Overtime Again

Some quick thoughts about last night's overtime win against Carolina:

• Cal Clutterbuck may be the key to this team. It's hard to overestimate his impact on the Wild's team energy. Hope he stays healthy.
• Nik Backstrom should play every night. Who cares if we need to showcase Josh Harding? Backstrom needs 70 starts this season. Best player on the ice last night.
• I've said it before...Rod Brindamour is the ugliest player in professional sports and it's not close.
• Enough with the matching purple ties on the coaching staff, we get it.

Benny the Beast

I attended Wednesday's shootout victory over the Colorado Avalanche and came away impressed with the play of Wild forward Benoit Pouliot. Outside of players named Mikko and Brent, #67 was the best Wild player on the ice. He was a presence in the offensive zone and often seemed to make the correct decision with the puck. If his play keeps up like this, he should be a regular on the 2nd line and get some serious power play minutes too. When asked about Pouliot's recent play, former Wild GM Doug Risebrough reportedly said "I've always thought he had it in him. In fact, I had him rated above Bobby Ryan in the draft."

Ok, he didn't really say that, but would you really be surprised if he did?

10-24-09 Update: Played like his usual lazy self on Friday night and was a healthy scratch Saturday against the Canes. All is right in the universe.

On an Island

I know this post is non-Wild, but sometimes issues like this require their own forum.

Can you imagine being in a different country and having to get to the store to buy a taco? Or having to obtain a work visa? Such is the case for hockey players playing in foreign countries. American and Canadian kids playing in Europe or Europeans playing in Canada or the USA face problems every single day.

Besides not knowing the language, these young players have trouble adjusting to different cultures and surroundings. Often they have no way to drive themselves around because they don't have driver's licenses. They are at the mercy of the community and find themselves on an island in a foreign land.

Many players land spots on hockey teams in other countries but are unable to play because of work visa problems. There is help available with obtaining these work Canada visa. It is worth checking out and getting some more information on.

Fire Sale?

I am not a subscriber to the ESPN Insider service, but I did notice that they posted an article today that was titled "Wild Preparing for Fire Sale". It doesn't take rocket scientists or title insurance examiners to figure out that this may be the case sooner rather than later. If the team doesn't start playing better, GM Chuck Fletcher is going to start trading away players who will become free agents after this season. Who might be moved? Here is a list of those free agents I deem most attractive to other teams:

Owen Nolan (UFA)
Eric Belanger (UFA)
James Sheppard (RFA)
Derek Boogaard (UFA)
Kim Johnsson (UFA)
Marek Zidlicky (UFA)
Josh Harding (RFA)

If it is clear after 20 games (it's probably clear already, but let's see what happens), Fletcher should move some of these players for future assets. I'd imagine Sheppard, Johnsson and Harding would probably attract the best offers.

Thrashers North

So this is what it must be like to be an Atlanta Thrashers fan. Hopefully the team can put together a strong game tonight against the equally-as-bad Vancouver Canucks. Luongo got pulled again last night, so there's the silver lining.

To make things a bit more interesting, tonight I plan on taking a drink every time Nick Schultz turns the puck over. I might be hammered before the end of the first period.

Wild on the Clock?

Clearly the team is struggling so far this season. One overtime win in 5 games is not a great start. And now Marty Havlat has tweaked his groin on the soft Anaheim ice. Maybe it's time to start looking at the 2010 NHL Entry Draft and see who we might land with the first overall pick. My pick? Taylor Hall. He'd be the first step in rebuilding this team's talent level. This kid's a "monster" according to Pierre McGuire.

Canuck Week

Yes, it's Canuck Week here at Wild Puck Banter again. It seems like just yesterday when we recounted the Canucks' playoff collapses, bad uniforms, poor management decisions, coaching failures and poor players, but another year has gone by. With the Wild in Vancouver Saturday Night, I present 5 Reasons Why the Canucks Suck:

1. Luongo Overrated ~ it used to be a bit of a stretch when I said this a few years back, but the start of this season needs no explaining. Good thing he's locked up until 2021.

2. The Sedin Twins ~ is it legal in British Columbia to marry your identical twin brother? Because if it is, these two would jump all over that.

3. Allan Vignault ~ this guy couldn't coach his way out of a box. It's a miracle he even understands the icing rule.

4. The Pavol Demitra Signing ~ wow, another overpaid Canuck, who would have thought? He's currently on pace for these numbers this season: 0-0-0.

5. 2003 ~ Vancouver, up 3 games to 1, loses the series.

Game 1 Thoughts

For my thoughts about Game 1, hop on over to Pucks Gone Wild.

Is It 2007 Again?

Last time I checked, the majority of all major sports' games were broadcast in high definition. I can turn my television and watch football, baseball and even basketball in living detail. Heck, I was even able to watch the "Real World Road Rules Challenge" in HD the other night. Then why, my friends, why for the love of God isn't tonight's SEASON OPENER being broadcast in high definition?

Is there a good reason why Channel 45 isn't available in HD on either Direct TV or Comcast? It's been said before, but hockey is perfectly suited for HD. More than any other sport, with the possible exception of the above-mentioned Challenge, hockey translates best into HD.

I'm not even that upset with the lack of Versus on Direct TV. Their production values are poor and outside of Doc Emerick their TV dudes are lousy. Joe Benanati sucks. How many times during a single game can he say "you're watching the NHL on Versus"? We know this, Joe, try calling the game.

Bitter? Yes, I am. But only because tonight I'll have to choose between 9 different HD college football games and the Wild in blurry standard definition.

Prediction? Pain.

Everyone's making predictions, so here goes mine:

Western Conference:

1. San Jose.
2. Calgary.
3. Chicago.
4. St. Louis.
5. Minnesota.
6. Detroit.
7. Anaheim.
8. Columbus.
9. Los Angeles.
10. Vancouver.
11. Nashville.
12. Dallas.
13. Edmonton.
14. Phoenix.
15. Colorado.

San Jose is on top again because of their great regular season consistency. Chicago wins the Central Division in the season when age and shoddy goaltending finally catch up with the Red Wings. Calgary wins the Northwest easily and Vancouver sucks. Colorado is on the clock.