Wild!!!

[Bear55]

Both teams looked a little tired but the Wild end up with a 1-0 win, nice shutout by Harding. I wasn't sure about our 2nd line after the first game but they looked really good tonight.

[10,000 Casts]

Ya, having a solid back up goalie this season is going to be huge with all the back to backs. Hope he is able to stay healthy.

Clutterbuck looked good and Setoguchi looked better and wow was that a sniper of a shot from Parise on that one timer..

Time to pick someone to complain about all season... I think this year it will be Cullen, maybe he just isn't a winger but he is one of the most over rated players in the league.. I hope they put him on the 3rd line where he belongs but it sounds like Yeo wants PMB on that line to create mismatches against 3rd and 4th lines. I'd rather see Zucker, Bulmer or Larsson in that spot. Oh well, we know that won't happen so we'll have to hope Cullen picks it up.

[BartmanMN]

I wish Cullen could actually win a face off when Granlund gets tossed out,

Fun game to watch. Nothing against him, he does work hard.

[schmitty3]

Wow, i'm surprised. Cullen has been on of my favorite players ever since he has came over here. He always plays hard and is a good hockey player. Never thought i'd hear he is overrated.

[harvey lee]

Looks like this is going to be an interesting shortened season.

Go Wild.

[hugonian1]

Nice start to the season.

[OnAFly]

I'll reserve my scapegoat choice for later I hear Gilbert had a knack for bone headed moves in Edmonton. We'll see what happens.

[walleyehunter80]

Cullen is a minnesota boy who knows his way around the ice, great player to have on our team!

[Bear55]

Cullen is getting up there in age, he is ok but its probably the last year we see him play for the Wild. When his game is on he is good but there are also those long quiet periods where he just doesn't do much.

So the Preds tonight, I am liking this condensed season!

[RK]

Hiya -

Lot of things to like with this team right now. Really nice to see extended offensive zone time from the first two lines, and a lot of chances even in a 1-0 game against Dallas.

The depth we have all of a sudden is really exciting. Think about how many of the AHL guys would have been on the roster playing top minutes just two years back? Now they can play in the AHL and develop together, and get a few cups of coffee in the NHL as call-ups when there's an injury. I don't think we'll have a deep playoff run this season, although with the goofy schedule all bets are off. I kind of look at this season as a really long training camp to get the new faces into the system, and start building to a real kick at the can in a year or so when roster spots open up for guys like Coyle, Larsson and Zucker.

Watching Parise work is really something - the guy is relentless. Also looks like Heatley spent the lockout watching game tape of Tomas Holmstrom on the power play. He's never been fast, but he sure like like he's skating a lot better this year after getting his knee fixed.

It's also nice not having to hold your breath when a bunch of AHL fill-ins hop over the dasher as third and fourth lines. Be hard to find better bottom two lines in the league, and I think in a condensed season with back to backs all over the schedule, being able to roll 4 lines will be huge down the stretch. Love Kenopka, and man can Mitchell fly. I'd totally forgotten we picked him up.

As far as Cullen goes, no doubt his best days are behind him, but I thing he's a good guy to have on Granlund's wing at least to start off. Veteran guy, plays both ends of the ice well, and can be there to bail out a rookie now and then.

D looks a lot more steady than I thought it would. Always loved Spurgeon - amazes me how a guy that small can be so calm and effective when he's getting chased around by monsters - and I think him with Suter is going to be a great pair. Everyone asks how Suter will do without Weber, but a good friend of mine, former college player with season Preds tickets, says the bigger question is how Weber will do without Suter. He really thought Suter is what made that pair tick. Loved Stoner's game so far, and I CANNOT WAIT to see Brodin. The second he steps on the ice he'll be one of the best skaters in the league.

All in all, nice to see enthusiasm for the Wild be something beyond wishful thinking for once.

[PierBridge]

So far so good and I'm on the Barry Melrose band wagon and like Barry I'm picking us to win it all~

So much for the fans backlash theory with an average of 18,000 plus packing NHL arena's around North America this past weekend!

Go wild!

[OnAFly]

Hey - NO MORE LOCKOUT REFERENCES!

I'll be at the game tonight. I got asked to go through work, it was a tough decision

Brodin is dressing for the next Aeros game I hear. Next stop, St. Paul

Oh Barry, how old is he now? I'm not picking us to win it, but I think we'll get into the playoffs. As long as we get in hot, that's all that matters.

[Musky Buck]

Forget the lock out, yea we'd really be punishing these organizations by not showing up, if you love em you'll support em. I'm just glad I think we can win in many ways 8-1 or 1-0 or if we're down I think we have the players to keep the other team worried till the bitter end. Hope for health and I feel our x factor is PMB, it's like he's a draft pick, he can do things in small spaces, he'll be forgotten somehwhat or is or was, he can really help our team. I'm glad he persevered, what a bonus player in a sense, just need to keep clickin. There is no magic goal scored # for this team anymore, used to be man we need 3 or forget it, now expect some goalie pullage this year vs. the boys.

[Bear55]

Tough loss last night, had Parise and Backstrom not had back to back brain farts we could have seen some OT.

Offense was there last night just not clicking yet. Suter had an off game against his old team as well. I am liking what I am seeing from Granlund, looks better each game. No offense to Cullen or Seto but I wish he could have better players to work with.

[RK]

Hiya -

I think last night was kind of inevitable. Play a team like the Preds and you need to be spot on with your execution or they'll pounce on your mistakes, and these guys just haven't been together long enough to keep little mistakes from turning into big ones. Parise assumed Spurgeon would pinch and he didn't so the puck gets pitchforked up the ice. 2 weeks from now when Parise knows more about how Spurgeon plays, that won't happen. Risk/reward on Backom's part (take a clean break away from a very skilled player or try to play it) and a very smart play by Erat. Can't argue with backtrom's decision to play it really. Just one of those weird hockey bounces.

Was amazing how once they got a lead Nashville turned the neutral zone into quicksand most of the rest of the game.

Still, guys generated some good chances, and I think if they keep that up they'll find the back of the net when guys get a little more in synch. Other than Gilbert having kind of a tough night (including some just plain lousy puck luck, like snapping a stick on a clearing pass) they played half way decent. Preds just give them trouble for some reason. Really though, watching some other games around the league, the Wild look a LOT better than some other teams right now. Philly and Detroit were the gong show last night.

[Musky Buck]

I concur as Jason Hammernick likes to say, there will be bumps in the road, we had plenty of turnover with young guys and new guys and these guys and those guys, we'll with health get it goin and get it together, team needs to bond which will help them gel.They've only been playing live action for 4 days lol.

[OnAFly]

Sounds like Brodin is coming up to the big club. We'll see what happens with Dumba. I'm sure his fate lies in Spurgeons health.

[Bear55]

Saw that too, can't wait to see him play. Sounds like Brodin played pretty well against Parise and Koivu in practice and they think he is ready.

I wouldn't mind seeing Dumba play once or twice before they send him back but with this short season it might not be worth the risk. Not that I don't like him, I just don't know if he is NHL ready yet.

[Musky Buck]

1 thing I'm happiest about is Zach Parise coming back to MN. I remember when Dave Winfield, Terry Steinbach, Jack Morris, Paul Molitor and maybe others coming back at the end of their careers, not that they didn't contribute a lot like world series # 2 is doubtful without blackjack, anyway, I'm glad he's meaning Zach got a lot of gas in the tank so to speak and wants to be here and wants to carry that cup down the streets of MN. Then again with that contract who wouldn't lol, but I'm thankful and now we can understand him also during interviews unlike ginger I mean Maryann "My Groin" Gaborik. We have to have some North Americans to help build this thing also and go on the mic with understandalbe language no offense to those that aren't but those interviews were tough to listen to at times, go Wild ! Time for the Kassian Killer to suit up and make a few statements.

[Bear55]

That is really one of the first things I thought about when Parise signed, he wants to bring the cup home. Talk about the road less traveled. Just thinking about him playing in the finals last year in NJ and then leaving for MN, my mind is still blown. Oh and to top it off he brings Suter with him.

[10,000 Casts]

Hopefully we didn't overpay for Suter just to get Parise. Everyone seems to be saying that Shae Weber made Suter a better player than he might be. Hopefully he is just adjusting, I thought be was playing decent but the experts seem to be on him after the first 3 games.

Speaking of a Euro team, we have the Redwings tonight... I don't think we'll see Kassian until the Chicago game but who knows. There just aren't a lot of heavy weights in the western conference this year and if they didn't put him in against Colorado, I don't think we'll see him much. I hope I'm wrong!

[ted4887]

Anyone interested in tickets to next Wednesdays game against the Blackhawks? Section 103, 9 rows up, center ice. Game starts at 7. $88/ticket (face value). Pm me if you're interested.

Would rather give HSO members a chance at these seats before I put them up on some ticket sites.

[Musky Buck]

With ya Bear55, tonight vs. Detroit correct ? I hope Jordin Tootoo gets tuned up like he did the other night vs. Jared Boll. I have 0 explanation really why I don't care for the guy but it's good like pro-wrestling to cheer against a villain so to speak. Like Aaron Asham you can always give the smaller guy props like Colton Orr a bit with John Scott the other night, must have been some moment vs. the Wild when he was with Nashville, November 26,2010 Stoner vs. Tootoo. Stoner got sorta dropped at the end, re-match in 8 hours. Maybe everytime I picture a tootoo it's Roseanne Barr or Rosie O'Donnell wearing it, who knows, talk about an unfair nightmare, those 2 class acts wearing tutu's, nasty.

[OnAFly]

If Tootoo tries anything he'll get MURDERED by Konopka. He's shown he has no problem dropping the gloves, regardless of how many stitches are holding his face together. There's size scary (where many NHL goons fall), then there's "I just don give a F" scary. Konopka falls in the latter.

[Slabasaurus]

If Tootoo tries anything he'll get MURDERED by Konopka. He's shown he has no problem dropping the gloves, regardless of how many stitches are holding his face together. There's size scary (where many NHL goons fall), then there's "I just don give a F" scary. Konopka falls in the latter.

Indeed... He's in the latter, and I dig that kind of mentality.