Ice Hockey: Minnesota Wild

crayon you seem to be a huge wild fan. How are they doing this season?

[Edited on 2/12/2004 by Ben]

Yes, yes I am. Let me give a little background though. I grew up in KCMO (thus the Chiefs fan in me) and we did not have an NHL team. Didn't really have preference to a team yet.

I moved to the Twin Cities after college. Once again, no NHL team. So I started rooting for Colorado sometime during college. The year everybody said the Red Wings were going to sweep the Avs. The Avs won in 7.

Then a little over 4 years ago, the NHL announced the Twin Cities would get a new NHL team. From that day, I was a Wild fan. Win or lose, I just have to watch the game.

As far as their current season, well they have problems. Their D is not as good as it was last year. Marian Gaborik really hurt himself with his holdout. And there is something wrong with Fernandez. Not sure what, but he is definately not in his zone.

The playoffs are only 3 or 4 points away. But as the games dwindle, those few points get further and further from reach.

how are the wild during this season?

They are 11th in the West, and out of a playoff spot by 7 points. Ick, those ties are really starting to hurt them.

They need to shoot more and crash the net. There is rarely anybody in front of the net. Its annoying. Works for everybody else, why not the Wild?

how is heatly doing back in the lineup?

Hmm, don't look at the Thrashers stats that much, but here is how Heatly is doing so far:
2 Games, Avg 21 shifts/game, 21:12 ice time/game. Total of 6 shots, and 0 points.

He is playing a lot, but like all players that are unable to practice, he needs to get his hands back. I don't see him doing much this year, he will help the team, but he will not start putting up the points. Next year, that will be the deciding year.

its good to see him back ahead of schedule. Its a good thing also that his teammates are behind him especially with everything that happened in the off-season with the driving incident.

Yeah. And the fans gave him a hearty welcome back as well. I think because Snyder's family forgave him, so did everybody else.

Which in itself is pretty cool. Heatly still has to live with it the rest of his life. At least he does not have to get harrassed about it all the time.

yea good point, but is he still going to court for that?

Hmm, can't find anything really, other than this a few days after it happened:

"If the family says that they do not want to press charges, and if there are no drugs or alcohol involved, there's a good chance that the state will not prosecute or that they will work out some sort of plea agreement," Camilla Watson, a criminal law professor at the University of Georgia, said Monday.

So I don't think Heatly is going to be missing any games due to legal issues with the accident.

Sounds like the only reason he isnt going to court is because of the family. Good thing that they dont want to press charges. If he does go, maybe the worse thing that can happen is the community service.

Feb. 12 - The Rangers, who are dealing with struggling goaltender Mike Dunham, are interested in trading for Fernandez, indicates the St. Paul Pioner Press. With Dwayne Roloson emerging as Minnesota's No. 1 goaltender, the Wild could use Fernandez to acquire a top draft choice or a promising young player.

woah that is something else, as a wild fan crayon what do you think of this

Draft pick would be good. But that wont help the Wild score goals this season.

I really don't see anyone currently on the Rangers roster that would help much right now.

So probably a draft pick.

they dont have a goal scorer that the wild wnats?

The Rangers are actually a very old team, the first guy on their points list that is younger than 30 is Jan Hlavac, and he is 27, with G:4 A:12 +/-: -9.

So not really no. And the Wild will not spend a lot of cash for someone right now. They didn't for Gaborik, so I don't see them doing it for a 30+ year old.

true, so do you think the trade will go through

Its possible they really dont need him that much anymore.

Wild won big last night winning 3-0. They look good this year, hopefully they will amke the playoffs.

5 Points out. Less than 25 games, and the teams around them have around 2 more games to play each. The Wild need to be in a solid lead to survive.

I am hoping they move Manny sooner than later. And they get someone that can help in the scoring arena and give them a nice nudge to the playoffs. And someone that is going to be around in a few years.