Minnesota Wild 1 - 3 Columbus Blue Jackets

For Columbus perspective, please visit The Cannon.

Another wholly forgettable effort by the Minnesota Wild tonight. It was very clear from the outset that there was little interest from the buys in white in playing this game. The Jackets controlled the zone for long stretches, were getting clean shots on Niklas Backstrom, and the Wild had no desire to play physical in order to assert their presence. The Wild looked tired and lost from the very beginning, and not much would change as the game progressed.

Nate Prosser would get the goal he wanted to celebrate his newly signed deal, but that would be it for the Wild "offense" tonight. The few chances they did get were stopped by Curtis Sanford, who had about the easiest night an NHL goalie can ask for.

The Wild power play has to be addressed, and soon. Tonight, they made the 30th PK in the league look like the best PK to ever play the game. Just another embarrassment from an offensive corps desperate for anything at all to go their way.

To cap it all of, Devin Setoguchi wad dropped to a third line consisting of himself, Darroll Powe and Erik Christensen. That line was a -2 on the night, generated no offence, and provided little or no defense in return. It shall hereby be known as the "Zidlicky Line."

Speaking of Marek Zidlicky, his level of atrocious play was high enough to stand out on a team that put forth an ugly effort throughout. What the solution is for him is out of Mike Yeo's hands, but if it's me, he doesn't see the ice again. If I'm chuck Fletcher I either trade him to the first team to offer anything in return or I put him on waivers. Yes, waivers. It's gotten that bad. He is flat footed, slow, doesn't shoot enough, and when he does he puts it into a set of shin pads. His passes are not crisp, his game is completely gone. It's time for this to end.

In full credit to the Jackets, they played a great game in all aspects of the game. The PK was solid, the PP looked good, and the even strength game was impeccable. They looked like a playoff team tonight. Of course, they looked like a playoff team against the Wild, so maybe that doesn't say much.

Ugly one in Columbus tonight for the Wild. Something's got to give at some point. Start winning, or start losing, but stop being mediocre.

The Bennett's Chop & Railhouse Stars of the Game:

1. David Savard (1G, 1A, 3 SOG)
2. Rick Nash (1A, 6 SOG)
3. Nate Prosser (1G, 5 PIMs)

Remember, when you begin and end your night at Bennett's, you're the star! Easy parking, drink and food specials and a free shuttle to and from the Xcel Energy Center. Check them out athttp://bennettschopandrailhouse.com/.

Five Questions:

1. Can the Wild avoid playing down to the opponent? Not tonight, no.
   
2. Is there a way to stop the Wild Killer? An assist and 6 SOG? Nope.
3. Can Backstrom continue to hold his team in the game? He did his best, but his team didn't show up.
   
4. Is tonight the night Christensen makes his presence felt? -2 on the evening. This is not the impression he wants to leave.
   
5. First game for Gillies against the Wild. How does he respond? He played well. Got the assist.

Minnesota Wild (25-19-8) at Columbus Blue Jackets (14-32-6)

Nationwide Arena @ 6:00 PM CST
Television: FSN+
Listen Live at: KFAN (100.3) or Wild.com

For the Columbus perspective, check out The Cannon

The Columbus Blue Jackets are a mystery wrapped in an enigma and served with a side of WTF. Looking at the names skating with the offense, the Jackets should be a scoring machine. Rick Nash and Jeff Carter are tasked with carrying this team, but it seems the woes of the defense and goaltending have spread throughout the team.

All of that is really too bad. The Jackets have a passionate fan base that gets zero credit for the way they support their team, mostly due to the face that the team is just never very good. The Columbus area remains one of the places on the NHL map where people look at it and say, "Really? There's a team there?" A winning team would get rid of that, and the fans deserve that.

The state of the Jackets this year is as big a surprise as any other team in the league. If you predicted the Jackets to be in dead last, raise your hand. Now, anyone who isn't fooling themselves into thinking they made that prediction, keep your hand up. Anyone left? Didn't think so.

Still, the Jackets have been the bane of their expansion brethren since the beginning. Nash is a Wild killer extraordinaire. No matter the position of these two teams, the Wild need to be ramped up for a tough battle. The two teams tend to bring out the worst in each other. Fights, bad hits, and chippy plays from both sides are to be fully expected tonight.

The news sounds like Mikko Koivu remains out, Niklas Backstrom starts. Kassian in for Brad Staubitz. Everything else looks to remain the same. This lineup played well against the Stars, save for a bumbling Marke Zidlicky coming back from his time off. The guess has to be if he looks like he did in Dallas, he won't be in the lineup again come Thursday.

Should be a fun one, folks.

PLEASE NOTE FSN+ TONIGHT. FSN+. NOT FSN, FSN+. ONE MORE TIME: FSN+.

Five Questions:

1. Can the Wild avoid playing down to the opponent?
   
2. Is there a way to stop the Wild Killer?
3. Can Backstrom continue to hold his team in the game?
   
4. Is tonight the night Christensen makes his presence felt?
   
5. First game for Gillies against the Wild. How does he respond?
   

Following a second injury this year, Wild fans have patiently waited for the return of their Kaptain to the lineup. The offense seems to shrivel up without #9, the defensive play becomes suspect, and the overall heart and commitment of the team is brought into question. Well, fear not, readers of the Wilderness, for the Man Who Never Smiles is returning. From Kent Youngblood:

Mikko Koivu practiced today, wearing a green sweater that signified he could engage in some contact. After doing some work in battle drills, he said he felt good. But neither Koivu nor Yeo would say whether Koivu would play in Columbus tomorrow, though he will travel with the team.

The return of Mikko to the lineup is coming; however, there has been a lot of speculation as to where he slots in. Does Yeo break up the trio of Johnson - Brodziak - Heatley, or does he continue to let that line roll and slot Mikko in on a line with some combination of Cullen, Clutterbuck, and Setoguchi? Make the jump, and we'll dig deeper into the International Man of Finnish Mystery.

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Nate Prosser should be the happiest man alive now.

The Elk River native recently signed a two-year extension on a one-way contract, solidifying his place with the Minnesota Wild.

Not only that but now he can find a permanent place, and is expecting his first child.

Although this is Prospect Tuesdays, this extension is sort of a graduation for Prosser, becoming a Wild prospect to a Wild player.

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Let me start off by wishing a very happy birthday to my father. Happy birthday, old man.

Now, onto hockey.

No lectures today. Just some programming notes. We will be having some discussions on the trade deadline starting up eventually. We're in no hurry, so long as you aren't. We'll look at the deadline from all kinds of perspectives. If there are players you would like looked at, ideas you have for the Wild, or just thoughts about the deadline you might like expounded on, let us know.

Looks like another repulsive day of sun and warmer than normal temps here in the Twin Cities. Ridiculous. I hope it's 40 below in August.

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A week into the "second half" of the season, the Wild have three of the possible six points available to kick of the stretch. The team is playing better, even if they are still having a few lapses in brain power from time to time. The level of buy-in to Mike Yeo's system seems to ebb and flow with every game, with the valleys being much lower than the peaks are high.

There are rumblings that Mikko Koivu may be angling for a return, but our guess is that doesn't happen anytime soon. He has yet to be cleared for contact and with some chippy hockey to be had this week, there is no need to rush him back into the lineup just to see him hurt again.

The season is winding down at this point. Reality has set in, and the grind is on. The next few weeks will decide if this is a playoff team or just another also ran. It all happens one game at a time, and we look at it a week at time.

After the jump.

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Breaking news: From Russo, via Twitter - Nate Prosser is signed to a two year, one way deal. Message to the rest of the defensive corps... sent.

Looking at my calendar, the trade deadline is about three weeks away. Plenty of time to get so worked up into a fervor that we can't, as a group, collectively think our way out of a wet paper bag. A couple of reminders: sites like Hockey Buzz and "NHL Sources Say," as well as HF Boards and other places are NOT legitimate news sources. Of the three, HF Boards can garner some useful information, and is a vibrant (and for the most part unregulated) community, with some good people, but do not buy into the trade rumors there.

This is simply a warning that comments that begin with "Well, Hockey Buzz says..." with be met with mockery and sarcasm at such a level that it may break your computer.

We apologize in advance to anyone who may be offended by this warning. However, if you buy into to the moronic rumor mongering with zero basis in fact whatsoever, we have zero place to begin a conversation. Beware the people who say "I heard from a source with the team," or claim to have information they should not have. NHL GMs play information very close to their chest.

Even people in the highest levels of the administration do not have the information these sites claim to have. So, unless you read it from a source you know has it from a GM or assistant GM, I wouldn't buy it for a handful of sand.

Moving on.

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Happy Superbowl Sunday, all. Since none of you will be around for anything, Hockey Wilderness will be radio silent today, barring any news. Enjoy the game. Or the commercials. I will be enjoying a nice steak and writing for school. Yep, I'm living the good life. Friday night at 11PM, I was doing my taxes. During the Superbowl, I'll be doing schoolwork.

Living the dream.

Oh, and can we please kill the idea that Jeff Carter is a good trade for the Wild to make? Please? Eleven years left on his contract, under performing, locker room issue... why would the Wild want that? Why? Let it go, folks. ELEVEN YEARS?!? No.

So, enjoy the day. Be safe.

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