Hockey Wilderness

2012 Yelnats Cup Playoffs: Round 1, Days 9 and 10

2012-05-17T20:55:59Z

Hello Yelnats fans! Sorry for my absence yesterday, I'll make it up with two servings of Yelnats today. Here's what's on the menu:

New York Islanders @ Winnipeg Jets: Game 5

Edmonton Oilers @ Colorado Avalanche: Game 5 (Featured game)

Minnesota Wild @ Anaheim Ducks: Game 5 (Featured game)

Dallas Stars @ Columbus Blue Jackets: Game 5

Tampa Bay Lightning @ Montreal Canadiens: Game 5

Carolina Hurricanes @ Toronto Maple Leafs: Game 5

I decided to switch things up today and watch the Oilers-Avs game. There is potential for 3 eliminations today. Let's see which teams survive and which ones move on after the jump.

Edmonton Oilers @ Colorado Avalanche: Game 5

1st period: The first period was a sea of penalties. Darcy Hordichuk started it up with a delay of game penalty, which the Oilers killed with ease. Then, Shawn Horcoff scored off a one-timer from a Ryan Jones pass. The Avs lost control after that goal, taking three consecutive penalties. They were able to kill them, but it limited their ability to get some offense going. Edmonton took another delay of game penalty to end the period, but no other goals were scored in the period. Edmonton got most of the quality chances in this one.

2nd period: Gabriel Landeskog, whom the computer has playing 4th line minutes, tied the score with a wicked wrister about 3 minutes into the period. Sadly for the Avs, however, the penalties started catching up to them. Erik Johnson took a tripping penalty and Taylor Hall scored his first on the series to punish him for it. Then, Ryan O'Byrne threw a vicious hit from behind on Sam Gagner which got him thrown out of the game. Ryan Wilson threw the puck over the glass during the PK and Edmonton made Colorado pay once again by scoring during the 5 on 3. Jordan Eberle got his 2nd goal of the series taking the puck and scoring directly after Shawn Horcoff won the faceoff. Speaking of Horcoff, he had one hell of a game. Edmonton, once again, dominated the period. 3-1 was the score after 40 minutes.

3rd period: Darcy Hordichuk added a goal to Edmonton's stash at the beginning of the period and Paul Stastny got it right back. However, the lead turned out to be too much to surmount in the end. Both teams took 2 penalties each, all of which were killed and Colorado certainly tried their best to tie the game back up again, but Nikolai Khabibulin had a strong period, especially at the end when Semyon Varlamov went to the bench for the extra attacker. 4-2 was the final.

Edmonton is now a game away from moving on to the second round. I'd have to think Colorado is the lesser of two evils here, but anyway, we'll see how the rest of this series develops.

Boxscore:

1st period:

EDM 5:49 S.Horcoff (3) (R.Jones)

Shots: Edmonton 12 - 6 Colorado

2nd period:

COL 2:51 G.Landeskog (K.Porter, S.Downie)

EDM 7:44 T.Hall (1) (S.Horcoff, R.Whitney)

EDM 12:59 J.Eberle (2) (S.Horcoff)

Shots: Edmonton 13 - 7 Colorado

3rd period:

EDM 2:04 D.Hordichuk (1) (L.Smid, E.Belanger)

COL 4:14 P.Stastny (1) (M.Hejduk, S.Elliott)

Shots: Edmonton 6 - 11 Colorado

Interesting tidbits: Ben Eager, who has been one of the best players in the series, played 5:50 tonight. Gabriel Landeskog got the second star despite playing 4:37. Sam Gagner will be out for the next 4 weeks after the hit from O'Byrne. He's suffering from a separated shoulder.

Final score: Edmonton 4 - 2 Colorado

Total shots: Edmonton 31 - 24 Colorado

3 stars:

#1 Shawn Horcoff (1G, 2A, 5 shots)

#2 Gabriel Landeskog (1G)

#3 Paul Stastny (1G)

New York Islanders @ Winnipeg Jets: Game 5

Boxscore:

1st period:

WPG 12:53 N.Antropov (1) (D.Byfuglien)

Shots: New York 10 - 12 Winnipeg

2nd period:

NYI 18:52 M.Moulson (1) (M.Grabner, M.Streit) (PP)

Shots: New York 13 - 15 Winnipeg

3rd period:

WPG 5:20 E.Fehr (1) (T.Stapleton, Z.Bogosian)

NYI 6:21 M.Reasoner (4) (M.Moulson)

WPG 7:44 T.Stapleton (2) (B.Little, Z.Bogosian) (PP)

NYI 13:28 N.Niederreiter (1) (D.Reese, J.Bailey)

Shots: New York 5 - 11 Winnipeg

OT:

Nothing

Shots: New York 9 - 10 Winnipeg

OT2:

NYI 1:36 M.Martin (2) (A.MacDonald, M.Reasoner)

Shots: New York 1 - 2 Winnipeg

Interesting tidbits: 6 players played over 33 minutes: Dustin Byfuglien, Zach Bogosian, Ron Hainsey, Travis Hamonic, Mark Streit, John Tavares. Rick Dipietro and Evgeni Nabokov shared the victory because Nabokov got hurt. He'll only be gone a week or so due to a sprained ankle. Winnipeg got 6 penalties, New York got none.

Final score: New York 4 - 3 Winnipeg (OT2)

Total shots: New York 38 - 50 Winnipeg

3 stars:

#1 Zach Bogosian (2A)

#2 Tim Stapleton (1G, 1A)

#3 Matt Moulson (1G, 1A)

Anaheim Ducks @ Minnesota Wild: Game 5

1st period: The Wild had a horrible first period to be honest. Justin Falk took a slashing penalty, Kyle Brodziak took a delay of game penalty, so did Guillaume Latendresse and Darroll Powe took a holding penalty...all of this happened in a 10 minute span. They were damn lucky the Ducks powerplay weren't able to make them pay. Minnesota understandably couldn't get much offense going, but lucky, Niklas Backstrom was up to the task. Anaheim outshot the Wild 13-6 for the period .

2nd period: The second period was a pretty crazy one. Anaheim got some penalties of their own, but the Wild weren't able to score on any of them. There was a lot of after-whistle activity, which is usually pretty rare in computer versus computer action. Corey Perry broke the scoreless tie pretty early in the period, jumping on a Toni Lydman rebound. Luca Sbisa got the scond assist. Backstrom caught a piece of the of the rebound, but it trickled in anyway. The Wild threw everything they could Jonas Hiller's way, but he was perfect tonight. In particular, he made a desperation split save on Pierre-Marc Bouchard on the doorstep. Ryan Getzlaf doubled the lead late in the period with a slapshot from the faceoff circle. Luca Sbisa and Sheldon Brookbank got the assists.

3rd period: The Wild dominated this period as well, without the help of powerplays this time. The thing is though, Hiller dominated the Wild. Dany Heatley and Marco Scandella each took another penalty, but the penalties were killed without much fuss. Sadly though, Jason Blake scored to put this game out of the Wild's reach and just like that, they're on the cusp of elimination after leading two games to none. 3-0 the final.

Interesting tidbits: Jason Blake mustered 5 shots in 7:20 of play. Jared Spurgeon was -3. No powerplay goals were scored by either team in 12 tries total.

Final score: Anaheim 3 - 0 Minnesota

Total shots: Anaheim 31 - 37 Minnesota

Boxscore:

1st period:

Nothing

Shots: Anaheim 13 - 6 Minnesota

2nd period:

ANA 3:48 C.Perry (2) (T.Lydman, L.Sbisa)

ANA 18:50 R.Getzlaf (5) (L.Sbisa, S.Brookbank)

Shots: Anaheim 10 - 17 Minnesota

3rd period:

ANA 10:29 J.Blake (1) (L.Visnovsky, S.Koivu)

Shots: Anaheim 8 - 14 Minnesota

3 stars:

#1 Jonas Hiller (37 save shutout)

#2 Corey Perry (1G)

#3 Ryan Getzlaf (1G)

Montreal Canadiens @ Tampa Bay Lightning: Game 5

Boxscore:

1st period:

MTL 4:17 T.Plekanec (3) (T.Kaberle, B.Gionta) (PP)

TB 10:08 S.Stamkos (2) (M.St.Louis, R.Malone)

TB 12:47 S.Stamkos (3) (T.Purcell, R.Shannon) (PP)

TB 14:16 V.Lecavalier (2) (T.Purcell)

MTL 18:27 E.Cole (3) (M.Pacioretty, A.Markov)

Shots: Montreal 7 - 10 Tampa Bay

2nd period:

TB 9:05 V.Lecavalier (3) (M.Commodore, T.Purcell)

Shots: Montreal 11 - 15 Tampa Bay

3rd period:

TB 3:17 D.Tyrell (1) (M.St.Louis)

TB 18:11 P.Labrie (1) (V.Lecavalier, R.Shannon)

Shots: Montreal 8 - 12 Tampa Bay

Interesting tidbits: Carey Price is human after all...or at least, the virtual version of him is hum...ahhh nevermind. Josh Gorges was a -4, P.K.Subban was a -3. Victor Hedman played 29:07. Chris Campoli will miss the next 1 to 2 weeks due to a rib injury.

Final score: Montreal 2 - 6 Tampa Bay

Total shots: Montreal 26 - 37 Tampa Bay

3 stars:

#1 Vincent Lecavalier (2G, 1A, 6 shots)

#2 Teddy Purcell (3A)

#3 Steven Stamkos (2G, 7 shots)

Columbus Blue Jackets @ Dallas Stars: Game 5

Boxscore:

1st period:

CBJ 9:55 R.Umberger (2) (R.Nash, D.Brassard) (PP)

DAL 13:31 E.Nystrom (1) (S.Robidas, S.Ott) (SHG)

CBJ 14:28 R.Nash (6) (J.Johnson, J.Wisniewski)

Shots: Columbus 16 - 8 Dallas

2nd period:

CBJ 5:05 D.Dorsett (1) (C.Gillies, R.Johansen)

Shots: Columbus 11 - 5 Dallas

3rd period:

Nothing

Shots: Columbus 9 - 10 Dallas

Interesting tidbits: The Stars, quite unexpectedly, are the first team out of the Yelnats playoffs. Steve Mason has been practically invincible, getting one of the game's first 2 stars 4 consecutive times. Rick Nash was another big part of the elimination of the Stars with his 6 goals in 5 games. James Wisniewski played 34:11, mostly due to Marc Methot only playing 24 seconds. He'll be out for 3 to 4 weeks with a broken hand.

Final score: Columbus 3 - 1 Dallas

Total shots: Columbus 36 - 23 Dallas

3 stars:

#1 Rick Nash (GWG, 1A)

#2 Steve Mason (1GA, 0.955SV%, 22 saves)

#3 Derek Dorsett (1G)

Toronto Maple Leafs @ Carolina Hurricanes: Game 5

Boxscore:

1st period:

TOR 13:34 C.Armstrong (1) (L.Schenn, M.Lombardi)

Shots: Toronto 10 - 12 Carolina

2nd period:

CAR 1:51 J.Skinner (1) (J.Pitkanen, J.Jokinen)

CAR 5:41 P.Dwyer (2) (E.Staal, J.McBain)

Shots: Toronto 11 - 9 Carolina

3rd period:

TOR 6:10 J.Lupul (5) (P.Kessel, T.Bozak)

Shots: Toronto 13 - 14 Carolina

OT:

CAR 2:38 B.Sutter (2) (D.Bowman, J.McBain)

Shots: Toronto 2 - 2 Carolina

Interesting tidbits: Drayson Bowman and Brandon Sutter played 12:57 and 10:54 respectively and combined for 9 shots. Dion Phaneuf played 33:47. Cam Ward is good. Jake Gardiner and Jiri Tlusty will each miss 1 to 2 weeks of action. Both have a sore shoulder.

Final score: Toronto 2 - 3 Carolina (OT)

Total shots: Toronto 36 - 37 Carolina

3 stars:

#1 Cam Ward (2GA, 0.941SV%, 34 saves)

#2 Brandon Sutter (OTG)

#3 Jamie McBain (2A)

Here's what the Playoff tree looks like now:

WESTERN CONFERENCE:

#9 Calgary Flames

Bye

#10 Dallas Stars 1

#15 Columbus Blue Jackets 4

#11 Colorado Avalanche 2

#14 Edmonton Oilers 3

#12 Minnesota Wild 2

#13 Anaheim Ducks 3

EASTERN CONFERENCE

#9 Buffalo Sabres

Bye

#10 Tampa Bay Lightning 3

#15 Montreal Canadiens 2

#11 Winnipeg Jets 3

#14 New York Islanders 2

#12 Carolina Hurricanes 2

#13 Toronto Maple Leafs 3

I will be absent again tomorrow, so I should be back saturday with days 11 and 12. Dallas is out, everyone else is still in.

NHL Draft 2012 Prospects: #13 Hampus Lindholm

2012-05-17T17:00:18Z

The draft, hands down, is the best time of the hockey season. Maybe I'm just saying that because the Wild haven't been seen post-season action since 2008, but that is besides the point.

The Wild hold seven picks this year, including the 7th overall pick. The last time that Wild had a pick this high was when the team selected Benoit Pouliot 4th overall in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft (the beginning of the Wild's awful draft record, as seen by our pal's inspiration for their blog's name...).

However, since GM Chuck Fletcher and Assistant GM Brett Flahr arrived, the team has started to see some promise. Some of these names include the Christ-like (or whoever you pray to) Mikael Granlund, Johan Larsson, Charlie Coyle and the recently drafted Jonas Brodin.

So, on June 22nd-23rd, we will all sit down in front of the television/computer and watch the draft. But if you are wondering, "who's who", then you haven't been reading HW because thats my job.

So without further ado:

Introducing our 2012 NHL #13 Draft Prospect - Hampus Lindholm

Don't forget to check out the Hockey Wilderness 2011 Draft Page as well. Just click on the picture.

Hampus Lindholm

Defenseman / Rogle BK

Height: 6-2.5

Weight: 196

Born: Jan 20 1994

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2011/12 - Rogle BK (Swe-2)	20	1	3	4		12
2011/12 - Rogle Jr (Swe-Jr)	28	5	12	17		16

Accomplishments & Awards:

Year	Award
2011/12	U18 WJC Silver Medal
	U18 WJC Top 3 Player on Team
	J20 SuperElit Best Defenseman
	J20 SM Bronze Medal
2009/10	TV-Pucken Silver Medal

Prospect Jersey (What Would They Look Like In a Wild Jersey?):

Seriously, I'm out of things to say. There's nothing catchy with Lindholm...

Summarized Scouting Report

Strengths:

Raw offensive defenseman with top-end skating but questionable play in his own end ... displayed great speed ... biggest asset(s) was/were his feet ... showed a quick, powerful stride and his pivots were outstanding ... backwards skating was strong ... showed the ability to make quick changes of direction ... can play tough and gritty ... isn't afraid of any situation on either side of the puck ... displayed some of the offensive flare ... showed strong puck moving ability with crisp, accurate passes ... a willingness to go below the dots in the offensive zone and was generally good about picking his spots ... good ability to keep the puck in at the point with his skates ... willingness to skate with the puck ... he is smart ... very well-rounded ... does a bit of everything, and does it well ... very mature player

Weaknesses:

Needs to refine his game that is still rather raw ... a little too aggressively for his size/strength ... his breakout passes were hit-or-miss ... can force things that just aren’t there ... did not look poised when facing the rush ... defensive awareness was not there ... needs to be more decisive and less aggressive in the defensive zone overall ... showed a tendency to leave too much room between himself and opposing forwards ... showed a hesitance towards taking the puck deep in his zone or behind the net to calm the play or restart the attack.

HW Projection:

Top pairing offensive defenseman

Video Evidence:

THERE IS NONE! THE SKY IS FALLING!

Where Does He Fit In The Wild?

Again and again, the Wild need an offensive defenseman, and Lindholm probably has the highest offensive potential out of all the defensemen in this draft.

Conclusion

This is where the draft starts to get interesting. My top 12 prospects seem to remain unchanged from the beginning of the season but afterwards, its the wild west.

Because of the large uncertainty with the rest of the draft class (whether that be safe but low upside or high upside but risky), I have Lindholm sneaking into the #13 spot. "Who is this guy, I've never heard of him" you might be asking.

He's a super raw prospect but with a huge frame to fill out and tons of offensive ability. His defensive game still needs work but he is mobile and smart and that will have him in large demand on draft day, especially with recent successes in the NHL like Erik Karlsson.

Lets break it down why I feel he should be rated as high as I have him for the Wild. For one, we love our Finnish and Swedish prospects! I love em, and Flahr seems to love em.

Two, he has huge upside. At this point in the draft, you have a mixture of safe prospects with low upside and risky prospects with huge upside. In Lindholm's case, I saw a mobile defenseman who is extremely smart with the puck offensively. Think Jonas Brodin, but instead of defense, its offense.

Let's not forget he is around 6'3 196lbs, meaning after maybe two years of steak and pasta, he could be at an impressive 6'3 210lbs. While not physical, with that type of frame, he should be able to withstand the grind of NHL play.

His defensive game is very much in question, especially his gap control. However, when I see an offensively gifted defenseman who is slick with the puck, extremely mobile, and is a magician running the offense, I feel his defensive game can only improve as he puts on muscle to his large frame.

Again, the Wild love prospects with experience playing against men (e.g Mikael Granlund, Jonas Brodin, Johan Larsson) and Lindholm has that. He also has a good chance at representing Sweden in the next WJC, and that is always a plus.

To sum up, you have a raw, offensive wizard, who has tons of room to fill out and has every chance to play against top players in the world. With Jonas Brodin becoming a star in Sweden, imagine a future Wild defensive duo of Jonas Brodin-Hampus Lindholm; both mobile, both smart, both with amazing puck and stick skills, but each having specialty in different zones of the ice.

Seems to be a match made in heaven.

Special thanks to HFBoards, Future Considerations, The Hockey Writers, TSN, OHLProspeccts and The Scouting Report

Community NHL Mock Draft 2012: Montreal Canadiens

2012-05-17T13:01:20Z

When drafting third overall, the temptation to do something really stupid has to cross a GM's mind. Especially when your team is one of the biggest names not only in hockey, but in all of sports. Add to that the fact that there were some solid expectations for this team after making a run in the playoffs in the 2010-11 season, and you just had to expect the assistant coach to get fired.

And eventually the GM, but first the assistant coach.

Now, the Montreal Canadiens have a choice to make. Well, if you ask the folks in the know it isn't much of a choice. With the Blue Jackets taking Ryan Murray yesterday, and Alex Galchenyuk on the board, is the choice that simple? Or do the Habs skip the promise and move on to shore up the back end?

Time for you to decide.

Our draft thus far:

Edmonton Oilers: Nail Yakupov
Columbus Blue Jackets: Ryan Murray

Les Habitants are on the clock.

NHL Draft 2012 Prospects: #12 Radek Faksa

2012-05-16T17:00:25Z

The draft, hands down, is the best time of the hockey season. Maybe I'm just saying that because the Wild haven't been seen post-season action since 2008, but that is besides the point.

So, on June 22nd-23rd, we will all sit down in front of the television/computer and watch the draft. But if you are wondering, "who's who", then you haven't been reading HW because thats my job.

So without further ado:

Introducing our 2012 NHL #12 Draft Prospect - Radek Faksa

Don't forget to check out the Hockey Wilderness 2011 Draft Page as well. Just click on the picture.

Radek Faksa

Center / Kitchener Rangers

Height: 6-3

Weight: 202

Born: Jan 9 1994

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2011/12 - Kitchener Rangers (OHL)	75	31	42	73	16	57

Accomplishments & Awards:

Year	Award
2011/12	CHL Top Prospects Game
	Kitchener Rangers Michael Pappert Memorial Trophy (Rookie of the Year)

Prospect Jersey (What Would They Look Like In a Wild Jersey?):

I'm running out of things to say ... all I'll say is Faksa is one of my favorites from this years draft

Summarized Scouting Report

Strengths:

Plays a power-forward style minus the fighting ... impressive blend of size, skating and skill ... a player who can do many little things well ... big, offensively talented center ... he’s a quick skater ... has great size and does a pretty good job of utilizing it to his advantage ... plays with a bit of an edge ... has size and uses it for all the right reasons offensively ... owns a hard accurate shot with good velocity ... a quick release and a heavy shot ... an above-average puck-handler and passer ... has good hands ... his board play may be one of the best in the draft ... above-average puck protection skills ...very aggressive in driving to the net with the puck ... has presence down low and can make plays in front of the net ... played the point on the power play ... competes hard on the forecheck ... not afraid to play in traffic ... above average hockey sense at both ends of the rink ... has enough creativity in the offensive zone ... he’s able to defend at what I consider an elite level right now ... is extremely diligent on the defensive side of the puck ..a diligent back checker ... best asset remains his overall balanced game ... has displayed improved consistency this year ... competes with passion and a win-at-all cost approach

Weaknesses:

Faksa lacks a wow factor to his game ... lacks explosiveness in his skating ... would have to improve his foot speed and skating ... still needs to develop his body a lot ... offensive upside of Radek Faska is still relatively unknown

HW Projection:

#2 Two-way centerman

Video Evidence:

2012 draft prospect Radek Faksa a hot commodity (via THNTV)

Where Does He Fit In The Wild?

While I love Radek Faksa, the Wild already have a pleathora of talented centers with Mikael Granlund, Charlie Coyle, Johan Larsson and Zach Phillips.

Conclusion

Every year, there is a prospect that is the jack of all trades but master of none. Last year it could argued that it was Sean Couturier and in 2010, it could be argued that it was Austin Watson.

This year it seems that label has fallen onto Radek Faksa.

But for me, I love these character jack-of-all-trades players, especially if that is complimented by size and smarts. Need an example? Think Logan Couture.

In Faksa case, what we have is a smart two-way center blessed with size, smarts and an all-rounded offensive package. He has a dangerous shot, above-average playmaking skills and his board play and puck protection skills is one of the best in the draft. All that offensive potential is wrapped in a nice package with his elite defensive ability.

So why isn't he being considered in the top 5? Because he lacks the dynamic explosiveness many teams would like to see when they are hoping to get a top line forward. Dynamic play often suggests elite offensive creativity and that is what teams in the top 10 picks want, not some consistently reliable two-way centerman.

This is just a personal hunch, but I feel Raksa will prove many wrong. When I look at prospects, I believe the years after the draft is probably more important than the years before the draft, so I look for prospects who have the right tools in the right place surrounded by the right people.

Faksa obviously has the tools, he will continue developing in the top junior league in the world as a top line centerman and will have two more chances to represnt his country against the best juniors in the world, AND he is being coached by the Kitchener Rangers, the team that has produced Jeff Skinner and Mike Richards.

I think Faksa can be one of the better players in this years draft. But then again, its a personal hunch.

Special thanks to HFBoards, Future Considerations, The Hockey Writers, TSN, OHLProspeccts and The Scouting Report

Please Support the Wild for Wounded Warriors at the Tough Mudder

2012-05-16T15:21:37Z

Please Support the Wild for Wounded Warriors at the Tough Mudder

Minnesota Wild Head Coach Mike Yeo and the Wild for Wounded Warriors Team is preparing for Tough Mudder, a 12-mile endurance challenge that is the ultimate test of strength, grit, stamina and camaraderie. Ready or not, the following staff members will participate in the Twin Cities Tough Mudder event on May 19 at the Somerset Amphitheater in Somerset, Wisconsin: Matt Benz, Tony DaCosta, Don Fuller, Darby Hendrickson, Kirk Olson, Darryl Sydor, John Worley and Mike Yeo. Let's help them reach their fundraising goal. All donations benefit the Wounded Warrior Project. The purpose of the Wounded Warrior Project is to raise awareness and enlist the public’s aid for the needs of injured service members, to help injured service members aid and assist each other and to provide unique, direct programs and services to meet the needs of injured service members

Community NHL Mock Draft 2012: Columbus Blue Jackets

2012-05-16T13:00:57Z

Yesterday, we kicked off our now annual community mock draft with the Edmonton Oilers. The consensus seems to be that the Oilers need to trade down and draft some defense, but for now, they maintain the first pick, and thus we work within those bounds.

The first overall pick always seems to be the easiest, right? We haven't had a first overall go completely bust in a few years, unless of course you count Taylor Hall, and I still have this gut feeling that Yakupov may be the one who does. I have no basis for it, and I am likely wrong, but it is just a feeling.

Regardless, we move on.

Next up is your should-have-had-the-first-overall-pick Columbus Blue Jackets. What do they need? In a word, everything. A goalie, defense, forwards, centers, checkers, a coach... oh wait. This is an interesting position for them to be in, since they have so much need and are drafting so high.

Do they take Alex Galchenyuk and hope he gels with Rick Nash? Do they skip the big center and go for the near sure bet on the blueline with Ryan Murray? Make the jump and cast your vote.

Our draft thus far:

1. Edmonton Oilers - Nail Yakupov

Remember, if the player you think the Jackets should take is not listed, add his name in the comments.

2012 Yelnats Cup Playoffs: Round 1, Day 8

2012-05-15T20:53:04Z

Hey Yelnats fans! Today, we've got 4 game 4s on the docket. No series will end today though, no sweeps are possible. However, our Minnesota Wild could have a 3-1 choke hold on the Ducks and so could the Lightning, the Leafs and the Blue Jackets against their respective opponents. Here's what we're looking at today:

Minnesota Wild @ Anaheim Ducks: Game 4 (Featured game)

Dallas Stars @ Columbus Blue Jackets: Game 4

Tampa Bay Lightning @ Montreal Canadiens: Game 4

Carolina Hurricanes @ Toronto Maple Leafs: Game 4

Make the jump!

Minnesota Wild @ Anaheim Ducks: Game 4

1st period: Things started out great for the Wild. Tom Gilbert scored on the first shot of the game. It came on a slap shot from the point assisted by Erik Christensen and Cal Clutterbuck. Then, Darroll Powe took a penalty for hooking, but the Wild killed it beautifully as the Ducks were utterly unable to have a coherent offense for the duration of their powerplay. This was a great, if uneventful period for the Wild. After their goal, they played solid, but couldn't add to the score.

2nd period: The second period lull...it's back. This period was practically the polar opposite of the first one. Ryan Getzlaf scored on a wrist shot early to tie the score, George Parros was called for hooking, the Wild's PP was horrible and the Ducks dominated the period. The score stood even after 40 though, so there's that. Jonas Hiller made a ridiculous spread eagle save on Devin Setoguchi looking to score his NHL-high 5th goal on the breakaway.

3rd period: The Ducks had the early pressure in the third period. The Wild still seemed shell-shocked by Getzlaf's goal, they were not playing well at all since then. There hadn't been much hitting in the first two periods but both teams picked their physical game up a notch or two. The ageless Teemu Selanne scored his first goal of the playoffs to break the tie. He picked up Andrew Cogliano's rebound in front of the net. Cam Fowler also got an assist. The Ducks then went into a semi-defensive shell, blocking and preventing shots and getting an odd oppotunity of their own when they could. It didn't help that Dany Heatley and Pierre-Marc Bouchard each took slashing penalties to slow down any offense the Wild hoped to get. Jonas Hiller did a great job to keep his team in front. George Parros added an empty netter and that was all she wrote for game 4. 3-1 was the final score.

After jumping to a 2 game lead, the Wild have started to slip away. Will this year's Yelnats quest end so soon after the Wild getting into the Conference Finals last year? Will they be thwarted by the Ducks in a playoff series yet again? They still have time to pull it together, but they need to figure it out post-haste.

Interesting tidbits: This was the first game of the series in which no powerplay goals were scored.

Final score: Minnesota 1 - 3 Anaheim

Total shots: Minnesota 29 - 30 Anaheim

Boxscore:

1st period:

MIN 1:05 T.Gilbert (1) (E.Christensen, C.Clutterbuck)

Shots: Minnesota 12 - 7 Anaheim

2nd period:

ANA 3:35 R.Getzlaf (4) (B.Ryan)

Shots: Minnesota 7 - 11 Anaheim

3rd period:

ANA 3:17 T.Selanne (1) (A.Cogliano, C.Fowler)

ANA 19:39 G.Parros (1) (S.Koivu) (EN)

Shots: Minnesota 10 - 12 Anaheim

3 stars:

#1 Jonas Hiller (1GA, 0.964SV%, 28 saves)

#2 Teemu Selanne (GWG)

#3 Ryan Getzlaf (1G)

Tampa Bay Lightning @ Montreal Canadiens: Game 4

Boxscore:

1st period:

MTL 13:28 T.Plekanec (2) (J.Gorges)

Shots: Tampa Bay 10 - 11 Montreal

2nd period:

MTL 4:46 A.Markov (1) (T.Plekanec, R.Bourque)

TB 17:46 R.Malone (1) (M.St.Louis)

Shots: Tampa Bay 11 - 5 Montreal

3rd period:

Nothing

Shots: Tampa Bay 9 - 10 Montreal

Interesting tidbits: Carey Price has allowed 1 goal in each of his last 2 games. He's second among goalies in GAA (1.73) and SV% (.0942) Tampa Bay won 57 of 83 faceoffs. 83 faceoffs... seems kind of absurd, no?

Final score: Tampa Bay 1 - 2 Montreal

Total shots: Tampa Bay 30 - 26 Montreal

3 stars:

#1 Carey Price (1GA, 0.966SV%, 29 saves)

#2 Tomas Plekanec (1G, 1A)

#3 Andrei Markov (1G)

Dallas Stars @ Columbus Blue Jackets: Game 3

Boxscore:

1st period:

Nothing

Shots: Dallas 13 - 9 Columbus

2nd period:

CBJ 15:30 J.Johnson (2) (R.Nash)

CBJ 18:28 R.Nash (4) (K.Huselius, D.Brassard)

Shots: Dallas 10 - 8 Columbus

3rd period:

CBJ 9:22 R.Nash (5) (K.Huselius, D.Brassard)

CBJ 18:36 R.Johansen (1) (C.Gillies)

Shots: Dallas 7 - 16 Columbus

Interesting tidbits: Rick Nash has taken over the goal scoring lead with 5 goals in 4 games. Somewhere, Nathan is drawing ''Go get Rick Nash'' posters to show to Fletch. Steve Mason has been unsolvable this series. Mason has been one of the top two stars of the game 3 games running. His Nnoc Ehtyms campaign is a strong one, as he boasts a 1.15 GAA and a .957SV% over 4 games. You read correctly. Columbus is leading this series 3-1. That's certainly interesting.

Final score: Dallas 0 - 4 Columbus

Total shots: Dallas 30 - 33 Columbus

3 stars:

#1 Steve Mason (30 save shutout)

#2 Rick Nash (2G, 1A)

#3 Kristian Huselius (2A)

Carolina Hurricanes @ Toronto Maple Leafs: Game 3

Boxscore:

1st period:

TOR 3:10 P.Kessel (3) (J.Lupul, D.Phaneuf)

CAR 6:56 T.Ruutu (1) (D.Joslin)

Shots: Carolina 8 - 9 Toronto

2nd period:

TOR 6:19 J.Lupul (4) (J.Liles, T.Bozak)

CAR 6:28 P.Dwyer (1) (J.Spacek, J.Tlusty)

TOR 7:07 C.MacArthur (2) (J.Liles, M.Grabovski)

Shots: Carolina 7 - 9 Toronto

3rd period:

CAR 14:51 J.Jokinen (1) (J.Skinner)

Shots: Carolina 12 - 8 Toronto

OT:

TOR 5:17 T.Bozak (2) (D.Phaneuf, J.Lupul)

Shots: Carolina 2 - 4 Toronto

Interesting tidbits: Chad Larose and Eric Staal played over 29 minutes. They played more than any defenseman. Mikhail Grabovski had 7 shots in 15:26 of ice time. Every Cane who scored did so on their only shot of the game. Toronto's first line continued their dominance over the league points-wise. Joffrey Lupul, Tyler Bozak and Phil Kessel have 9, 8 and 7 points respectively in 4 games.

Final score: Carolina 3 - 4 Toronto (OT)

Total shots: Carolina 29 - 30 Toronto

3 stars:

#1 Joffrey Lupul (1G, 2A)

#2 Tyler Bozak (OTG, 1A)

#3 John-Michael Liles (2A)

Here's what the Playoff tree looks like now:

WESTERN CONFERENCE:

#9 Calgary Flames

Bye

#10 Dallas Stars 1

#15 Columbus Blue Jackets 3

#11 Colorado Avalanche 2

#14 Edmonton Oilers 2

#12 Minnesota Wild 2

#13 Anaheim Ducks 2

EASTERN CONFERENCE

#9 Buffalo Sabres

Bye

#10 Tampa Bay Lightning 2

#15 Montreal Canadiens 2

#11 Winnipeg Jets 3

#14 New York Islanders 1

#12 Carolina Hurricanes 1

#13 Toronto Maple Leafs 3

I believe this is the first day in which there were no injuries. Tomorrow, game 5 between the Oilers-Avs and Jets-Isles. Be there or be elsewhere...Wait, that's not how it goes...Just be there!

Minnesota Wild Hire Anthony LaPanta for Vox Despite Backlash; Fans Issue Hollow Threats

2012-05-15T19:15:06Z

About a week ago, the great and all seeing Mike Russo reported that the Wild were close to hiring Anthony LaPanta as the new play by play voice of the team on television broadcasts run by FSN. That post currently has 71 comments, not one of them positive. First Round Bust wrote about the negatively galvanizing effect the decision had for Wild fans, and Nick wrote about the choice being "not acceptable" over at Hitting the Post.

The reaction on the Wild's Facebook page has been equally visceral, and a simple Twitter search for "LaPanta" yields hundreds of comments, 99.9999% of which are negative.

Today, the Wild and FSN made the hire official. Russo posted the news, and a bit of rationale earlier, and a handful of folks have come out of the woodwork supporting the move. However, the main wave of discontent is still strong, and fans are still not happy with the hire.

The reaction can easily be found, so we won't go into a tweet by tweet break down, but we will take a look at the move, and how some of the reaction is simply not going to be reality. Be warned, my take is likely not popular (it usually isn't), but I offer it anyway. Join me and let's discuss "LaPanta-gate."

The Hire

We asked the Wild for comment on the hiring process, how the decision was made, if the backlash had an impact, or if we could speak with someone involved in the process. We were unable to make that happen. So, please take the following as my own speculation on the process.

If anyone has ever worked in a company, when an opening arises, and a "job search" is initiated, you can almost always count on the fact that the bosses already know who they are going to hire. Job searches are often for show, or to meet a company policy's requirement that outsiders be interviewed. The vast majority of the time, the person who the bosses wanted gets hired, and no one is the wiser.

My bet is that when the Wild decided not to re-up with Dan Terharr, that LaPanta was already the man they had chosen to fill the position. Was the move done on the cheap? That would certainly be (and is) the guess, but without comment, we will never know. Was the decision made long before hand? Most likely.

The backlash caused some delay in the announcement, but did not derail it. Having been behind the scenes in situations like this, my bet is that the deal was already signed, and contracts don't get broken easily. The fans were heard, but it was too late. It was no longer about finding someone else, but finding a way to make this work.

The Reaction

The backlash continued today, with Twitter being lit up once again with fans decrying the move and stating that they will never again watch a Wild game on FSN. I can understand the feeling behind this, but the threat rings hollow. It defies logic that the people who are so passionate about the team that they are this upset about who will call the games are going to stop watching the team.

Will they mute the sound? Maybe. Until they get tired of not having the play-by-play they have been trained to need. Will they sync up radio to TV? Maybe. But the radio is almost always ahead of the TV feed, so I'm not sure that is the answer either.

No, the die hards will watch the games, and they will watch them with LaPanta calling the game. They will complain (and have every right to do so) about it, but I have zero doubt they will still watch.

I want to make it clear here that I believe the fans have every right to be upset. I don't often sit and watch the Wild on TV. I am at home games, and when they are on the road, I have often been working. I watch the road games on DVR, usually muted, while I listen to music and write. This isn't my fight. I couldn't care less about who calls the games.

I understand the frustration, and especially understand the frustration of the team going ahead with the move despite their customer base nearly universally requesting otherwise. Netflix learned that lesson the hard way already, as have many other companies.

For those saying that ratings will tank, I will take that bet everyday of the week and twice on Sunday. As I mentioned on Twitter, the die hards don't make or break ratings. Just like they don't create sellout crowds. The die hards are going to watch no matter what the team does. They could put my four year old in the booth, and skate the Vikings players rather than the Wild, and the die hards would still watch. I know I would.

No, the "casual" fan makes or breaks the ratings, and the crowds, and they don't care who is calling the games. In terms of viewership, this is a no-lose situation for the team and for FSN. Do I think all of the threats are false? Nah. There is always a zealot that will follow through, but my guess is that number is under ten people. Total.

You all watched eight years of Jacques Lemaire, trap hockey, and you're going to stop watching over a play by play guy? That's just plain wrong.

Right or Wrong

Now, here is where things get tricky. Both sides of this have behaved poorly. The Wild are ignoring their fanbase's express wishes, and going forward with a move that received absolutely zero support from the fans. The decision comes off as the team being that buddy of yours that is dating the crazy girl but refuses to listen to you until she stabs him in the neck with a pencil for not putting the toilet seat down in his own house.

Just a week after the survey from the Wild asked us to tell them about how the brand is perceived, this was not exactly a strong play to change the answers to those questions. To then also go into a lock down mode and choose not to speak about it will likely not help the situation. The fans have questions, and silence from the only people with the answers is not going to make those questions go away.

The Wild look bad, sure, yet the fans come off as petulant children, throwing a temper tantrum and screaming about how they will take their ball and go home if they don't get their way. Again, I understand the fans being upset, but some of the things that were written about LaPanta were unnecessary. If you don't like his work, say so, but going after him personally seems petty.

The Wild are not asking you to be his friend, they are asking you to listen to him call a game. If you have a reason you think they shouldn't hire him, state your case. If you just want to call him names like a second grader, stuff it.

I have nothing but support for those who expressed their views respectfully. Hell, I can even hold some respect for those who went over the top with the sheer volume of their responses. However, when you cross into the realm of name calling, you lose respect and your voice.

Have an issue with the Wild's decision? Tell them. Tell them on Twitter, on Facebook, via email, via the Wild message board, via Hockey Wilderness, via Russo's Rants, via phone (they still exist), hold up a sign at the game, send black roses to the front office (no... don't do that)... but don't act like a child. They will listen, I promise. They will read the emails and tweets. They may not respond, but they will read them.

The End Result

While the team may not wish to comment, and the fans are going to continue to complain, the fact of the matter is that Anthony LaPanta is your new vox. Both sides can either move forward, or they can mire down in name calling, empty threats and ignoring one another. Neither side wins in that situation, but it is the likely reality of what will occur.

It is really too bad that something couldn't be done to make the fans happy. The fans here deserve to have the best available, but that isn't always rational. In the end, he is one man and he should not stand in the way of the fans enjoying the games. Act like adults, watch the games, and if you don't like the result, keep the heat on the team.

It really is all you can do, since we both know you aren't going to stop watching.