Wilderness Walk for 1-10-2012: Game Day Edition

by BReynolds on Jan 10, 2012 9:11 AM CST in Wilderness Walks

Big day for story lines, folks. First, Matt Cullen plays in his 1,000th NHL game tonight. Russo has a great piece on that, so we'll give you our contribution here: Jared Spurgeon was 7 years old when Cullen skated his first NHL shift. I'd say that should make Cullen feel old, but I am only three years younger than he is, so it doesn't make me feel much better.

Second, Brent Burns returns to Saint Paul for the first time since being traded to the Sharks. This would not be such a big deal if it were, say... Chuck Kobasew, but Burns is one of the most popular players to ever don Iron Range Red, and was certainly one of the players no one ever thought would be gone. Tonight, he steps back on the Xcel Energy Center ice for the first time in teal & black. Should be emotional for more than just him.

Plenty of reason to be there tonight, folks. Occupy the X.

Wild News

1,000 games: Matt Cullen's rink reminiscence | StarTribune.com - Good stuff, old man.

Homegrown Wild center Matt Cullen to play in 1,000th NHL game - TwinCities.com - The view from the other side of the river.

Chart: Matt Cullen's top five NHL memories | StarTribune.com - Who would have thought winning the Cup would be #1?

Cullen Approaching 1,000th NHL Game | - He's there.

Naysayers beware! | StarTribune.com - Read the quote from Yeo in the first 'graph. This guy could lose all 82, I'd still want him around just for the quotes.

Struggling Scandella gets sent to Aeros | StarTribune.com - Who's taking bets on how long this lasts?

Wild-San Jose game preview | StarTribune.com - A little preview action.

Heatley shoots, he ... doesn't score much | StarTribune.com - Chip Scoggins explores the issue of scoring. Not that we think that's a big deal at all.

The Wild have their blinders on in wake of skid - Not sure blinders are the best option, but whatever it takes, I guess.

Enemy News

Sharks face off against the struggling Wild - Fear The Fin - Pretty good preview from Fear the Fin, post at... 3:01AM local time. Yikes. (Make sure you check out FtF. Great people. SOme of the best on the network.)

Mercury News - All your Sharks news needs.

Tending the Fields

Station Nation: Coyle Expected To Debut Thursday - Good to know.

Off the Trail

The Jack Jablonski Fund - Consider making a donation to the fund. This goes directly to the family for Jack's care. There is also a rather nice t-shirt available.

Despite tragedies, hockey reformer finds resistance to change | StarTribune.com - Let me sum this one up for you: people are stupid, and want their kids to live the life they never got to. My take? Be a parent. Protect your children. Your job is to keep them alive, not turn them into everything you never were.

Wild coach Mike Yeo on Jack Jablonski's injury: "This is one of our own here ... and believe me, we're hurting" - TwinCities.com - Sometimes, you see the things semi-celebs do and there is a tinge of falsehood. The comments and concern from Yeo certainly ring out as genuine.

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Comments

Pretty good preview from Fear the Fin, post at… 3:01AM local time. Yikes.

Haha, that’s also kind of a running joke over at FtF. Evidently there’s an autopost feature that Plank uses extensively, so he’s not actually up posting at 3AM.

..:Fear The Fin:..
Twittaaaaaaahhh

by OtherKid on Jan 10, 2012 10:11 AM CST reply actions

Indeed. We have a scheduler, but the bigger question is… who the hell is up reading it at 3AM? Ha!

Editor:Hockey Wilderness Editor:In Lax We Trust Now with more Twitterness: ReynoldsSBN

Master of unsustainable passive regression.

by BReynolds on Jan 10, 2012 10:40 AM CST up reply actions

3am california time

is right around breakfast time om the east coast. Thats why it posts so early.

"Pain heals. Chicks dig scars. Glory lasts forever." Shane Falco
"The Sharks got the better deal. They got a Burns. The Wild lost a Burns. You need a Burns to be good." KFAN's Jacques Lemaire 6-25-2011

by minnesotagirl71 on Jan 10, 2012 2:30 PM CST via Android app up reply actions

Can't wait to hear the crowd on TV...

Unfortunately, game comes on at 4:30 local time and I am off work at 4:15 so I will have to DVR the beginning of the game… but I am looking forward to hearing the crowd in Minnesota give Burns the applause he deserves. I know he’s probably very pumped up for this game as I am each time we play Heater and Seto.

Should be a good match up.

GO SHARKS!

Waiting for the Cup to come to SJ since 1991...

GO SHARKS!

Find me on Twitter @njahoda

by winthecupsj on Jan 10, 2012 10:35 AM CST reply actions