Wilderness Walk for 2-15-2012

by BReynolds on Feb 15, 2012 7:30 AM CST in Wilderness Walks

With a computer at my disposal, we can have our normal Walk. Given what I am about to say, maybe it would be better I didn't have access to the computer.

We need to chat for a second, Wild fans. Word on the street says that the X erupted in cheers when a referee took a puck up high in last night's game. The way it is explained to me (I was not there, I have not seen it), the ref missed a call in favor of the Wild, then made a call against the Wild shortly after. When a puck hit him high and hard, Wild fans felt their sweet revenge and cheered as the ref lay on the ice.

Unacceptable, folks. This isn't a fan base that is classless. We are not a fan base that behaves like that. We are a fan base that understands this is a game. While we are passionate and care a bit too much, we never, ever, cross that line. When a player, fan, or yes, referee is injured, we are a classy group that is silent while the injury is assessed, and cheer when it is clear they will be OK, or in support of someone who may not be OK. This was neither of those.

You're better than that, Minnesota. Way better.

And for cripe's sake. Quit it with the wave. Please.

Wild News

Zidlicky Waives NTC for NJ - Russo says Zidlicky could be on his way to NJ. This could be fun. Breathe everyone.

One-goal-a-game Wild caves in the third to Anaheim, loses yet again | StarTribune.com - Clearly this loss is on Josh Harding. The Wild scored their goal. He needs to be better.

Wild's wave of defeatism continues | StarTribune.com - Sell, baby sell.

Wild's Brodziak hates uncertainty | StarTribune.com - Which is fine, but it is nearly certain at this point he is about to have a new team, so there is that.

Wild done after one goal in 2-1 loss to Anaheim - TwinCities.com - View from the other side of the river.

Minnesota Wild complete coverage | StarTribune.com - Good video here. Go watch it.

Tending the Fields

First Round Bust: Chuck Fletcher on Jason Zucker: "We Would Look To Turn Him Pro After The End of His College Season"Turn Him - Good. He should go pro. Nothing left for him in college.

The Third Intermission: Quick Roster Notes - What's happening in Houston.

Off the Trail

Tuomo Ruutu Injured; Expected to Miss Three Weeks - Canes Country - And there's that.

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Comments

I wanted to run around the arena at the Columbus game and start punching people for doing the wave ( not women and children though). I guess now Zids will be a Devil in all senses of the word. It’ll be interesting to see who they get in return.

2010-2011 Minnesota Wild Fantasy League Champion
President/CEO of the Tutu Many Slapshots fantasy hockey club

by Chris Winner on Feb 15, 2012 7:44 AM CST reply actions

I give you permission to slap me

if I ever do the wave. No punching though – that probably hurts.

"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 Feb 15, 2012 12:11 PM CST up reply actions

ok that sounds fair :)

2010-2011 Minnesota Wild Fantasy League Champion
President/CEO of the Tutu Many Slapshots fantasy hockey club

by Chris Winner on Feb 15, 2012 2:31 PM CST up reply actions

The wave

To be fair, that was the most exciting thing that happened before the last minute of the game.

by Jon Marthaler on Feb 15, 2012 7:59 AM CST reply actions

Boooooo!

by minnesotagirl71 on Feb 15, 2012 12:10 PM CST up reply actions

Just say...

no to the wave.

by MNAubs on Feb 15, 2012 8:09 AM CST reply actions

For bored fans, I get it

It should NEVER happen in a tight/meaningful game.

Steve Goodman lives.

by twinsbrewer on Feb 16, 2012 1:05 AM CST up reply actions

Anyone want to go to MSP

and see Zidlicky off? Effigies encouraged.

by iLoveHockey on Feb 15, 2012 8:11 AM CST reply actions

by Burnsie4mvp on Feb 15, 2012 9:59 AM CST up reply actions

Sorry, but I can understand cheering when a ref got hit with a puck shortly after the Wild got screwed.

That is human nature, to lash out when one feels wronged. Is that a good thing? Probably not, but it was understandable at that moment to jeer the ref that way. I do not think that shows a lack of class or anything.

If he stayed down and was bleeding and the crowd continued to cheer maybe, but right when it happened? I get that.

Let loose the hogs of war!
Dogs of war..
Whatever farm animal of war, Lana...

by darren004 on Feb 15, 2012 8:36 AM CST reply actions

I hear ya

Even though the wild were on the wrong side of some horrible non-calls. I was there and no way stood up and cheered. Bad calls or not, I would rather see the ref get up and not kick the bucket right there on the X ice. However, later that night maybe he gets locked out of his car or better yet gets arrested for trying to pick up a tranny hooker…. I’d be happy abou that. He should feel shame and pay for his transgressions(pun intended?).

by wildfansec108row11 on Feb 15, 2012 9:25 AM CST up reply actions

Did the ref even go down?

If he went down, he must have popped up pretty quickly because I just saw him standing there shaking his hand in a “shake it off” kind of motion.

If there was concern of serious injury, I don’t think anyone would have cheered. Last night’s crowd was not exactly made up of your usual Wild fans…I think the whole thing was a perfect storm of circumstances.

by minnesotagirl71 on Feb 15, 2012 12:05 PM CST up reply actions

No

He laid there for about a min. Then he popped up. There was a loud cheer even when he was laying on the ice.

by wildfansec108row11 on Feb 15, 2012 12:30 PM CST up reply actions

Huh

I totally missed him laying on the ice….

by minnesotagirl71 on Feb 15, 2012 12:52 PM CST via Android app up reply actions

Zids to the devils

Petr Sykora anyone?

Twitterverse: @hobey_baker

by The Nooge on Feb 15, 2012 8:41 AM CST via Android app reply actions

Pass on that…….. let’s get someone young

"90% of the game is physical. The other half is mental." - Yogi Berra

by cyroose on Feb 15, 2012 9:06 AM CST up reply actions

Adam Larsson!

Haha, just kidding. (But since we’re dreaming of Nash and Parise..)

Regressing to the mean since 1981.

by dlfedie on Feb 15, 2012 9:19 AM CST up reply actions

Jon Merrill?

"You don't understand anything, man. Leave your STUPID comments in your POCKET!"

Read my lame Minnesota Wild blog at lemairestrap.wordpress.com

by Georgie Fruit on Feb 15, 2012 9:59 AM CST via mobile up reply actions

I think I would do flips!

by wildfansec108row11 on Feb 15, 2012 10:26 AM CST up reply actions

Yes, the Devils are going to give up their top prospect for a rental.

Who the hell do you think Lou is, Steve Tambellini?

Hell on Ice/In Lou We Trust/Twitter
Remember when everyone had more goals than Scott Gomez?

by Kevin Sellathamby on Feb 15, 2012 11:22 AM CST up reply actions

I'm fat and can't do flips.

So I understand it slim to none unless we have some sort of leverage. I’m thinking planting cocaine in his wife’s car…

by wildfansec108row11 on Feb 15, 2012 11:27 AM CST up reply actions

Well, Zidlicky is under contract next year, too, so he isn’t a rental. That said, Merrill is unlikely.

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

Master of unsustainable passive regression.

by BReynolds on Feb 15, 2012 1:35 PM CST up reply actions

What about Zid and Harding for Merrill and and a pick? The Devils need at least one goalie for next year and would had first shot at signing Hards if he is on their team.

by GooterBaby on Feb 15, 2012 1:50 PM CST up reply actions

No way it happens

The only way that Jon Merrill is dealt from New Jersey is if the Devils get back a superstar player that can help them win a Cup this season. Jon Merrill is the top prospect in the Devils organization, by far.

Look at it this way….
Would you trade Granlund for a defensman who’s really a powerplay specialist and an unproven goalie?

You know you're a Wild fan if Spam Whoopie Gerald-buns comes up in conversation
Mikael Granlund = Suomi Savior

by JDesthubert on Feb 15, 2012 1:56 PM CST up reply actions

And

Would you be willing to send back a pick as well along with Granlund?

You know you're a Wild fan if Spam Whoopie Gerald-buns comes up in conversation
Mikael Granlund = Suomi Savior

by JDesthubert on Feb 15, 2012 1:58 PM CST up reply actions

Hell, Merrill is their ONLY real prospect, apart from maybe Wedgewood

So unless Lou goes ’’Calgary’’ on the world, Merrill stays in NJ

I'm that ''ignorant dumbass'' who writes with the ''whiny idiot homer'' over at Hockey Wilderness.

Twitter: BubbleWild48

by JSLandry on Feb 15, 2012 1:59 PM CST up reply actions

Urbom and Josefson are supposed to be pretty good prospects

You know you're a Wild fan if Spam Whoopie Gerald-buns comes up in conversation
Mikael Granlund = Suomi Savior

by JDesthubert on Feb 15, 2012 2:04 PM CST up reply actions

I thought Josefson was a regular by now...guess I was wrong.

Anyhoo, I think Merrill is of a higher level.

I'm that ''ignorant dumbass'' who writes with the ''whiny idiot homer'' over at Hockey Wilderness.

Twitter: BubbleWild48

by JSLandry on Feb 15, 2012 2:13 PM CST up reply actions

Oh, I agree about Merrill

I was just pointing out that the Devils do have other prospects besides Merrill and Wedgewood

You know you're a Wild fan if Spam Whoopie Gerald-buns comes up in conversation
Mikael Granlund = Suomi Savior

by JDesthubert on Feb 15, 2012 2:21 PM CST up reply actions

Yeah

Should’ve been more specific and say that they don’t have too many high-level prospects.

I'm that ''ignorant dumbass'' who writes with the ''whiny idiot homer'' over at Hockey Wilderness.

Twitter: BubbleWild48

by JSLandry on Feb 15, 2012 2:33 PM CST up reply actions

Completely meant in satire ladies and germs, I do recall how the Sykora in MN experiment ended the first time

Twitterverse: @hobey_baker

by The Nooge on Feb 15, 2012 11:06 AM CST via Android app up reply actions

Fffffffffffffffffffffffffuck.

UPDATE: From the Dept. of Hold Yer Horses, TSN’s Darren Dreger: “Zidlicky has said he would waive to go to NJD, however, Wild hasn’t asked him to…yet, and may not trade him until the summer says source.”

I'm that ''ignorant dumbass'' who writes with the ''whiny idiot homer'' over at Hockey Wilderness.

Twitter: BubbleWild48

by JSLandry on Feb 15, 2012 9:41 AM CST reply actions

damn, Russo’s reporting it now too, so I guess it isn’t as set in stone as we were led to believe

2010-2011 Minnesota Wild Fantasy League Champion
President/CEO of the Tutu Many Slapshots fantasy hockey club

by Chris Winner on Feb 15, 2012 9:55 AM CST up reply actions

This team never fails

Its the same old steps:

1. They go up one goal early – Everyone gets excited. (Tweets saying Zids waived NTC)
2. They get pinned in their own end – Everyone gets nervous. (Fletch comes out and says he does not have a trade pending)
3. Then eventually the other team scores and ties game – Everyone gets frustrated, but keeps up hope. (Trade deadline day still have Zids)
4. Other team scores to take lead – Everyone throws remote at TV. (Deadline day passes, still have Zids on team).

Repeat steps 1-4 FOREVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

by eamon17 on Feb 15, 2012 10:19 AM CST up reply actions 1 recs

Sounds like Zids and his agent are trying to force Fletch into a trade to NJ

And Fletch may not give in, I’m sure he doesn’t like being boxed into something, who does? As for who they could get in return, we obviously need to take some salary back not so much for this year but next, so that makes me think we’d be taking back a multiple year player. So to me that means either Zubrus or Clarkson (more than likely Zubrus) and a 2nd rounder maybe. Trading him to Chicago intrigues me more, they have more assets and may be more desperate than NJ right now.

by cgp711 on Feb 15, 2012 10:31 AM CST up reply actions

If it gets rid of his 4 million salary for next year, I will take a conditional 7th rounder.

Let loose the hogs of war!
Dogs of war..
Whatever farm animal of war, Lana...

by darren004 on Feb 15, 2012 11:40 AM CST up reply actions

We could add a pretty good free agent with that.

by wildfansec108row11 on Feb 15, 2012 11:46 AM CST up reply actions

MOAR TRADES!!!

ZIDLICKY FOR LEDDY!

Just kidding. In all seriousness though, just getting rid of Zidlicky, his piss poor attitude and $4 million contract is a win for the Wild. Yahoo’s graphic was perfect.

by J.A.Berty1330 on Feb 15, 2012 10:54 AM CST reply actions

Taffe, Almond up

The Wild’s game of Roster Musical Chairs continues. Well, at least this gives Almond yet ANOTHER chance to show how averagely mediocre he is.

Guess the Wild’s really going for broke on the record for ‘highest number of different players played in 1 season’. Anyone else tired of this constant back n forth of AHL players in the lineup this season?

Son-of-a-bitch is dug in like an Alabama tick!

by Mark It Zero! on Feb 15, 2012 11:50 AM CST reply actions