Wild Vs Kings 2/1/11

Happy shortest month out of the year Wild fans!

Hopefully the boys are well rested and ready to go tonight against the Kings of Los Angeles. I expect it to be a physical game with Clutterbuck and Brown leading the way on the hits.

Bruno is playing game 1,000 tonight, one can only imagine the beating his body has taken playing that many games. We here at MHF salute you Bruno.

Havlat and Burns will be energized from the Allstar festivities and will be looking to carry that energy over to the team tonight so they can help them dominate on the ice. Lets hope Butch can keep up his small momentum he had going into the break.

This Admin will be in the stands tonight cheering our boys on, I am predicting a close game, but a 3-2 win in OT.

Wild vs. Kings post-game and more

Backstrom's huge shootout save and Bouchard's goal lifts Wild to 1-0 shootout home win over Los Angeles

Written by Derek Felska | 31 January 2011

Thomas Jefferson once said, "If angry count to ten before you speak, if you're really angry, count to a hundred." I must admit I have never subscribed to this specific nugget of Jefferson's wisdom. Not that you care but I usually speak right away and let the consequences be what they are and that hasn't always been the best thing either. I doubt I am alone in possessing a wicked temper, but really what Jefferson is speaking to is of patience and not simply speaking in the heat of the moment. Counting to 10 can go by pretty quickly and if you're a bit of a hot head you'd still probably say something pretty nasty that you may regret later. So counting to a 100 is a bit safer bet, if somehow you can hold yourself back enough to count that long. This may sound strange but I just counted to a hundred and I timed myself, and without trying to sound like former Micro Machine's pitchman, the speed talking Jim Moschitta, I managed to finish counting to a hundred in about a minute. As athlete, emotions are often something very near the surface for any player as they are what often drives competitive instinct. I wonder what a veteran player like Andrew Brunette would say if he was angry. Brunette's demeanor is usually pretty calm and collected but when the opposition tries to push him around he pushes back. It may not be an aggressive shove but he isn't just going to get thrown around and be intimidated. Rarely do you see Brunette chirping back, opting more often to skate back to his bench or towards his linemates than to drop the gloves or agitating the situation further. That is the sort of perspective one has after they've played 1,000 games as Brunette will achieve that career milestone tonight. He knows not to let his emotions get the best of him and the always modest Brunette, who has loads of humility as he seems to relish making fun of his lack of speed has managed to have a pretty impressive career thus far. After scoring an eye popping 62 goals and 162 points in major junior back in 1992-93 with the now defunct Owen Sound Platers of the Ontario Hockey League, Brunette was still just a 7th round pick (174th Overall) by the Washington Capitals. After starting his career for the also defunct Hampton Roads Admirals of the ECHL, he battled his way through the minors where he put up very impressive offensive totals season after season only to earn a few limited stints with the Capitals no one would've blamed him for being angry at this point in his career. Yet any interview you see with Brunette, there is never a shred of bitterness and in 1998 he really earned his first real shot in the NHL as he was picked up in the 1998 Expansion Draft by the Nashville Predators where he scored the franchise's first goal. In 2001-02 he joined the Wild, signing on as a free agent and Brunette thrived with the Wild, scoring the most important goal in franchise history when he beat Patrick Roy (for the last goal given up in his NHL career) in Game 7 of the 2003 Western Conference Quarterfinals. From here on out, Brunette continued to prove the naysayers wrong who criticized his lack of speed but season after season he'd end up with 50+ points. 999 games later, Brunette has accumulated 250 goals and 438 assists for 688 points, not too shabby for a guy who is "too slow." I am going admit it, I've criticized his lack of speed at times but for his salary and production there are very few players who can match his value on the ice. His sense of humor, his hard work, especially behind the opposing goal are his trademarks. Not to make this sound too much like a eulogy but he's certainly a Wild fan favorite and I hope this team asks him to join the broadcast team when he's finally retires.

As Brunette gets ready for his 1,000 game, the team regroups after a restful week of the All Star Break. Brent Burns and Martin Havlat represented the Wild fairly well on Team Lidstrom, but the Wild must jolt themselves back to reality soon as they play a tough Los Angeles Kings squad that is hoping to leapfrog Minnesota in the standings if they can get a win tonight. Minnesota must re-establish the momentum it had created for itself in the weeks prior to the All Star Break and earning a victory over the Kings who like the Wild have 55 points would give the team some much-needed breathing room, until the next game that is. So will Minnesota pick up where it left off, or will they play as though they're still on their All Star break in their minds? (click on the link for the rest of the article)

Not bad effort, but our guys need to shoot when they have the chance, we're not good enough to be picky. There is a complete post game as well as prospect report featuring Casey Wellman and Colton Gillies, in addition there is a complete Class 2A and 1A boys hockey rankings. Enjoy!

they need to not be picky is right, we had people around us who were fifty fifty on calling appropriate times to yell SHOOT and times when it was stupid, like when there is 3 people in front of you

1st period was kinda boring, but the rest of the game was bit more exciting.

I understand the shoot thing, but in the 1st period when Kyle Brodziak has a clear lane down the slot and he then passes it right to a defender when he had all day to shoot it himself...that deserved some criticism.

whole heartedly agree, open shots should be taken. but expecting a guy to rifle one when there is 2 people right in front of him, not so much

it is so pathetic when you talk to yourself again

lol, what up doucher