The Minnesota Wild beat the Ducks in the Wild Home Opener

It took a little extra time but the the Minnesota Wild beat the Anaheim Ducks in front of a home town crowd on Tuesday night at the Xcel.

After the scoreless first period, most of the fans in the X were thinking, "Why did I skip the Twins Game?". Then things got scary in a second period rally the Ducks put in 3 unanswered goals. Wilds fans gasped as they hoped and prayed that Todd Richards new style of hockey was going to kick in and work.

And then the third period came... and after a penalty left the Wild down players, John Scott scored starting the comeback that would end the third period with a tied game and force the Ducks into OT. Andrew Burnette put the winning goal in with just under two minutes left in overtime, giving Todd Richards his first Wild Win. Although the game was close, Niklas Backstrom made 16 impressive saves and much of the credit for the evening should go to him.

The Wild play next on Thursday, taking on the Kings on the road.

What will the 2009-2010 Minnesota Wild Season look like?

With the MN Wild Home Opener against the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday October 6th at 7:30 at the Xcel Energy Center many critics are getting their last bets in as to how the game will go and what the season is going to look like.

I am trying this Wild season to be realistic, we have young players and a new coach... I think it is going to take some time to mesh as a team and really skate well together, throw in a new game plan, Todd Richard's Up Tempo Hockey, I think analysts are right we may be looking at more losses than wins until the Olympic Break. But I do think the MN Wild can do it....

There is a poll on the left column that you should all look at and vote on, How many wins do you think we will get? As I get answers I'll post... feel free to comment about what you think the Wild need to do to ensure a MN Wild winning season!

See you on Tuesday Wild Fans!

Minnesota Wild Home Opener should be a great game

The Minnesota Wild have a new coach, new players, a new jersey and new marketing... "It's in our blood" is the newest addition to the ever-changing MN Wild. I think this tag line, is a great summary of how Minnesotans feel about Hockey and how we should approach this season of MN Wild Hockey. While it is easy to point fingers and blame the coach, the players, the fans for losses, I think instead we should remember that it is a Hockey TEAM for a reason and no one entity can be blamed. With the MN Wild Home Opener less than a week away (Tuesday night at the Xcel Energy Center to be precise) I for one am getting excited for a great Wild Season.

Critics are saying that it could take as long as until the Olympic Break for the MN Wild roster and coaches to really have everything worked out and all of their ducks in a row... I say lets give them all of the time they need. Because lets face it, while its great to win, half of the fun of hockey is the experience. And we all know that the experience is much better from inside the X... I did some looking and there are still great MN Wild Home Opener Tickets left, so BUY NOW and be there as the MN Wild prove to us once again why it is in OUR blood and not just theirs!

MN Wild Pre-Season Wrap Up

The Wild ended their 2009-2010 preseason on Tuesday with a 5-4 victory over the Flyers. The Wild preseason overall was not the best, with my boys finishing 3-4. Many critics are wondering if the new "up tempo" style that Todd Richards is trying to implement will really work for the Wild Roster.

The Up Tempo game according to MN Wild writer Derek Felska left the MN Wild roster, "outshot and outgunned more often than not. A perfect example of how this up-tempo style is not exactly producing a decidedly more offensively aggressive team is the fact Minnesota was outshot 19 to 32 in their game against Chicago on Friday night, and 18 to 21 against the St. Louis Blues on Thursday of that same week."

Many critics are concerned that after watching the MN Wild struggle through several disappointing losses that could have been avoided and two one goal games, Todd Richards may have tried to change too much, too fast. I for one think that the preseason was a good chance for TR and the rest of the Wild to get the kinks worked out and now it is time to start judging... my feelings, lets give the new Wild style a chance to work.

MN Wild take on the St. Louis Blues at the X

The Minnesota Wild will play tonight at the Xcel Energy Center against the St. Louis Blues. The game starts at 7:00.

A MN Wild press release said that Wild Head Coach Todd Richards was pleased with the practice yesterday and is looking forward to a Wild Win. Niklas Backstrom, the starting goaltender on the Wild Roster, is expected to play the entire night in the net. Cal Clutterbuck and Martin Havlat are also expected to see ample ice time tonight.

There are still great deals out there for Minnesota Wild Tickets including seats I found online for $10 from online ticket brokerage Ticket King, who has an office located conveniently just a block from the Xcel Energy Center. Tonight's match-up should be a good one, if you are a Wild fan at all don't miss this chance to take advantage of cheap MN Wild Tickets before prices go up!

Go Wild!

Minnesota Wild vs. Columbus Blue Jackets

The Minnesota Wild took on the Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday, losing 1-5 in a disappointing game. The Wild went the first two periods without scoring, leaving fans biting their nails that the game would be a total shut out. Finally in the third period the MN Wild managed to squeak out a single goal, but with a 4 goal lead the Blue Jackets had the game in the bag.

Minnesota Wild Head Coach Todd Richards probably doesn't have to be too worried just yet. The MN Wild came into this game with 2 Consecutive Shut-Outs. With the season as long as it is, the MN Wild will have to shake off this disappointing loss and look to the future if they expect to play strong going forward. With back to back games later this week the MN Wild will have a shot to prove last night was just a fluke.

Minnesota Wild Players named to several award watch-lists

The 2009-2010 Hockey Award Watch-Lists have been released and several MN Wild roster members appear, with the pre-season quickly approaching it will be interesting to see how these players perform when they start skating....

Vezina Trophy- Top Goaltender
MN Wild Niklas Backstrom was a runner up last year. If he can prove this season that his stats reflect his own talent and not that of a good defense it is likely he will win

Norris Trophy- Top Defensman
a few MN Wild players are in the running but the most likely winner is Brent Burns

Selke Trophy- Top Defensive Forward
MN Wild Mikko Koivu, need I say more


Hart Trophy- League MVP
MN Wild newcome Martin Havlat

Minnesota Wild Training Camp is just days away

The Minnesota Wild will be attending their preseason training camp in 10 short days with the first preseason game on Wednesday September 15th. The Wild's training camp will have a very different look this year with a new general manager, a new head coach and a total shake up on the Wild roster.

Critics are saying that all of the change is good for the wild and likely will help them end the season in higher standing than they did last season. However, I have to wonder if changing everything at once may make it hard to put back together so quickly. Training camp will be an excellent chance to see if the "New Wild" as Todd Richards is calling it is really as good as it has been cracked up to be. With September 15th only two weeks away, I'm one MN Wild fan who can not wait to see if this is the season we end up on the top!

Minnesota Wild's 3rd Jersey leaked...

Although the Minnesota Wild were planning on releasing the 3rd jersey at the Minnesota State Fair on Sunday at the Wild Booth fans some how got a hold of the look and have leaked it online... as a MN Wild Fanatic, I feel it is only right to continue the spread of the new jersey.

I have to say that I like the newest look, which in many ways is very OLD HOCKEY... with the deep green and cream accents, it is definitely a vintage look. The diagonal cursive writing instead of the typical sports block printing gives the new Wild Jersey a old-school feel that makes me think of the kind of jerseys my dad was wearing when he played hockey a million years ago. My guess is that lots of MN Wild Fans are going to dig this new jersey and scoop them up fast when knock-offs are released to the public, and knowing the trendsetters of the Twin Cities, once they have the jersey they will want to wear the jersey. So for all of you real Wild fans out there who actually may want MN Wild Tickets to see the game (instead of be seen at the game) I would recommend buying tickets pronto!

MN Wild Goalies ranked in Top-5 of Northwest Division

NHL Sports Writer Joesph Gunther released his analysis of the best goalies in the Northwest Division this week. Taking two of the five spots were MN Wild starting goalie Niklas Backstrom and backup goalie Josh Harding.

MN Wild Josh Harding took the No. 3 spot, due to his high save percentage and goals against average. Gunther wrote that Josh Harding has definitely shown he could be an NHL starter and that although he has seen limited game time, his stats are just as good if not better than the starting goalies in the division. Josh Harding is on the watch-list for several analysts and coaches to be a potential trade.

The No. 1 spot on this list went to none other than MN Wild Niklas Backstrom. Gunther reported that the Vezina Trophy finalist was one of the best in the entire league finishing last season in the Top 5 for wins, goals against average, save percentage and shut-outs. With 8 shut-outs MN Wild fans are hopeful that the 2009-2010 Wild Season will be just as successful for Backstrom.

With the Wild Season Opener just a short ways away, Wild fans won't have to wait much longer to see how the off-season and training camp helped the Wild roster get ready to come back to the Xcel!

Wild vs. Red Wings Tickets

The Minnesota Wild Schedule this season is awesome! From the opener to the very last game of the regular season the Wild pulled a great draw.

The Wild vs. Red Wings games are going to be especially great this season. Although the two teams don't meet up until later in the season, the first Wild vs. Red Wings match up is Thursday January 21st at the Xcel Energy Center. They meet up again at the Xcel Energy Center on Wednesday January 27th. The two teams then meet again in Detroit on Thursday March 11 and Friday March 26th.

There are tickets to be had online for all of these games, I did some looking and for both games at the Xcel Energy Center there are seats Center Ice, row 3 facing the players bench for only $100 and in Joe Louis Arena there are great seats in between the blue lines and the face off circle for $85. There are only so many great seats in both arenas so buy Wild Tickets early if you want to sit in anything better than the nosebleeds...

MN Wild player Cal Clutterbuck gears up for 2nd season

With the 2009-2010 MN Wild season quickly approaching, Wild players are getting back into the swing of working-out and skating after having spent the summer playing and enjoying the Land of Hockey. No player seemed to spend more time having summer fun than Cal Clutterbuck, last season's standout rookie. Cal Clutterbuck who started last season with Houston in the American Hockey League, came to Minnesota to finish the season and create a name and NHL record he could be proud of.

Since last season, Cal Clutterbuck has spent a fair amount of time in Minnesota getting used to his new home and having fun. In an interview earlier this week, Clutterbuck told a reporter that he has been getting ready for this season in the same way he did last season, working out and getting in shape as well as just trying to enjoy the last few days of sunshine before he starts practice at the Xcel. One way he has enjoyed the Minnesota Summer is with a batting practice at the Metrodome with Justin Morneau of the Twins. He also had his first fishing experience on local TV with Twins great Kent Hrbek. It seems to me that this Canadian is settling in nicely to his celebrity status here in Minnesota and is going to be ready to prove that he deserves the attention. The Minnesota Wild start their season at the Xcel Energy Center on Tuesday October 6th.