Earlier this month, THW's Mike Coll…
Pittsburgh PenguinsThe Minnesota Wild were most concerned about their blue line heading into the shortened 2013 NHL season, even with the addition of Ryan Suter, and it proved to be the place of most concern throughout the regular season and into the playoffs. Most of the problems can be attributed to youth and inexperience and that ...
At the onset of the shortened season, the defensive corps of the Detroit Red Wings was a big question mark. Many were skeptical of a defensive lineup that had no “superstar” to bolster its ranks. Nick Lidstrom hung up the skates and the prime free agent targets went elsewhere. In the midst of all this was Niklas Kronwall, the ...
NHL offseasons often reveal one or two teams that make the biggest proverbial splashes in an attempt to launch their franchise into the upper echelon of Stanley Cup contenders. It has been noted hundreds of times that the team that made the biggest buys in the summer of 2012 was the Minnesota Wild. Identical 13-year, ...
Perhaps the Minnesota Wild’s first round exit at the hands of the President’s Trophy winning Chicago Blackhawks last week in five games was simply inevitable. It was definitely a ‘positive step’ for a franchise building for the future and one that was playing its first playoff hockey since 2008. However, losing the series quickly with ...
When the 2013 NHL season began, both the Blackhawks and Wild were considered to be two of the more compelling squads in the Western Conference. With so much transition taking place in Detroit, the Hawks appeared to be ready to make a transition of their own, hoping to step up as the undisputed class of the Central ...
Pre-season projection: Playoff team Final team record: 26-19-3 (8th in Western Conference) Flip a coin. The Minnesota Wild made the playoffs for the first time in five years; they almost played themselves out with a 5-6-1 finish, blowing their shot at the division. They scratched out critical season-ending tilts with the Los Angeles Kings and ...
Few pundits are giving the Minnesota Wild even a passing glance in their first round matchup with the Chicago Blackhawks. After all, the Hawks stole the NHL spotlight by going 21-0-3 in their first 24 games, setting the NHL record for consecutive games with a point to start a season. Chicago rode that momentum to ...
When you think of the Minnesota Wild, the names Zach Parise, Ryan Suter, Mikko Koivu, and Niklas Backstrom come to mind, as they should. Suter and Parise were acquired to vault the latter two Finns into playoff contention for the first time since 2008.
While the dual free agent signees’ impact has been noticeable, a relatively small Wild lineup (save for a healthy Mike Rupp) has been actively seeking bottom-six forwards capable of a shutdown, bump and grind style.
With the expansion of the outdoor game from one game to six, hockey fans may think that thriving hockey markets would get their first crack at the blockbuster event. Those fans would think incorrectly. TSN hockey analyst Darren Dreger revealed Tuesday night that the NHL has opted to hold five additional outdoor games ...
In February reports suggested that the 2013 NHL awards aren’t likely to be held in Las Vegas. It doesn’t really matter where they are held, it can be guaranteed that the NHL awards ceremony will leave those passionate about the game frustrated. Everything that is wrong with the NHL awards could hardly have been better ...
