Grading the Minnesota Wild's Defensemen And Goalies

We're halfway through the 2013 NHL regular season, and the Wild find themselves in the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. With half the season left, can the Wild hang onto a Playoff berth? Or, will they suffer another late-season swoon that causes them to miss the playoffs for the fifth consecutive season? 

One way or another the answer to those questions figures to lie in the play of the club's defensemen and goaltenders down the stretch. With the Wild still struggling to produce consistent offense, their defense has been the major catalyst for their success throughout much of the season. And their  defense will be the reason they either make or miss the playoffs, because this club is not going to turn into a goal scoring juggernaut overnight.

So, what better time than the season's mid-way point to hand out grades to the Minnesota Wild's defensemen and goaltenders.

Minnesota Wild: Week In Review- Analyzing the Minnesota Wild's first week of play

Well, we're five games into the Minnesota Wild's season, and the results so far have been mediocre at best. The team's record sits at 2-2-1, which is OK. The problem is, they have just one point in their past three contests( two regulation losses, and an overtime loss to St. Louis). So, panic is beginning to set in here in Minnesota. With that said, let's get to three observations and some quick hits I have about the Wild after the first week of the season.

Minnesota Wild VS Nashville live blog

Tonight's Minnesota Wild VS Nashville Predators game marks the first time that Wild free agent signee Ryan Suter faces his former team. So without further ado, let's get to the game.

Minnesota Wild vs Colorado Avalanche- Live Blog/Diary

Pre-Game:

• 8:00 PM- Finally, the wait is over. After being locked out for over four months the puck is finally about to drop on the 2012/2013 Minnesota Wild season. Now that the puck is about to drop, all of the lockout garbage is rendered moot. Yes, it was a terrible ordeal for the sport. But, the game is back. And instead of bitching about the lockout, hockey fans can now bitch about their team. Which, in all honesty, is exactly what was wanted all along. Anyway, the following is a live blog/diary of the Minnesota Wild VS Colorado Avalanche game. (That was the last reference to the lockout in this post, I swear.)

Minnesota Wild 2013 Season Preview Part 1: Line Combinations and Defensive Pairings

2013 Minnesota Wild Preview Part 1: Line Combinations and Defensive Pairings

The Wild enter the abbreviated 2013 season with high expectations; thanks to the free agent signings of Zach Parise and Ryan Suter and the arrival of star prospect, Mikael Granlund. Will the team meet these expectations?  Will they succumb to the pressure and fail to produce the expected results? What will the lines look like? What prospects will make the team out of training camp? Can the Wild win the Northwest Division? Those are just a few of the many questions surrounding the Wild this season. Let's try to answer some of those questions.

Ramblings, From an Elated Minnesota Sports Fan

Holy shit. In less than 48 hours, the Wild signed the two best NHL free agents available; Ryan Suter and Zach Parise, and the Timberwolves signed Brandon Roy and Nic Batum...............Now, I know, what it must feel like to live in NYC........This guy is in shock.........

Minnesota Wild 2012-13 Updated Depth chart

This is an updated Minnesota Wild depth chart for the 2012-2013 season. I Still can not believe the Wild have Zach Parise, and Ryan Suter. Those two players alone, give the Wild so much more depth than they had all of last season.  Add on the Torrey Mitchell, and Zenon Konopka signings, and this team has more talent and depth then they have ever had.

Wild signs Parise, Suter

  


What a coup. Signing Zach Parise, and Ryan Suter instantly transforms the Minnesota Wild into one of the NHL's highest profile teams. And makes the Franchise relevant.  Having those two players aboard; guarantees a Winter Classic will be held in Minnesota in the next two years, it guarantees the Wild will be a featured team on NBC; and most importantly it guarantees the Wild will be successful, relevant, and important for at least the next decade. Even if you do not like hockey, you have to be impressed by what this team did yesterday. Never before, has a Minnesota sports team pulled off anything like this.

Minnesota Wild/NHL Comprehensive Free Agency Preview

NHL Free-Agency is just two days away. The start of free-agency, will mark the beginning of the biggest and most important off-season in Minnesota Wild history. This team has missed the playoffs in each of the previous four seasons. Wild fans, are growing restless and want to watch a winning team. In fact, the Wild is playing to 1/3 empty buildings nowadays. This is a franchise, that once sold out every single game for the first ten years of its existence.