Going Hog Wild
It's been a cause for celebration for Minnesota this year.
It's been a bounce back season for the Minnesota Wild, as efforts under General Manager Alex Tanev to revitalize the once sagging fortunes of the club have begun to pay off.
The Wild sit sixth in the Western Conference, just one point behind the Nashville Predators. For a club many figured was one more year away from a post-season berth, the Wild are looking in good shape to be ahead of the trend in that regard, sitting 11 points ahead of the ninth seeded Columbus Blue Jackets.
"It's been a good season for us, but it's not over yet," said defenseman Dion Phanuef, who is tied for the team lead in points with 40. "We've worked hard to get here, now it's time to complete the job."
Indeed. While Minnesota is well entrenched in a post-season slot, they are also only one game over .500 on the season, meaning a smll stumble could cost them big in the playoff race.
Vanilla Ice wannabe Dion Phaneuf and sheep-lover Mikhail Grabovski are two key cogs for the Minnesota Wild.
"We have to keep our foot down on the gas peddle. We can't let up, there are plenty fo teams hunting us down," said centre Mikhail Grabovski who leads the team with 17 goals.
To do that, the Wild do have some areas to shore up. Offense is one, as Phanuef and fellow blueliner Shane O'Brien lead the club with 40 points. While such production from the backend is desired, it's rarely a good omen to have your top two scorers patrolling your blueline.
While some players, such as Richard Zednik and Robbie Schremp have stepped forward and exceeded expectations, others need to start pulling their weight. This includes star forward Milan Hejduk, who has scored just seven goals and 20 points in 51 games this year.
The Wild are left wondering what has happened to Steve Downie and Milan Hejduk, as the duo have combd for just 15 goals and 32 points so far this season.
Others who have stumbled include Steve Downie, with 12 points in 51 games, and Raffi Torres, who has just one point on the season and has been reduced to a fourth line role.
"It's tough, but only I can dig myself out of this hole," noted Torres.
The bright spots have been primarily limited to the defense and in net, where Antti Niemi has been solid. Backup Johan Hedberg has once again excelled in a reserve role, though he hasn't been called on much.
Antti Niemi has been solid for the Wild so far this season.
While in-season trades are always the easiest to do or most effective way to improve your squad, one thing Minnesota would likely be wise to correct is their penalty taking. Minnsota ranks 25th in the league in penalty minutes, taking nearly two minutes more per game than the league average. A few less minutes in the box would certainly improve things elsewhere.
Given that, it's not a surprise to hear that Downie is reportedly being shopped in trade talks by the Wild. Coupled with his weak offensive numbers, Downie also ranks fourth on the Wild in penalty minutes, despite playing significantly less minutes than the players above him on that list. It could be addition by subtraction for Downie, who has often been referred to as a selfish player who puts himself ahead of his team.
Whatever is going on with Downie or any other possible trades, Tanev is keeping quiet.
"We're looking to see what's out there, but for now I have nothing to report," said Tanev. "If the right deal comes along, we might make a move. If not, then we'll stick with what we have."
And why not? It's working so far for the Wild, who could be heading back to the post-season for the first time in a while if they can keep things rolling for another 31 games.
It's been a cause for celebration for Minnesota this year.
It's been a bounce back season for the Minnesota Wild, as efforts under General Manager Alex Tanev to revitalize the once sagging fortunes of the club have begun to pay off.
The Wild sit sixth in the Western Conference, just one point behind the Nashville Predators. For a club many figured was one more year away from a post-season berth, the Wild are looking in good shape to be ahead of the trend in that regard, sitting 11 points ahead of the ninth seeded Columbus Blue Jackets.
"It's been a good season for us, but it's not over yet," said defenseman Dion Phanuef, who is tied for the team lead in points with 40. "We've worked hard to get here, now it's time to complete the job."
Indeed. While Minnesota is well entrenched in a post-season slot, they are also only one game over .500 on the season, meaning a smll stumble could cost them big in the playoff race.
Vanilla Ice wannabe Dion Phaneuf and sheep-lover Mikhail Grabovski are two key cogs for the Minnesota Wild.
"We have to keep our foot down on the gas peddle. We can't let up, there are plenty fo teams hunting us down," said centre Mikhail Grabovski who leads the team with 17 goals.
To do that, the Wild do have some areas to shore up. Offense is one, as Phanuef and fellow blueliner Shane O'Brien lead the club with 40 points. While such production from the backend is desired, it's rarely a good omen to have your top two scorers patrolling your blueline.
While some players, such as Richard Zednik and Robbie Schremp have stepped forward and exceeded expectations, others need to start pulling their weight. This includes star forward Milan Hejduk, who has scored just seven goals and 20 points in 51 games this year.
The Wild are left wondering what has happened to Steve Downie and Milan Hejduk, as the duo have combd for just 15 goals and 32 points so far this season.
Others who have stumbled include Steve Downie, with 12 points in 51 games, and Raffi Torres, who has just one point on the season and has been reduced to a fourth line role.
"It's tough, but only I can dig myself out of this hole," noted Torres.
The bright spots have been primarily limited to the defense and in net, where Antti Niemi has been solid. Backup Johan Hedberg has once again excelled in a reserve role, though he hasn't been called on much.
Antti Niemi has been solid for the Wild so far this season.
While in-season trades are always the easiest to do or most effective way to improve your squad, one thing Minnesota would likely be wise to correct is their penalty taking. Minnsota ranks 25th in the league in penalty minutes, taking nearly two minutes more per game than the league average. A few less minutes in the box would certainly improve things elsewhere.
Given that, it's not a surprise to hear that Downie is reportedly being shopped in trade talks by the Wild. Coupled with his weak offensive numbers, Downie also ranks fourth on the Wild in penalty minutes, despite playing significantly less minutes than the players above him on that list. It could be addition by subtraction for Downie, who has often been referred to as a selfish player who puts himself ahead of his team.
Whatever is going on with Downie or any other possible trades, Tanev is keeping quiet.
"We're looking to see what's out there, but for now I have nothing to report," said Tanev. "If the right deal comes along, we might make a move. If not, then we'll stick with what we have."
And why not? It's working so far for the Wild, who could be heading back to the post-season for the first time in a while if they can keep things rolling for another 31 games.
