minnesota wild

As far as Canucks fans are concerned, there’s always some type of backdrop of rivalry with the Minnesota Wild. Vancouver’s continually improving record against the Wild belies the wounds of yesteryear where they handed Vancouver an unexpected comeback in the playoffs.  If the Canucks are  to return to a lofty playoff seeding, part of the reason will be their dominance over the enigmatic Wild.  Hard-working Jared Crozier (also does Senshot, covering the Ottawa Senators) talks about this, and a whole lot more, as he previews Minnesota’s 2011-12 season in Gone Puck Wild. http://gonepuckwild.com/2011/09/14/around-the-nhl-in-30-days-minneosta-wild-preview/ Also, next at bat in the 30 [...]

For years since their inception into the National Hockey League, the Minnesota Wild have stifled the Vancouver Canucks with trapping, defensive minded hockey. Last night, the roles were somewhat reversed. To begin with, let’s evaluate the game for what it really boiled down to: Goaltending. Niklas Backstrom, named the games’ Crown Royal 1st star by CBC, stopped 37 of 39 shots, for a .949 SV%. At the other end, with half the workload, Roberto Luongo earned his 3rd home win of the season, stopping 17 of 18 shots, for a .944 SV%. Backstrom made a huge stop with a ton [...]