Remember that obnoxious goal siren and god-awful red flame I wrote about in my last post? Yeah, got to see that 4 times tonite, as the Wild are dominated by the Calgary Flames tonite, 4-1. The Wild are absolutely terrible in the Saddledome. The lone Wild goal was a token goal from Marc-Andre Bergeron with only a couple minutes left in the 3rd. There’s not much to talk about in this one from a Wild fan standpoint. Hopefully my UMD Bulldogs will beat UMTC Gophers tonight, in a game that I know has ended but I will be watching on tape delay. Go Dogs!

Boogaard Has Got to Go
Tonite did provide further proof that there is no reason to have Derek Boogaard on this team. I continue to have no clue what value he provides. Late in the 3rd he was on the ice…why I can not fathom…and came in late and hit Flames F Brandon Prust high with an elbow. It made quite the sound into the boards, and Prust went to the ice. As Flames D Dion Phaneuf and Jim Vandermeer went after Boogaard. That prompted Wild play-by-play and analyst guys to babble about how Phaneuf and Vandermeer were cross checking and punching and slashing Boogaard, as if he didn’t deserve it. Seriously…WHY IS EVERYONE SO INFATUATED WITH DEREK BOOGAARD?!?!?! Drives me insane! He’s terrible!

(Hopefully I still have some Wild fans reading this blog after I made that statement…)

Fight to…Make the Playoffs
Starting play the Wild were in a 4-way tie for 7th place in the West. The other 3 teams in that tie are off tonite, so that will be the story tomorrow night as well.

Next
Wild play game 2 of the NW Division leg of this road trip tomorrow night in Edmonton. We’re quickly approaching “biggest game of the season” time. The Oil is one of the teams in that 4-team tie for 7th, so it is a very big game. The Oil are 1-3-1 in their last 5. But they also have an obnoxious goal siren, so that doesn’t bode well for my favorite team.

Flames @ Wild - 4-3-08 - Envious View from Recliner

Thanks to Wild.com for the beauty logo!

In a game I would have absolutely loved to attend, tonite the Wild finally beat Calgary, 3-1, and in doing so wrapped up the Northwest Division championship. The Wild will finally hang their first championship banner in the Xcel Energy Center rafters at the home opener next season, and with a little smile from the hockey gods, maybe it will be joined by a couple more.

This game was so hyped, by everyone from Kevin Faulness and the Wild Pondcast, to Mark Parrish on PA and Dubay on KFAN, to the every one of the Wild Blogs. Regardless of the possibility of letdown, we let down our guard and bought in to the hype. Regardless of the possibility of jinxing the team, we all predicted a win and a NW division title. And, this time, the Wild absolutely lived up to the hype.

The Wizzy played a very solid game tonite. After giving up an early powerplay goal and withstanding some shaky defense early, they tied it shortly after with a Pavol Demitra to Todd Fedoruk powerplay goal of their own to tie it up. After that, the Wild pretty much dominated. They put on some good pressure, specifically after Stephane Veilleux was leveled by Dion Phaneuf. Brent Burns was all over Phaneuf, and the Wild had an edge the rest of the game.

They didn't score in the 2nd, but most of the time the puck was in the Flames zone.

In the 3rd, it was on. Marian Gaborik chipped a puck by the Flames defenseman to go in from the left circle and fired a nasty wrister by Flames G Mikka Kipprusof for the 2-1 lead. Gabby scored again, but the refs horribly waved off the goal, saying that Kiprusoff had the puck covered and that he was "about to blow the whistle." Seriously, the puck was never covered by Kiprusoff and slid over the goal line. But, even after review, it was waved off. That could have been bad news, but Gabby rescored the goal with somewhere around 5 minutes left in the game, on the powerplay, and the Wild kept the Flames from anything remotely resembling a scoring chance the rest of the way.

Oh, and Jacques Lemaire won his 500th game tonite. What a sweet way to get that milestone victory.

Shoutout to the Crowd at the X
I mentioned earlier that the crowd was a key to this game, and I've been on the Xcel crowd most of the season for waiting for something to happen before they got into the game. Tonite, the crowd was excellent and it came across loud on the 45. Probably the loudest "Let's Play Hockey" for the opening faceoff I've ever heard, an early "Let's Go Wild" chant, lustily booing the waved off goal, and all the way through to the standing ovation with 2:30 left in the game, the crowd really stepped up tonite. Props to anyone that was there in person.

Fight to Hang the 1st Banner
Banner will be hung in October.

Fight to Bring the Cup to St Paul
Aaah, new theme. With only 1 game left in the regular season that doesn't have much meaning, the Wild can now focus on the playoffs. Winning the NW division locks them into the 3rd seed in the Western Conference. Depending on what happens in their last game of the year, our 1st round matchup could be Colorado, Calgary, or even Nashville, and I think an outside possibility of Dallas. I'm not really concerned with who it winds up being, because I believe that when this team is confident it can beat any team. So bring on game 1 at the X.

Next on the Docket - Wild @ Avalanche - Sun 4-5-08
As mentioned, this game doesn't mean too much. I do think it is important for a couple reasons tho. 1st, to avoid injuries. 2nd, to avoid a letdown and keep up the intensity to head into the playoffs. 3rd, because it could be a playoff preview. I think they'll probably rest a few guys, and I think there's no way they totally avoid a letdown. Avs 4 Wild 1

Flames @ Wild - 2-24-08 - A View from Section 216
Apologies for the lateness of this post. Been a busy few days. So my wife and I were at Sunday's game, a 2-1 loss to Calgary. This one had all the makings of the playoffs. Fighting to stay atop the division after only a week ago being 6 points up.

Honestly, I'm not too worried. The Wild absoultely dominated the Flames in this one. They outshot them like 39-16 or something like that. They had a goal disallowed that ABSOLUTELY SHOULD HAVE BEEN A GOAL. They carried the play for most of the game, and the two goals Calgary got weren't exactly because of sustained pressure. I gotta believe that if the Wild continue to play that way things will right themselves and we will find them back atop the Northwest when it matters most.

The Fight to Hang the 1st Banner
Everyone knows this game was for the lead in the NW. So now the Flames lead by 1 point, Wild in 2nd, and Vancouver 1 point back of the Wild. Calgary and Vancouver have won 4 in a row, Wild have lost 3 in a row. That's why I think it all works itself out.

Jots

• Seriously, that was a goal. The explaination of the Kipprosof not being able to play the puck was bunk, and even if he couldn't, it was his own guy running in to him.
• Had that goal gone in, or had Brian Rolston's laser shot on the PP as the 2nd period expired gone in, we'd be singing a different tune today.
• Shoddy officiating all nite.
• The crowd was awesome. They actually showed replay of the goal (I mean non-goal) on the video board alot, and every time the crowed booed lustily. All 18,568 stood and cheered for multiple motivational movie clips, unfortunately to no avail.
• One of the highlights of the night for me was during the 2nd intermission. The guy who runs the little games over the PA was calling the little kid race where they put on the oversized equipment. Anyways, the end of the race the kids have to shoot the puck in the net. As the last girl puts it in he says, "I don't know if that was a goal, but we're not even going to review it." An obvious dig at the goal (I mean non-goal). Good stuff.

Next on the Docket - Wild @ Capitals - Tues 2-26-08
Wild gets back in the win column against Washington. I've seen enough of their games on TV to know that Alex Ovechkin is their team, and the Wild are good at shutting down teams with 1 superstar. Oh, and this one is on Versus in HD. So watch it. Wild 4 Caps 1

Wild @ Flames - 01-22-08 - A View from my Recliner
Wild lose 2-1 tonite at Calgary. Not many offensive chances tonite. Brian Rolston scored for the 2nd nite, so obviously he's out to prove me wrong...which is good. Brent Burns almost tied it on a shot that hit both posts, then dangled along the line and hit another post and drops into Kiprosof's glove. Homer Terharr almost busted a lung screaming that he scored. Not so much. Oh, and Dion Phaneuff broke a pane of glass with a shot twice in the 1st period. That's sweet!

The loss was disappointing, as they shut down Jerome Iginla, scored first, and got a nice game from Harding. Calgary's game-winner came from a nice backhander over the head of Harding by Craig Conroy. The Wild are now 3 and about 8 million at Calgary. In 7 years of Minnesota Wild hockey, they have only won at Calgary 3 times. Seriously...how does that happen? Must be the funny-shaped saddle-looking arena. Hence the name "Pengrowth Saddledome." I also am annoyed by the red hue that the ice turns after a Flames goal because of all the red lights in the arena. Ish.

Ugggh
I was just about to finish this cute little article up, but I have to pass this along. I have the FSN post-game show on. They're recapping the emmy award winning faceoff bit and the question is who is the best Canadian band/performer. Greenlay goes with Rush, Gorg goes with Shania Twain. Gorg wins the vote and is talking all tough like it means something...and Greenlay says, "Kevin, you must feel like a woman then." Gorg replies, "Well, if I look like her I'll be just fine."

Are you kidding me? I just threw up in my mouth.

Next on the Docket - Wild @ Colorado Avalanche - Thurs 1-24
Last game before the All-Star break. I really don't know how to call this one, so I'll Terharr it and call a Wild win. Worked out great for the Calgary game. Wild 5 Avs 2

Flames @ Wild 1-16-08 - A View from My Recliner
Seriously. I HATE Jerome Iginla. Whether it's real hockey against the Wild or NHL 08 against some 12-year old kid in Canada, Iginla always does me in. And every time it happens I declare that I hate him. Sure wish the Wild would sign him.

Tonight he did it again, scoring the game clincher in the shootout to seal a 3-2 win for the Flames over the Wild. It was a good defensive game early. Both teams were able to break through. Tonight's Wild goals came from defensemen, Burnsie and Foster. Foster's goal was on an absolute rope. Most important thing I guess is the Wild were able to at least come away with a point, and will stay in a tie for 1st in the Northwest Division.

Jots

• I like Demitra on the Rolston - PMB line. They were able to come up with some nifty chances tonight. I think he made PMB better and they'll click eventually.
• I was surprised that Rolston went with the slapper on the shootout chance. He'd beaten Kiprusoff last year in a penalty shot with the slapper and the Flames shooter before him went with the slapper, almost seemingly to psych him out. I thought he might go to his little deke to the backhand 5-hole he does from time to time. Tonight, the slapper missed the net.
• This was a strangely officiated game. There were multiple calls I thought could have been made and the quick whistle at the end of the 2nd when Backstrom was juggling the puck which should have resulted in a goal for Calgary.
• Is Voros going to fight in every game the rest of the way? Tonight it was grandpa Owen Nolan. Nolan won.
• Gabby sure is playing confidently these days. He has shown that he can take hits and stay on the puck. As long as he doesn't get depressed he didn't score; at least he got an assist on Burns' goal...
• Branco Radio played a nice game after being scratched the last couple. He had a golden opportunity in the 3rd when a Flames defensemen pulled a Skoula and gave him the puck, he just couldn't beat Kippie.

Next on the Docket - Wild v. Aneheim Ducks Fri 1-18-08
My wife and I will be in section 216 for this tilt. It'll be the first time the Ducks have been to the X since last April's playoffs, so it should be a good crowd. The Wizzy have played the Ducks strong this year, but they have Niedermayer back from pseudo retirement, and they're playing well. It should be a good game. Wild 3 Ducks 2