's fast-paced society. Twelve games, grrrrr. When Craig Leipold bought the team, he announced he wasn't going to change a thing because "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." Well, he sure has fixed it now. Someone confiscate his handyman license! But in game No. 13, ..."

Rangers fall to Minnesota Wild, 3-2, as Marian Gaborik sits

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October 31

New York Daily News

"It was bad weather in Minneapolis that caused Dane Byers to arrive hours off schedule for the Rangers ' game Friday night against the Minnesota Wild . So what was the rest of the Rangers' excuse? Sure, there are injuries to point to (not that any of the Rangers did), but that's not enough to explain a second straight sluggish, mistake-prone start over 40 minutes that sent the Rangers on their way to a 3-2 loss to Minnesota and their fifth defeat in six games (1-4-1). It is, however, looking more and more as though Marian Gaborik 's status is both the diagnosis and cure for the Rangers' vanilla attack of late, one that generated only 20 shots at Wild goaltender Nicklas Backstrom ..."

Run-down Rangers hope to shake slump in Minnesota

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October 30

New York Post

"Less than two weeks have passed, yet the Rangers' seven-game winning streak seems like it happened centuries ago. They have lost four of their past five games, including Wednesday's 3-1 loss to the Islanders, in which the Rangers had the energy of a narcoleptic on Nyquil. "It's not the X's and O's part of it. It's the mental approach. That is my most frustrating thought after [Wednesday's] game," coach John Tortorella said. "That game was won by a team that played harder than another team, and that's frustrating because that's something that you can control. It's a mental toughness that you need to develop. Have we gotten there? No." Defenseman Wade Redden said, "I think it starts with ..."

Marian Gaborik getting his kicks as a New York Ranger

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October 30

St. Paul Pioneer Press

"Marian Gaborik limped out of the trainer's room at Madison Square Garden on Monday night, a towel wrapped around his waist and a frown creasing his face. It was a recognizable scene for the Rangers' first-year superstar, whose two-goal, three-point performance against the Phoenix Coyotes became the side story to the more pressing issue of his right leg. He revealed scant information about his latest injury while emphasizing it was unrelated to the wonky hips and groin muscles that sidelined him 121 games over his last four years with the Wild. So Gaborik returns to Minnesota for New York's only trip to the Xcel Energy Center this season and likely will not play tonight, an ironic twist to ..."

Minnesota Wild's Peter Sykora clueless on benching

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October 30

St. Paul Pioneer Press

"The fissure between Petr Sykora and Todd Richards of the Wild did nothing to lessen Thursday. One day after Richards benched him, Sykora traipsed off the ice after an optional practice, pulled off his helmet and gloves, plopped on a bench in front of his dressing room stall, took a deep breath and nodded that he was ready to talk to the media. He talked, but he didn't say much. "I don't want to comment on the situation," he said. "It is what it is. I've got to wait for my chance. It's up to him if he plays me or not." Whether that comes tonight when the Wild play host to the New York Rangers remains undetermined, because Richards said after Thursday's practice that the coaches "don't have ..."

Gaborik is living large, but injury imperils return

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October 30

Minneapolis Star Tribune

"When Marian Gaborik walks out of his luxury apartment in Manhattan, he's a stone's throw from Central Park and a few blocks from Lincoln Center. He plays in the world's most famous arena, Madison Square Garden, and as the New York Rangers' resident star, he's treated like royalty. Life is good for Gaborik, 27, who left the laid-back lifestyle of Minneapolis and team-team-team mentality of the Wild for the big time. "I came there to play hockey, but MSG, there's a lot of energy and excitement, and in the whole city," said Gaborik, who met with the Wild media at the Saint Paul Hotel on Thursday night. "It's a fast-paced life. You live in the capital of the world pretty much." On the ice, ..."

Marian Gaborik's return: Drama's gone, but so are goals

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October 30

Minneapolis Star Tribune

"Like clockwork, around 9ish every New York Rangers game night for the past month, the BlackBerry started buzzing with emails and Twitter comments. "FYI, Marian Gaborik got another goal." "Make that two. Owns the league lead." "Gaborik just got No. 8. That's OK, at least we got back, ... Oh wait, dang." "Gaborik, No. 1 star. But we didn't need him." There's no hiding the first month of the Chuck Fletcher/Todd Richards regime was as successful as a grouse staring down the barrel of a shotgun, but, boy oh boy, the hockey gods sure had a good laugh at the Wild's expense. As the Wild keeps losing (it is 3-9), Gaborik keeps scoring (10 goals), although in a fitting twist of irony, Gaborik's St. ..."

Predators get a needed road win

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October 29

Tennessean

"Maybe the Predators have just been looking to the wrong players in their search for offensive punch. Who needs the big names to produce when you have grinders like Jerred Smithson, who scored what just might have been the prettiest Predators goal of the season Wednesday? His short-handed goal midway through the third period just happened to be the game-winning goal, giving the Predators a 4-3 roller-coaster of a win over the Minnesota Wild. The Wild looked as if it might be prepared to snap a 3-3 tie when they went on the power play with under 10 minutes left in the game. But that's when Smithson worked his magic, stealing the puck from former Predator Marek Zidlicky at the Nashville ..."

Déjà vu: Gaborik injured

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October 28

Minneapolis Star Tribune

"Marian Gaborik was held out of practice on Tuesday as the New York Rangers forward deals with an undisclosed injury he suffered after colliding with a player in the Monday's 5-2 victory over the Phoenix Coyotes, ESPN.com reports. The Rangers, who come to the Xcel Energy Center on Friday in a much-anticipated return of the former Wild star, said Gaborik will be re-evaluated today and reiterated the injury was nothing major and "not related to any issues he's had in the past" with his groin and hips. Rangers General Manager Glen Sather announced that forward P.A. Parenteau was called up from the AHL's Hartford Wolf Pack. Parenteau would replace Gaborik tonight when the Rangers play the ..."

Wild tries to break gloom's spell

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October 28

Minneapolis Star Tribune

"After falling to 0-8 on the road with Monday's loss at Chicago, the Wild might have expected a rigorous practice Tuesday. But when coach Todd Richards assessed his team's situation, he decided it called for a different approach. The Wild never took the ice. Instead, the team stayed in its locker room for a 75-minute meeting and video session, followed by off-ice workouts. As the Wild winds up a tough run of seven games in 11 days -- including tonight's home game against Nashville -- Richards said he thought his players would benefit more from rest than they would from a full practice. That doesn't mean he's going easy on them. Richards noted that his usual positive approach hasn't been ..."

Wild coach Todd Richards sends message by benching Sheppard, Pouliot

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October 27

St. Paul Pioneer Press

"After issuing a warning by benching forwards James Sheppard and Benoit Pouliot for Saturday's home game against Carolina, Wild coach Todd Richards hopes the two were paying attention. "Hopefully, they're motivated," he said. "They should be now." Richards said he has been getting to know the two the past few weeks, and obviously what the first-year coach has seen has left him desiring more. Pouliot has one goal and one assist in nine games, while Sheppard has zero points in 10 games. Maybe, Richards said, checking things out from a different angle would prove beneficial. "You can learn a lot from watching. Hopefully, they watched the game closely, and hopefully that'll pay off for them. ..."

Wild's road skid hits 8 with 3-1 loss in Chicago

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October 27

St. Paul Pioneer Press

"A national TV audience got a chance Monday night to see a pretty good hockey team. Viewers also saw the Wild, looking more and more like a pale imitation of Minnesota's NHL playoff contender of only two seasons ago. Even featuring a lineup missing injured Jonathan Toews and Marian Hossa, the Chicago Blackhawks meticulously disassembled anything resembling a Wild offense en route to a 3-1 victory at United Center. "I don't have any answers right now," defenseman Greg Zanon said. "I don't really have any comments on what we can do, so I'm pretty much at a blank." Join the club. The Hawks' victory, in front of 20,046, was a textbook example of a team frustrating an already-frustrated ..."

Friendly UC crowd salutes Havlat

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October 27

Chicago Sun-Times

"Martin Havlat returned to the United Center on Monday night. If not a hero's welcome, the sellout crowd showed its appreciation to one of its former stars. The Blackhawks' leading scorer last season (77 points) returned for the first time with the Minnesota Wild. And the Chicago fans welcomed him back with loud applause early in the game. Havlat also had his best chance to score early on. ''It was the first minute, and I didn't finish,'' Havlat said. ''Like I said, it's frustrating the way we've been playing on the road, and we have to get better on the road. It seemed like a lot of our games. We had chances, and they got the first one.'' Actually, the first two on first-period goals by ..."

Huet getting on a roll

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October 27

Chicago Sun-Times

"It's much too early to tell if the Blackhawks made the right decision last summer in signing Marian Hossa to a long-term contract and allowing Martin Havlat to move on to the Minnesota Wild. The decision didn't look like a bad one Monday night, though, when the Hawks shut down Havlat en route to a 3-1 victory at the United Center. Havlat was a minus-2 and got off only one shot -- that one on his first shift. ''He's a tremendous player, and a big key for them,'' said Hawks center Dave Bolland, who scored the first goal for the Hawks. ''You can't let him wander alone. You've got to finish your checks on him.'' The Hawks did that, but the difference -- for the second straight game -- was ..."

Blackhawks beat Minnesota Wild 3-1

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October 27

Chicago Tribune

"It was less than a week ago that the Blackhawks were down and nearly out. Two of their top players were injured, and their starting goaltender watched from the bench with his confidence shaken during a second consecutive loss at home. Fast forward to Monday night, when the Hawks, still without captain Jonathan Toews and defenseman Brent Seabrook, won their second straight at the United Center behind a suddenly scorching Cristobal Huet. Dave Bolland, Troy Brouwer and Patrick Kane scored, and Huet made 20 saves as the Hawks defeated the Wild 3-1 to improve to 7-3-1. "We had lost two in a row here, so coming back to win the next two was very important for us," said Huet, who upped his record ..."

Minnesota Wild players defend their speed

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October 26

St. Paul Pioneer Press

"Gone are the fleet feet of Marian Gaborik, but does that translate into a deficiency in speed that prevents the Wild from thriving under coach Todd Richards' more aggressive system? No, says Wild center Eric Belanger, who says that in his case, speed "is probably my strength." Belanger, who has picked up a share of the offensive load for Minnesota with two goals and seven assists in 10 games going into tonight's matchup against the Blackhawks at United Center, said speed "is a mind-set. When you get the puck you are moving instead of getting the puck, looking and then start skating. That way, you're pulling away from people." He noted that players forechecking aggressively need to believe ..."

Havlat gets chance to torment Hawks

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October 26

Chicago Sun-Times

"Martin Havlat's departure from the Blackhawks in the offseason wasn't a quiet one. The Hawks wouldn't re-sign him, choosing to pick up free agent Marian Hossa instead. Tonight represents a chance for Havlat to show the Hawks they made a mistake. Havlat took some verbal swipes at the Hawks' front office after signing a six-year, $30 million contract with the Minnesota Wild, which makes its first regular-season visit to the United Center tonight. ''Marty's a good player and tough to play against,'' Hawks defenseman Duncan Keith said after practice Sunday at the United Center."

Wild's Sheppard anxious to get back on the ice after benching

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October 25

St. Paul Pioneer Press

"James Sheppard's NHL matriculation hasn't always been smooth, but the young center had never really been scratched — not since he became a regular during his rookie season in 2007-08. But after nine games with no points and a minus-5 in the plus/minus column, coach Todd Richards decided to sit the team's first-round pick in the 2006 entry draft. Sheppard, 21, watched Saturday night's 3-2 overtime victory over Carolina from the press box. "I've felt better," he said. "This isn't the position I wanted to be in, but it's the position I'm in now." Sheppard made an auspicious debut as a rookie, making the jump from juniors. Playing major minutes because of injuries, he had four goals among 19 ..."

In defense of ... Jacques

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October 25

Minneapolis Star Tribune

columnist Michael Russo

"E-mail after e-mail has come in the past few weeks from Wild fans reminding me of my one-on-one with Jacques Lemaire before draft weekend in Montreal. "He called it," said one reader. These readers have great memories, and to rehash what they're talking about, Lemaire gave Wild coach Todd Richards a matter of weeks, maybe a month, into this season before he'd be forced to pull back the reins on the more aggressive, more up-tempo Wild. Lemaire reminded me of the Wild's early-season sweep in Atlanta, Florida and Tampa Bay last season and how all three of those new coaches were also pimping their more aggressive systems. "I said, 'They're going to have a hard time if they keep playing that ..."

Harding tries to regain trust

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October 25

Minneapolis Star Tribune

"Ten games into a season in which backup goalie Josh Harding was supposed to see more playing time, the Wild came back with No. 1 goalie Niklas Backstrom in the second of back-to-back games Saturday night against the Carolina Hurricanes. In two starts, Harding is 0-2 with a 5.50 goals-against average and .738 save percentage. "Everybody knows I can do better, myself especially," Harding said. "Even in practice, I haven't been that sharp. I'm trying to fix my game. But I'm disappointed in myself. "I'm letting the team down and I'm letting Backy down. My job is to give Backy a rest and do the job whenever I get the shot. He's a great goalie, and we have a lot of games, and he needs the rest, ..."

Zanon, Mason 2 bald peas in a pod

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October 24

Minneapolis Star Tribune

"Take a look at side-by-side pictures of St. Louis goalie Chris Mason and Wild defenseman Greg Zanon, and they might as well be brothers. Chrome-headed. Beard. "We could have been separated at birth," Mason said, laughing. They also have another thing in common. They both lunge their bodies in front of high-speed pucks. The difference is Zanon isn't wearing a mask, full chest protector and 34-inch leg pads. "I loved playing behind Zooch in Nashville," Mason said. "People don't notice his skill, but when you're a goalie killing penalties, you see it from certain defensemen. He was the best I've ever seen at clearing pucks and getting pucks down the ice. "He puts his body on the line every ..."

Blues' quick start dazes Wild in latest poor showing on road

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October 24

Minneapolis Star Tribune

""Outchanced, outshot, outworked, outforechecked ... outeverythinged." Friday morning, that's the way St. Louis Blues coach Andy Murray had described his team's first period during Tuesday's blowout loss in Pittsburgh. And Murray might well have described his Blues' domination of play the same way during the first period of the Blues' 3-1 victory over the Wild on Friday at Scottrade Center. "Nine games into the season, we've got to figure out by now how to be ready when the game starts," frustrated Wild goaltender Niklas Backstrom said. "We can't afford to do it every night. The league's full of good teams. We can't give 20 minutes to any team." The Wild, which tied a franchise record by ..."

St. Louis Blues bounce back, tame Minnesota Wild

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October 24

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

"One of the Blues' best traits last season was putting their last game behind them. They needed to draw on that ability Friday night, three days after an embarrassing loss in Pittsburgh. Led offensively once again by members of the defensive stopper unit, the Blues toppled the Minnesota Wild 3-1 for the team's first victory this season at Scottrade Center. The triumph in front of a sellout crowd came against a Wild team that entered the night with the second-fewest points in the NHL. But after a demoralizing 5-1 defeat Tuesday against the Penguins, the NHL's top team in points, the Blues were glad to finally get the sour taste out of their mouth. "There's those games that you've just got to ..."

St. Louis Blues coach and Minnesotan Andy Murray advises patience as Wild build new team under new coach

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October 24

St. Paul Pioneer Press

"St. Louis Blues coach Andy Murray said he listened with alarm from his Minnesota home over the summer to discussions about the Wild's new attacking offense. It wasn't because Murray was worried about Minnesota unveiling a high-powered offense, either. "I live in Faribault, so I heard all the talk," he said of media reports centering on a more aggressive and up-tempo style for the Wild under new coach Todd Richards. "I said, 'Uh-oh.' " Affable as a puppy when he's not behind the bench, Murray recalled thinking, "This is dangerous." Dangerous, he explained, because it might tempt Minnesota fans to begin salivating over the possibility of five or six goals a game, "and that just doesn't ..."

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