Minnesota Wild MN Wild Freak

If anyone wants to discuss any of my Minnesota Wild blog posts over the summer, please send me an email and don't forget that the next Wild season is only five months away. GO WILD!!!

Don't forget to check out my other Minnesota Wild hockey blog: Hockey Wilderness

Am I Being a Baby?

I feel like I am being a baby but I am not sure. I watched the Red Wings vs. Avalanche game last night and I couldn't help but feel sorry for myself as well as the whole "Wild Nation." First of all, how does the often injured Peter Forsberg last the entire series versus the Wild yet misses the first game versus the Red Wings? Second of all, how does Jose Theodore play like the second coming of Ken Dryden versus the Wild yet gives up four goals and gets yanked in the first game versus the Red Wings? I can't help but think that if either of these things occurred in the Wild series, there would have been a totally different outcome. However, maybe I am Just being a baby?

Marian Gaborik Hip Injury

Anyone who reads this blog knows I am not a huge Marian Gaborik fan. I get tired of all of his “injuries” and excuses and his whole I will play my hardest when I want to play my hardest attitude. I just read that Gabby is claiming a hip injury that will keep him from playing in the World Championship games this summer. Another injury? Come on. Well, at least he isn’t making an excuse to get out of a playoff game, that would send me over the edge! He better not use that hip injury as an excuse for his poor performance in the NHL playoffs, though. Be a man, Gaborik, own up.

Top 5 Positives for Minnesota Wild Season

Here is a list of the five positives I have taken away from the 2008 Minnesota Wild Season:

1. The emergence of Mikko Koivu as a bona fide star.
2. The continued development of Brent Burns into a top tier NHL Defenseman.
3. Winning the Northwest Division.
4. The defining of Stephane Veilleux as a "Grinder."
5. The play of Todd Fedoruk as both a "Scorer" as well as a "Heavyweight."

Top 5 Minnesota Wild Season Disappointments

These are the five biggest negatives that I have taken away from the 2008 Minnesota Wild Season:

1. Marian Gaborik not showing up for the NHL Playoffs.
2. The Minnesota Wild losing in the first round of the NHL Playoffs.
3. Pavol Demitra playing below expectations.
4. Niklas Backstrom coming back to earth and simply playing above average.
5. Doug Riseborough not doing what it takes to improve the team at the trading deadline.

2008 Wild Season a Disappointment!

I just spent a few minutes reflecting on the 2008 Minnesota Wild Season and I came to the conclusion that it was a total disappointment. I tried very hard to look at the positives but whenever I did, my mind went straight back to the first round NFL Playoff loss to the Colorado Avalanche. I as a Wild fan (freak), was not looking for moral victories like winning the division because at the beginning of the year I thought this team would contend for the Stanley Cup. It is going to be a long summer for the Minnesota Wild and the fans of the Minnesota Wild because of the early NHL playoff exit. If the team doesn't take the next step next year, the Minnesota Wild may have issues continuing their sell-out streak and Minnesota Wild tickets will no longer be a coveted item.

What More Can the Wild Do?

I wasn't lucky enough to be at the Xcel Energy Center last night for the Wild game but I did watch every minute of the game on TV. I came away from the game being extremely disappointed with the loss but I was also very happy with the Minnesota Wild effort. I think that last night's game was one of the best five games that the Minnesota Wild has played this year. The score could have easily been 5-2 in favor of the Minnesota Wild. Instead they lost 3-2 because Jose Theodore, the Colorado Avalanche Goalie, played as well as I have ever seen a goalie play. The Play of Theodore was eerily similar to the play of Jean-Sebastien Giguere when the Anaheim Ducks knocked the Minnesota Wild out of the 2002-2003 NHL Playoffs.

Even though the Minnesota Wild lost the game, I still have hope that they can pull this series out if they continue to play the way they played last night. Just imagine how different this series would be if Marian Gaborik wasn't a -3 with no goals or assists. Maybe he will be a factor on Saturday in Colorado.

What Happened to the Wild?

Can someone please email me and give me some sort of explanation as to what happened to the Minnesota Wild. They played one of their best ten minutes of hockey this year last night during the overtime period versus the Colorado Avalanche. They played with crazy amounts of intensity and completely outplayed Joe Sakic and the Colorado Avalanche. Tonight they seem to have decided that the series was already won and the have plated flat and on their heels while giving up three first period goals to the Avalanche. How does this team come out flat in the NHL Playoffs and why didn't Jacques Lemaire call a timeout after the second goal? More importantly, what the hell is going on with my favorite NHL team?

Gaborik Where Are You?

Why is it that Marian Gaborik disappears when it is time for the NHL Playoffs? He can't call himself a "Superstar" until he is a factor in the NHL Playoffs. So far, in this series versus the Colorado Avalanche, he has been a complete disappointment. Not only has he not scored, but Derek Boogaard has had more legitimate scoring chances than Gaborik has. The Minnesota Wild have zero chance of winning this series if Gaborik doesn't score and Gaborik should have zero chance of getting an even bigger contract after next year if he doesn't show up this series.

Violent Minnesota Wild Game

The on ice action between the Avalanche and the Wild wasn't the only place at the Xcel Energy Center where it was violent and dangerous. I almost lost my life twice during the Wild game on Friday! I sat 6 rows up by the penalty boxes and was almost impailed twice during the game by flying objects. In the first period, a puck missed my head by less than 2 feet and drilled a lady sitting next to me. Then, in the second period, a stick flew into the crowd and landed one row behind me.

The next time that my buddy offers to give me his Minnesota Wild Tickets, I am going to have to remember to wear a helmet and shield. If you plan on going to the Minnesota Wild game at the Xcel Energy Center on Thursday, keep your head up because it is Playoff Hockey. GO WILD!!!

Wild will need some luck to win Avalanche series

On my most recent MN Wild Freak poll, most of the Wild fans predicted the Wild would face off against the Colorado Avalanche (61%), but do you suppose the Wild fans would have predicted an overtime loss in the first game of the first round of the NHL Playoffs? The Minnesota Wild played well, but lady luck was not our side. Let’s hope Friday is a better night at the Xcel Energy Center.

Wild Playoff Roster Decisions

Now that we know that it will be Minnesota Wild vs Colorado Avalanche in the first round of the NHL Playoffs, it will be interesting to see what the Wild's roster will look like. I am certain that Simon, Boogaard and Fedoruk would have suited up had the Minnesota Wild played the Calgary Flames in the first round. However, I am not as certain that the trio of tough guys will all suit up against Joe Sakic and the Colorado Avalanche. On one hand, the Avalanche tend to play a more up tempo style which doesn't suit guys like Boogaard. On the other hand, last year with the Anaheim Ducks, we saw how important a strong physical presence is in the playoffs. They were able to neutralize the speed of the Marian Gaborik and the Minnesota Wild by intimidating them through their physical play. That style of game seems to really work in the playoffs. This year, it will be fun to watch the Minnesota Wild push instead of be pushed. GO WILD!!!

Minnesota Wild Playoff Tickets

If you are interested in buying Minnesota Wild Playoff Tickets, I found a site where they don't charge any extra fees and they seem to own a ton of tickets at pretty decent prices. There are Wild Playoff Tickets starting at around $100/Ticket for each of the four NHL Western Conference Quarterfinal games at the Xcel Energy Center. I have bought Wild Tickets from Ticket King before but the St. Paul Ticket King website seems to be more focused on Saint Paul Tickets. Don't be afraid to stop at the Ticket King Saint Paul Office the day of the game because they generally drop their prices as you get closer to the event. The office is on 7th. street just a few doors down from the Eagle Street Grille and only a couple of hundred yards from the Xcel Energy Center.

NHL First Round Playoff Opponent

Now that my favorite NHL team has clinched a playoff spot, it is time to analyze the Western Conference Standings and ever changing NHL Playoff Matchups on a daily basis. If the season ended today, the Minnesota Wild would host Joe Sakic and the Colorado Avalanche in the Western Conference Quarterfinals. The Minnesota Wild leads the regular season series 5-2, which includes winning the last four games between the two teams. The two teams end the regular season by playing each other on Sunday, April 6th. If the Wild wins this game, they will have beaten the Avs five straight games. In my mind, that statistic is both good and bad. I like that the Wild appears to have their number however it makes me nervous that they will have to try to extend this great streak against a team as talented as the Colorado Avalanche.

The important thing to consider is that the Minnesota Wild is playing solid hockey right now. If they continue to play like Marian Gaborik and the rest of the boys have been playing recently, it probably doesn't matter who they play. However, I am sure that I will continue to check the up to date standings on a daily basis and work myself up into a tizzy. GO WILD!!!