Minnesota Wild (16-7-3) vs Anaheim Ducks (7-13-5)
Honda Center @ 7:00PM CDTTelevision: FSN
Listen Live at: KFAN (100.3) or Wild.com
For the Anaheim perspective, check out Anaheim Calling
Minnesota Wild | Anaheim Ducks |
Devin Setoguchi - Mikko Koivu - Dany Heatley Matt Hackett | Bobby Ryan - Ryan Getzlaf - Corey Perry Toni Lydman - Cam Fowler Jonas Hiller |
The Ducks are the same team the Wild have thus far split with this season. They do, however, have a shiny new coach with a penchant for cussing. Yes, oh he of 66 hours of unemployment, Bruce Boudreau is now behind the bench, and will likely have a strong impact on this Ducks squad. Under perform much, Ducks? So many teams would kill for just one player on that top line, and they wanted to trade on of them?
Sick.
The Ducks are looking to get something started, and they already beat up on the Wild once this year. The task will not be easy to keep that top line shut down, but if the Wild can do so, the chances of winning this become infinitely better. How do they do that? Well, if we had that answer, we would be making way more money than we do now.
The Wild have, as noted in so many other places, bought in. They play the system, they win more than they lose. They get away from it, they lose. After a craptastic week of travel, will the Wild have the legs to get out there and take it to a team they cannot fall behind to?
Josh Harding starts, sounds like Hackett to back up while Niklas Backstrom rests and heals from a "tweaked" groin. Huge test starts tonight. So many road games, so little time. Would make things that much easier to start it off with a win.
Enjoy the game.
Five Questions:
- Same question as always: Can they shut down the top line of the Ducks?
- Who steps up for the Wild?
- Can Harding carry the team while Backstrom sits?
- Is tonight the night Heatley finds the net?
- Any chance there is a contract extension to announce tonight?