After a week or two of losses where the Wild played decently but not good enough to win, they’ve suddenly strung together three big wins and are back to 4 points out. After losses to ANA, LA, NJ, and CHI, they’ve now beaten CAL, CHI, and PIT. After falling to 8 points out of a playoff spot, they’re back to within striking distance at 4 points back.

This current stretch looked to be the toughest of the season for the Wild. Although they probably should have beaten Anaheim and LA and looked pretty bad in Chicago, they played well v. New Jersey and in all 3 home wins in the current streak. The squad even pulled of the biggest comeback in franchise history (down 5-1 v. Chicago in the 3rd) and tonight beat the defending Cup champion Penguins.

This team trends a bit differently from last year’s team. When they needed wins, last year’s team would win 1, then lose the next, through the balance of the schedule. This year’s team goes on runs...runs of losses, then runs of wins. If it can have one more winning run than losing, we may still get to talk playoff hockey this season.

A lot of other interesting stuff has gone on in the last couple weeks.

• Jacques Lemaire returned to the X behind the NJ Devil’s bench. He appeared to be moved by a nice reception from the Wild and Wild fans. Then he beat the Wild 4-3.
• Petr Sykora is upset that he is a consistent healthy scratch, and his agent is tweeting mad about it.
• Guillaume Latendresse is winning fans like mad with 15 points since the Benoit Pouliot trade.
• Backup G Josh Harding was in danger of taking a loss in a game where he entered trailing 5-1.
• Harding also unveiled a sweet new mask, paying homage to the team’s burned equipment van in Ottawa.
• In that same game, Marty Havlat was not chosen to shoot during an 8-round shootout.
• Two Minnesotans will be part of the core leadership for the US Olympic hockey team. Jamie Langenbrunner will serve as team captain and Zach Parise is one of 4 alternate captains.

All good stuff. The Wild will attempt to continue this run Wednesday at the X v. Vancouver Canucks.

Here’s a bonus for you: Latendresse’s game-winning goal from tonight’s game v. Pittsburgh. The goal was sweet, and so was how Kyle Brodziak created a sneaky 2 on 1. Great goal. Enjoy!

Wild @ Penguins – Tues Nov 18 – View from my Recliner
If I hear another announcer say “Goligoski” as long as I live I may throw up in my mouth and I can not be trusted to keep it there. 

How’s that for a pleasant opening?

I don’t know what it is about that name, but it makes me cringe. For those that don’t know, Alex Gologoski is a former UMTC Gopher that apparently is now in his rookie season for the Pittsburgh Penguins. And tonite on Vs I think they said his name about 30 times. Perhaps it’s my hatred of Gopher hockey and hearing the MN media (think Wally Shaver) say his name a half-a-million times. Maybe it’s jealousy and envy…how bout if my UMD Bulldogs picked up some talent and actually won a game in the WCHA this season? (As a side note, I’m packing up the family for UND v. UMD @ the DECC Saturday. More on that later in the week.)

Ok ok, on to tonite’s game. One word…Niklas Backstrom. He was absolutely stellar tonite for the Wizzy, in a 2-1 shootout win over the Pens. For the most part the Wild did a great job bottling up Evgeni Malkin, Sidney Crosby, Jordan Stall, and the rest of Pittsburgh’s high-flying offense (don’t forget Pascal Dupuis). But when the powder blue 3rd-jersey-wearing Pens got scoring chances, Backstrom made every big save. He was very calm and positionally sound throughout the nite, made big save after big save, and got the Wild to the shootout, and then made stops on Petr Sykora, Goligoski (blech), and Sidney Crosby in the shootout. Last season I made posts about how Backstrom wasn’t that great and letting in soft goals and biting it in the shootout. This year, exact opposite. He has been unbeatable in the shootout and is clearly the Wild’s MVP so far in this young season.

Matt Cooke, the former Vancouver Canuck and Wild fan-favorite-to-hate, scored the lone goal on Backstrom on a loose puck right in front of the Wild cage minder, just 10 seconds after Penguins F Mike Zigomanis scored for the Wild. Wait…huh? Yes…Zigomanis (apparently the NHL faceoff leader) won a defensive zone faceoff against Wild F Mikko Koivu, but the puck bounced straight in on Pens G Dany Sabourin, who let the puck trickle through his five hole for the Wild’s only goal of regulation. Koivu got credit for the goal. Really…scoring is that bad for the Wild right now. In the shootout, Wild D Marek Zidlicky scored the only goal the Wild would need on a nifty move, the Wild escape with 2 points, and that’s the important thing.

This is the type of game the Wild must play to be successful. It is a replay of the early years of Wild hockey, where they play strong defensively, keep the scoring low, and hope to get a few bounces. I’m not saying the Wild were an offensive juggernaut the last couple years, but right now they need to be VERY defensive because there just is no scoring in this lineup right now with no Marian Gaborik. And if the national media calls it a trapping system again I’ll probably have a Goligoski reaction.

Next on the Docket – Canucks @ Wild – Thurs Nov 20
Wild return home to continue a nice long stretch of home games, and they will renew the rivalry with Vancouver. They played a very competitive, intense, and hard-checking game in Vancouver a couple weeks ago, but came out on the losing end, I believe by 1 goal. I would expect the same Thursday, except I’m looking for a win this time. Wild 3 Canucks 1

This season just never ends. And now I find myself hoping the Finals go 7 games. I think I'm in the Wild Blogosphere minority when I say I hope the Pens win this series. For some reason, I really dislike the Red Wings. Perhaps it's because they always seem to beat the Wild by large margins. Maybe it's because they always win. Whatever the reason, I just hope they lose. Sorry Paul C.

I know there is a group of people out there that can't stand Sidney Crosby. Kirsten, my wife shares that dislike with you, much the way the both of you aren't Marian Gaborik's #1 fans. But to me, I'd rather see him win than the Red Wings.

I barely watched any of the 1st 2 games in Detroit. Detroit winning with the Pens not scoring didn't do anything for me. And the league muckity-mucks had to be gnashing their collective teeth at the thought of a Red Wings sweep. The "perfect series" was not drawing in any of those fringe fans the NHL so desperately wants. But, in ironic perfect timing when the coverage switched from Versus to NBC, the Pens showed up. Game 3 was alot of fun to watch. The soon-to-be melted Igloo was rocking, and the Pens were back in it. But when the Wings won game 4, I figured Detroit would win game 5 and it would be over.

Then there was game 5, an absolutely awesome hockey game. The NHL couldn't have scripted it any better. The Wings played an absolutely dominating 3rd period, scoring 2 goals in about 2:40 to take the lead, and not giving Pittsburgh a sniff. Malkin continued his Gaborik-like struggles in this series. Crosby couldn't make anything happen. But somehow, someway, the Pens put on some pressure with the goalie pulled and tied it on a rebound goal with 30 seconds to play. Joe Louis Arena was silenced. No Cup for you just yet "Hockeytown."

Then came the overtimes. Pittsburgh G Marc-Andre Fluery was stellar, and Petr Sykora won the game in the 3rd OT. Game 6 is Wednesday nite.

The league really got what it wanted last nite. About when alot of casual fans were turning on their local news or expecting Jay Leno, there was hockey. Good hockey. No TV-time out hockey. Apparently it was the highest-rated game 5 since 2002. All good for the game.

Let's hope game 6 isn't a dud.

Personal Digression
Tonight, in co-ed softball, I did something I have never done in all my roughly 18 years playing softball. I've always been a doubles and lately singles (cause I'm gettin' old) hitter, even when I was in my formative teenage years. But tonite, the softball gods nodded to me, and I hit my 1st-ever over-the-fence homerun. Not only that, it was a walk-off HR to win the game in the bottom of the 8th. Now I realize no one reading this probably cares, but for me it's a big deal. Shout out to the Booyahs for rallying in the bottom of the 7th to tie it, and for sharing a moment with me that I won't forget...because it will most likely also be my last homerun. I don't expect my Nick Punto-like philosophy at the plate to change anytime soon.

In this extreemly long postseason, there is only one series left.

Tonite Detroit finished off Dallas, and we're looking at a Cup Final between the Detroit Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguines. The series starts Saturday nite.

Just a quick shoutout to Dallas' season. I didn't expect them to make the conference finals this year, and the run may have rejuvineted that franchise at a time where they may have started to lose some fans. I was very impressed with their fans in the playoffs. One side of the lower level stood for the majority of the games, including the 4 OT marathon in game 6 v. the Sharks.

Detroit should run away with this series. They're playing excellent hockey. Pittsburgh is playing well too, so maybe I'm a bit too hasty with my quick judgement. But I think the Wings win. At any rate, I hope it is exciting. I didn't find much reason to watch much of the Conference Finals. I only caught bits and pieces of Wings v. Stars, and I'd like to be interested in this series.

The NHL gets Sidney Crosby in the Final, so that's good for the league supposedly. NBC will get to air more Penguins this season. And we're guaranteed that a traditional hockey city will win the Cup this year, breaking the string of 3 straight southern teams coming away with Lord Stanley.

And in Wild news, Thug Nation Numeral Uno will be playing in Russia next season. GREAT TRADE DEADLINE MOVE MR. REISBROUGH!

Since the Wild were eliminated, it's been tougher this year than others to get into the playoffs. That said, I did watch most of the Dallas/SJ 4 overtime game on Sunday. I watched most of the game, then 3 of the overtimes, and decided I can't stay awake through another intermission and who knows how much hockey. So I set the DVR and watched the 4th OT as I got ready for work. Thank goodness it ended when it did...I almost had to FFwd to the game winner. Incidentally, what a great game! Both goalies were stellar in the OTs, including an unbelievable save by Nabokov in the 1st (I think) OT. Congrats to the Stars for finishing the series and pulling another upset. And to Brendan Morrow...would love to have him on our team.

On to my thoughts about the finals...

Pittsburgh Penguins v. Philadelphia Flyers
It's been a pretty magical run for the Flyers. They've played tough in this playoff, beating Washington and then ousting #1 seeded Montreal. For the Pens, they've only lost 1 game so far in the playoffs, sweeping Ottawa and losing only 1 to the NY Rangers. This could be a good series. Can Philly's bruisers take it to Pitt's talented forwards? I think this will go long, and I think the Pens will outlast the Flyers. We know one thing...the state of Pennsylvania will have a team in the Stanley Cup Finals.

Detroit Red Wings v. Dallas Stars
Detroit had to work a little to get by Nashville in the 1st round, but had an easy go against Colorado. Dallas pulled upsets against teams from their own conference in both rounds, Anaheim and then San Jose. How will they do against a team from another conference, and one that has not had to play seemingly 50 periods of overtime hockey? I gotta say it's been fun watching Dallas overachieve, but I think Detroit's the better team here and is playing real well right now. Detroit wins...Sorry Matt.

It's been a while since I last posted...so here's a recap of where the playoffs are at. Philadelphia has ousted Montreal. Detroit obliterated Colorado (typical). Pittsburgh is about to finish off New York Rangers, and San Jose has won the last 2 to make a series v. Dallas.

I can't say I've watched too much of the playoffs since the Wild lost, but I have picked up enough of Stars v. San Jose to know that that series could easily be San Jose up 3-2 or even already over in SJ's favor, or already over with Dallas winning. The games have been tight. Dallas has won 2 OT games, SJ has won 1. It has been the most competitive, which is why it was odd that Dallas was up 3-0. Dallas has another chance tonite to close this series out, but SJ has a bunch of momentum. Stars fans have to hope they haven't used up all their great play over the first month of the playoffs...

Pittsburgh also has a chance to close out the Rangers this afternoon, in Pittsburgh, on NBC. (What? the Pens and the Rangers are on NBC? That's so different!) I think this one is over today.

Philly is back in the Eastern Conference Finals, a year after accumulating only 22 wins in the entire season. Very impressive. Hey Wild!

Lastly, Detroit absolutely manhandled Colorado, sweeping a series that culminated in a 8-2 drubbing in Colorado. All-world against the Wild, Jose Theodore came back to earth, yanked 3 times in this series. In fairness, the Avs were hit with a bunch of injuries. Wild fans can sympathize there, but I'm not sure if I'm happy because Colorado was handled so easily, or more disappointed because it shows the Wild played down to their competition and simply lost to a team that they were better than.

The Conference Finals are setting up to be pretty exciting. We're getting down it! 

We have a tradition in our family (actually I joined the tradition when I got married) of having frybread on New Years Day. It has become one of my favorite days. Usually we'll have frybread and watch meaningless college bowl games that my wife tires of after about 10 minutes. This year it was frybread and hockey watching the Winter Classic.

While I can't say it was a family afternoon of bonding, I truly enjoyed watching the outdoor game in Buffalo while my wife and her mom were busy taking down Christmas decorations. It was snowing at the beginning of the game, sleeting midway, and snowing again at the end. There was snow on the ice, wind in the player's faces, and weather reports throughout the broadcast. It made for a surreal afternoon. I thoroughly enjoyed every aspect. Even having to watch the Penguins like every other nationally-televised game was not annoying, as they appeared as a different team in baby blue jerseys. It couldn't have been more perfect. Darren Pang and Mike Emmerick, toques, and a shootout with Sidney Crosby winning it on a pretty snow-plow deke. The fans in Buffalo were absolutely awesome, and I realized that even though we in Minnesota like to pride ourselves on the outside hockey experience, we could never pull off putting 75,000 outside to watch an NHL hockey game in 25 degree weather and snow. Metrodome has made us soft.

I can only hope that the NHL was able to pick up a few fringe viewers they so desperately need - the channel surfers that might just get attracted to the game when they see hockey in the snow. The one drawback was the long stoppages to clean the ice and many viewers just may have checked out and gone back to football. I only hope they came back to share in at part of my New Years Day bliss.

Trust me on the frybread.