Have you ever woke up in the morning and had your mind immediately go to the feeling that something very bad had happened the night before? Yeah… that’s how I felt today. I’ve had a feeling like this before… sometimes it is about hockey, but sometimes it's about the $300 receipt on my nightstand from a misguided night at Buffalo Wild Wings. This doesn’t happen often any longer, though… personal growth and advancing age. Since the night produced no overwhelming receipts, my feeling of dread must have
This overall sequence of events invigorated my hockey soul and inspired me to submit this to you all for your consideration as Wild fans…
Four Rants (Losing Thoughts)
Perhaps some of the dozens of readers of my column feel like I do… Ryan Hartman is becoming quite tiring and questioning what he really does for the Wild that we could possibly construe as positive. I have no concrete evidence that John Hynes is not a fan, but what the coach does give away through his limited body language, placement of players on lines, and secrets written on loose-leaf paper in his Trapper Keeper, Hynes probably feels the way that I do about Hartman… he needs to go. The foolishness of his play on Tim Stutzle in Ottawa is perhaps the biggest display of boneheadedness we have seen from him and a far cry from his days of top-line production and the flipping off of Evander Kane. His ice time per game is the lowest they have been since his first year with the Wild (2019-20), and I can’t help but believe they will be trending downward as the rest of the season progresses. I wonder if there is a taker for Hartman out there? If anyone could pull off getting him traded, it is Bill Guerin, but this is the same Bill Guerin that recently resigned Ryan for three years, marking one of the few Guerin-based decisions that has missed the mark entirely. Did I mention Hartman has a team-worst -8 +/-?
If the season were to end today, there would be one team in the playoff field that had posted a losing record at home… the Minnesota Wild. I am sure this is no real surprise to any of you, as our home game woes are well documented, but this is beginning to get scary. If the play and overall lack of success of the Wild at home remain for the remainder of the season, what type of playoff team will we be when things tighten up (both on the ice and for the players) and the Wild are greeted with a playoff atmosphere during road games. Winning on the road during the regular season is one thing, but dominating like we have thus far carrying over to the playoffs is another. So long story short… not getting things figured out at the Xcel Energy Center soon translated to a quick playoff exit, or infinitely worse sitting at home in late April for the second straight campaign.
Senators’ goalie Leevi Merilainen has the potential to be very good, and the Wild didn’t just catch him on a night when he was on. Granted, the Wild didn’t make his evening especially hard, but Leevi is sitting with an 8-3-1 record, three shutouts, 1.99 GGA, and a .925 SV% in limited action this season. It appears Ottawa has a winner, even if there is a bit of a log jam in goal for the Senators. I have a feeling his 22-year-old will continue to impress and find more time in net going forward.
Marco Rossi looked disinterested during the game in Ottawa. I am hoping that was just because the team was playing their third game in four days (all on the road), but rumblings about his discontent with being in Minnesota seem to pop up intermittently. Admittedly, Rossi is hard to read from afar, and I have no concrete evidence that his discontent is real, but I believe that it would be hard for any player who has contributed the way he has this season sitting with an expiring contract, all while others around him have been rewarded with lucrative long-term deals, to not have a feeling of angst creep in…
Jacob Middleton’s Eternal Search For Hockey Excellence
Nothing notable to address here as Middleton’s standing in the Inner Circle of Minnesota Hockey Excellence and Trustworthiness remains mostly unchanged. Mostly… as we did lose, but I can’t pin much of the final result in Ottawa on him. I just might act like I didn’t see him in line for his morning coffee and laugh extra loud at someone else’s joke when he is in earshot…
Results Of Five Predictions (2/1/25 v. Ottawa Senators)
Prediction #1: The Wild win their fourth straight on this road trip by defeating Ottawa.
Result: Wrong… I guess I should have known better since the Wild were playing for the third time in four nights and were on the road.
Prediction #2: Liam Ohgren adds a point to his season total v. the Senators.
Result: Wrong… The Wild would have at least needed to score a goal for this to even have a chance to come true.
Prediction #3: Jon Merrill makes it back to an even +/-.
Result: Wrong… Jon was a -1 against the Senators… and again we would have had to score a goal for Merrill to get back to even.
Prediction #4 (The Give-Me): The Ottawa Senators will continue to have one of the most boring logo/jersey combos in the NHL.
Result… Correct… The Senators logo/jersey are so damn ugly, and great play can’t hide this fact. Despite dominating the Wild the entire game I still was surprised the next morning when I reviewed the box score because their excellent play was masked due to the hideous decisions of the powers that be in Ottawa.
Prediction #5: One of my all-time least favorite hockey players ever, Brady Tkachuk, goes scoreless and remains an all-around imbecile.
Result… Wrong… I still got the imbecile part right, but Tkachuk scored a goal and had an assist and pretty much dominated the entire night. I am sad to announce that I will have a difficult time cheering for the United States in the 4 Nations Face-Off due to Brady’s inclusion on the squad… but I will fight through it. I have so much courage.
Wow… 1-4… this is a low point. A gross and disgusting low point. I’m not answering the phone when the United Federation of Hockey Predictors calls, and I’m well aware they aren’t calling to congratulate me. I am sure they want to tell me to return my Predicting Federation badge and give back my federation-issued crystal ball. Can you guys just give me another chance? Now sitting at 34-31, I just need to pull myself up by my bootstraps and start making better predictions. Good predicting is the American Dream.
Upcoming Five Prediction (2/4/25 v. Boston Bruins)
Prediction #1: The two days rest helps the Wild come back better rested for a road win in Boston.
Prediction #2: The Wild scores a power play goal in the game.
Prediction #3: Mats Zuccarello and Marco Rossi both score a point in the game.
Prediction #4 (The Give-Me): Jon Merrill does not surprise the world with a hat trick.
Prediction #5: Marcus Foligno has at least an even +/- night.
Non-Hockey Announcement For General Entertainment
The NFL Pro Bowl Game has now passed the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics Breakdancing Competition as the stupidest sporting event ever. Obviously, the old Superstars competition is far and away the best.