GDT Wild at Felopian Tubes can you feel the excitment!!!!

WILD (24-22-3) at STARS (20-17-11)

Last 10: Minnesota 4-6-0; Dallas 4-6-0

Season Series: Second of four meetings this season. Minnesota won 3-2 at the Xcel Energy Center on Nov. 7, getting a goal and an assist from Marek Zidlicky and a shorthanded tally by Cal Clutterbuck. Loui Eriksson scored twice in defeat for Dallas.

Big Story: During the 1993 offseason, the Minnesota North Stars picked up and moved to Dallas. They subsequently were known just as the Stars and went on to make back-to-back Stanley Cup Final appearances in 1999 and 2000, winning in six games against Buffalo the first time around. Seven years after the North Stars left, the Wild were born in Minnesota. They are just 3-9-4 all-time playing in Dallas and have lost the last 10 meetings at the American Airlines Center (0-7-3) since a 3-2 overtime win on March 21, 2003.

Team Scope:

Wild: Minnesota has been a streaky club since late December, going: three-game winning streak; four-game losing streak; four-game winning streak; two-game losing streak. The Wild will try to keep that current skid from reaching three and climb a bit closer to the top eight in the Western Conference.

"I don't have a reason why," alternate captain Greg Zanon said about the team's inconsistency following a 6-4 loss in Phoenix on Saturday. "We definitely can play when we want to. We've got to want to. We knew what to expect."

Stars: Steve Ott's controversial shootout goal brought a satisfying end to a Saturday afternoon game against Detroit, one of the teams Dallas must pass if it wants to get back to the playoffs this season. The Stars trailed the Wings 2-0 after the first period, but rallied on a power-play goal by Brad Richards early in the second and Eriksson's game-tying marker 3:53 into the third.

Ott's score in the sixth round of the shootout was ruled no goal by the official closest to the play, but he was overruled by two of his brethren who had another view. It stood up after video replays were inconclusive as to whether the puck crossed the goal line.

"I've heard a lot of different versions, but we got a call to go our way tonight," coach Marc Crawford said. "Whether it was a break or whether it was just the right call, either way it was on the positive side for us. We sorely needed it."

Who's Hot: Guillaume Latendresse recorded his first career hat trick in Saturday's loss to Phoenix and now has 13 goals in just 24 games since being traded to Minnesota. … Ott has three goals in as many games for Dallas, plus the shootout winner against Detroit.

Injury Report: The Wild will be without defensemen Clayton Stoner (groin) and Brent Burns (concussion), as well as forwards Pierre-Marc Bouchard (concussion) and Chuck Kobasew (sprained MCL/ACL). All are on injured reserve.

Stars defenseman Nicklas Grossman (lower-body injury) was activated from injured reserve on Sunday. Captain Brenden Morrow and veteran forward Jere Lehtinen are day-to-day with upper-body injuries. Forward Mike Ribeiro will miss up to six weeks after a tracheotomy.

Stat Pack: Minnesota is 12-16-5 overall in its history against Dallas, but just 4-8-4 in the last 16 meetings. Forwards Owen Nolan and Andrew Brunette lead the Wild in all-time scoring against the Stars with 31 points apiece. Mike Modano, who started his career with the North Stars, leads Dallas in scoring against Minnesota with 24 points.

Puck Drop: "This can be a turning point," Ott said of Saturday's win. "The only way you get confidence is winning, especially when you beat a powerhouse like Detroit and rally the guys around. It's not going to get any easier, but I know this team has got a lot of compete in here, and we want to make that push."



Wild snap the skid 4-3

we bounce back with a vengance.

6-3 win.

Koivu with a hat trick.
Lats with 2 goals
Schultz gets an unexpected goal.

Richards needs to learn that it's not a crime to give sieve boy the hook after 3 goals. He waited too long against Chicago, and he sure as hell waited too long tonight.

what is the deal lately??? lose 4 in a row, win 4 in a row, lose 3 in a row. This trend is surely upsetting!!

I'm starting to be concerned about the timing and the amount of money we invested in Backstrom...I mean some of his numbers can be related to bad defense but based on how much we pay him he should be mentioned with Kiprusoff, Bryzgalov, Nabokov, etc....

In my opinion he's underachieving plain and simple...either that or he was a beneficiary of the Lemaire system.

I've heard that there was no way he could have stopped the goals against Chicago....Phoenix....and he wasn't getting help tonight either. I like the guy, but don't fucking make excuses for all of those train wrecks. Yes, the defense sucked. But I thought it was the goalie's job to stop the puck. He's better than that. If people want to keep making those excuses, then be damn prepared to do the same for Harding.

Wild In-Game & Post-Game article

The State of Hockey News
An objective and balanced view of Minnesota Hockey

Miettinen scores twice as Wild finds its offense too little too late again in 4-3 road loss to Dallas

While newscasts were full of pre-game and post-game coverage of the Minnesota Vikings and arguably the best chance at a Super Bowl in the last seven years. A quick look at Minnesota’s history in the NFL will give you a clear indication why fans in the State of Hockey should already have a strong hatred of any sports team from Dallas. Yes, its not just about the North Stars moving to Dallas, although to this fan that pain is far deeper than the infamous and inappropriately named “Hail Mary” play in a 1975 NFC Playoffs where Dallas’ Roger Staubach dropped back and heaved a long pass to Drew Pearson, where it was not a fortunate play with almost divine assistance but rather assisted by terrible non-call of offensive pass interference as he clearly shoved down Nate Wright before catching the touchdown pass. Adding insult to injury that was that this travesty occurred in Minnesota at Met Stadium. The lesser told story was the incredibly angry reaction of those at the game who readily jumped and pummeled any Dallas Cowboys fan in attendance. It was a throwdown in the stands worthy of the St. Paul Fighting Saints of the World Hockey Association which often had fan brawls at the St. Paul Civic Center. Fast forward to this weekend and it was the Vikings that were being called the unsportsmanlike team as Dallas Cowboys’ linebacker Keith Brooking called the team classless for running up the score. (shrugs shoulders)

With a majority of the sports buzz in the Twin Cities focused on those clad in purple and gold few have noticed the way the Wild have lost their last two games, especially since they’ve been on the road. After a 4-game home winning streak last week the Wild found themselves just two points out of the 8th spot in the Western Conference. Two losses; the first of which a bad 1-0 loss to the Blues, a team behind the Wild in the standings and then to the frustrating Phoenix Coyotes in a game where Minnesota lacked passion now has the State of Hockey sitting 6 points behind 8th place. It is far easier to drop in the standings than it is to climb back up. With this being said, the Wild must end this skid sooner or later otherwise it might have to strongly consider a firesale for the trading deadline. So will the Wild start their climb or will they slip just a little bit more against Dallas tonight? (click on the link for the rest of the article)

This article covers the game as well as Minnesota Boys High School Hockey, enjoy!

Backstrom has been over committing to one side a lot lately and he's getting burned bad when he does that.

Although, I will say that Johnsson, Zidlicky, and Scott had horrible games tonight as well. Here's hoping that Burns coming back makes a positive impact.

Although... Who gets waived?

sqare wrote:

Backstrom has been over committing to one side a lot lately and he's getting burned bad when he does that.

Although, I will say that Johnsson, Zidlicky, and Scott had horrible games tonight as well. Here's hoping that Burns coming back makes a positive impact.

Although... Who gets waived?

Scott, There is going to be some trades, I don't think GMCF is dense enough to get into roster trouble.

The Wild really need to learn how to start playing BEFORE the start of the 3rd period...

What i don't get with both Boogard and Scott in the line up why don't they pick a fucking fight if we are playing without zip, go out agitate and then lay down the ass beating get some engergy, OTT should have been raped last night instead they let him sit on harding and do his thing. here is a tip BEAT HIS ASS

Scott played 5:43 and was -3....it's almost impressive how bad that is.

Scott is useless, should have never been playing in the AHL let alone the NHL, its a miracle he has lasted thing long. How can Sifers, Falk, Noreau, and hell even Lannon/Fraser/Testuide be less useless than that worthless pylon?

Okay, maybe that was a bit harsh. Backstrom could have certainly stopped the first goal, but John Scott could've also tried to push Wandell a little or something, not just admiring him skating by him and putting the puck in the net.

Thank Tommy Thompson for John Scott.

I have to ask just how much value does the big guy have now? None. Teams are not interested in goons at the trade deadline, unless your name is Doug.

I don't see him getting waived, though. I think Fletcher would rather carry him as an extra that can fill in when Boogaard is not 100%, on the fourth line. Scott actually scored a goal there earlier in the year. How's that for LOL.