Bruins @ Wild - 10-11-08 - View from My Recliner with Baby in Tow
Bugger it’s so good to have hockey back! It’s amazing how the shortest offseason of all the pro sports seems to take the longest. The Wild got off to a beauty start to the 2008-2009 season tonite at Xcel Energy Center with a win over the Boston Bruins, 4-3.

Standard Wild Hockey
Tonite’s game had a feel of standard Wild hockey. Slow start and trailing early. Turn it on late in the 1st and through the 2nd period, and hang on in the 3rd to pull out the win.

F Eric Belanger scored 2 goals, which last year would have really made me excited. But seeing him disappear in the 2nd half last year dampers my enthusiasm. Just think if he could score 30 goals…

Newcomers F Antti Miettenin and D Marc-Andre Bergeron scored for the Wild. Miettenin scored on a quick tip play and Bergeron scored on the PP with a razor slapper that bounced through Bruins G Manny Fernandez’s pads. Shades of Brian Rolston.

Great Atmosphere
The crowd seemed to be pretty amped up tonite. Of course I was not there, but it came across very well on FS North. The game was broadcast in HD and I was very impressed with FSN’s telecast. They have a new set of graphics and they did alot of flyover crowd shots. The flyovers did alot more to convey the atmosphere than the typical crowd shots we are used to. Good on ya FSN.

Not So Good on Ya FSN
I was very disappointed in FSN’s coverage of the raising of the Northwest Division Championship banner. As someone who made reference to the NW championship in most of my posts towards the end of last season, I was really excited to see the ceremony. Since I couldn’t be there, I expected FSN to cover something as historic as the 1st banner raised to the Xcel Energy Center rafters. Instead, all I got to see was 10 seconds of the banner as they came back from commercial. After an hour-long pregame of Darby Hendrickson and Kevin Gorg, I was blown away that we couldn’t see more of the banner going up. FSN got everything else right, but they screwed this important nuance up big time.

New Family & the Wild
Tonite was Adriana’s 1st Wild game experience (of MANY). She was pretty good throughout, content in looking at the TV in my lap. The funniest part of the nite was when I was changing her diaper and play-by-play guy Dan Terharr said something about Wild D Martin Skoula. I said, “What, Skoula” in an excited voice, and Adriana started giggling. She’s 3 months old, and she’s already laughing at Skoula. 

Jots

• FSN did a quick interview with former Gophers Blake Wheeler and Phil Kessel. Man, does Kessel sure seem like a dink.
• Wild F Colton Gillies is much bigger than I realized.
• Wild F Marian Gaborik didn’t figure much into the game. He had a couple nice moves, but they did not materialize into any real chances.
• Boston and former Wild G Manny Fernandez could have changed up his mask a little. It’s the same one he had in Minny, but yellow instead of green.
• Wild F Owen Nolan may be old, but I like his spark. I hope it lasts the whole season.
• If you caught NHL Network’s simulcast of Hockey Night in Canada, or if you saw CBC’s actual coverage, you saw that they named a winner of the contest for the new theme song for HNiC, in front of a live audience. I thought it was actually pretty cool. Some random guy, wins the contest for composing the theme song. They cut to the new video intro, with his song accompanying. Had to be an awesome feeling for him. And the video intro is actually pretty cool, with computer animations of some of the most memorable moments in hockey history. They even simulated a faceoff between Sidney Crosby and Wayne Gretzky. Very cool.

Next on the Docket – Wild @ Thrashers – Tues 10-14-08
It is difficult to make predictions on individual games this early in the season. So, I will go with the home team here. Thrashers should win; Thrashers 4 Wild 2.

Time to dust off the blog a bit. Alot has gone on since I last posted, after some team other than the Wild skated around with Lord Stanley's Cup. The league is knee-deep in free agency. My thoughts on the things that come to mind so far...

Brian Rolston signs with New Jersey
I know we'll miss his big slapper and we'll have to replace his consistent 30 goals, but this doesn't dissappoint me too much. I enjoyed watching Roli, but I also remember getting pretty down on him throughout the season. He would disappear for strings of games at a time. He led the movement the players had to have the "optional" practice which I never really bought into. So while this is a loss, I'm not devastated.

Andrew Brunette Returns to Wild
I'm all about this signing. Bruno was a fan-favorite when everyone's favorite GM that isn't Kevin McHale let him go 3 years ago. Bruno had 3 good seasons in Colorado, he openly spoke about how much he missed Minnesota, and the deal to bring him back in free agency was done quicker than Chris Simon deciding to leave the country. Brunette can dish the puck...hopefully often to Gabby on the powerplay.

Wild Trade for Marek Zidlicky
Wild gave up a prospect and a draft pick, but they get another offensive defenseman to compliment Brent Burns and Kim Johnsson. Put it this way...do you want Pterri Nummellin or Marek Zidlicky?

Wild Trade for Marc-Andre Bergeron
I don't know much about Bergeron, but the Wild only gave up a 3rd round pick. If he will replace Keith Carney, sounds good to me.

Wild Lose Todd Fedoruk and Aaron Voros
Fedoruk signed with Phoenix, Voros with New York Rangers. While they were both lightning rods at times last year, they were bit players. There's a reason Fedoruk was on waivers and Voros was in the AHL. They can be replaced.

Pavol Demitra? Marian Gaborik?
So Pav has not signed anywhere so far. All the speculation said he would be going to Vancouver, but if it hasn't happened yet maybe that has cooled. It does not sound like the Wild have much interest either way and I'm fine with that. Demo had a bad year in 07-08.

With Marian Hossa signing a 1-year contract in Detroit another of Gabby's best buddies is not available for the Wild, and that will have an impact on Gabby's decision on re-upping with the Wild. This next year is the last in his existing contract. If Gabby resigns here this offseason I'll be shocked...which means expect this to be his last season in Minny.

Wild Loses Kristian Huselius to Columbus
Huselius went to Columbus for just under $5 M a year. How does the Wild lose a player to Columbus??? Marian Hossa didn't want to play here either. I'm getting an inferiority complex.

Chris Simon Goes to Russia
We'll miss ya Thugnation.

Well, that's what comes to mind as of right now. Look for more-frequent posts as free agency rolls along. We're only about 2 months or so from training camp. Also, don't be alarmed if I hijack this blog with a little Twins talk. Twins are on fiya, and suddenly the White Sox don't lose.

Oh, and my wife will be going into labor any...day...now...so look for more on that when I have news to share.