As I wrote today, I’m pretty well certain the Todd Fedoruk acquisition is the beginning of the end of Branko Radivojevic in Minnesota.

Today, he’ll be a healthy scratch for the first time as a Minnesota Wild. He played 82 games last season. Remember, the Wild signed Radivojevic to essentially be Todd Fedoruk – a decent-skating grinder who will fly into the offensive zone and crash into another living being.

Radivojevic has not been that player.

Fedoruk will make his Wild debut wearing No. 17. Coincidentally, when NHL.com originally put him on the Wild’s roster, which filters onto Wild.com, Fedoruk’s number was … 92, Radivojevic’s number.  

Keith Carney will be scratched today for Kurtis Foster. Aaron Voros, a dizzy Aaron Voros after yesterday’s rollercoaster, will play. 

Postgame comments: Sorry for the delay. Afternoon games always take longer to write because since there’s no deadline, sportswriters typically don’t write, what’s called “running,” during the game. And you write, what’s called, “a live notebook,” rather than a notebook that’s pretty much written and filed before the game. So it takes longer.

Aren’t you excited about your sportswriting lesson tonight? Partial truth is, I packed up my computer and was walking out of the press box when it felt like I forgot something.

Oh yes, blogging.

Since there’s 266 comments already, I assume you all are a little up in arms about the Wild’s glorious showing this afternoon. Wild now sits ninth in the West.

I’d say the Wild is in crisis mode now. The Wild had a November swoon last year, but I don’t remember it feeling like this. The Wild is a complete shadow of what it was last month, which is frightening, because I never thought they were that good last month.

Last year, the Wild was 9-1 to start and it felt like they were a good team. This year, they started 7-0-1, and it felt like they were getting lucky.

So, now it’s a problem. Because yes, they’re completely riddled with injuries, but were they good enough anyway (notice I’ve even started referring to them by plurals)? You can tell I’m on a roll.

The Wild has lost 10 of 14. Even scarier, is there a heart?

Vancouver breaks one of their player’s legs. The Wild talk a lot of smack between games and came out with a pathetic effort Wednesday to lose.

Yesterday, Doug Risebrough picks up Todd Fedoruk. OK, it’s not exactly the biggest, heart-pumping move in the world by any stretch. But the public comments that more moves are on the horizon if players don’t step up should have been a little motivator.

And the Wild come out with a pathetic, unmotivated effort to lose to a team that had won once in its previous eight games.

The Wild gave up two power-play goals — one off another awful Martin Skoula play. The Wild goes 0 for 9 on the power play. And then the Wild gives up a shorthanded goal, one in which Brent Burns should have gotten the first and second assists.

And even-strength, was there even a threat? Brian Rolston was better tonight. He generated seven shots at least, but he shouldn’t be playing center in this system. But that’s what Mikko Koivu’s injury and Wes Walz’s resignation does to you.

Which, incidentally, is the subject of my Sunday column, which you won’t want to miss.

How about Mark Parrish tonight? This guy was like a human pinball. He looked like he broke his arm as the first period ended, then he’s back on the ice to start the second. On his first shift, he crashed head-first into the end boards. He’s on for his next shift. He took a slapshot off the leg. He’s on for his next shift.

On another note, Pavol Demitra will miss his 13th game in 15 with a groin injury tomorrow.

Kent is in Denver tonight covering Wolves-Nuggets, then flying to Nashville in the morning to cover Preds-Wild? How about that for a hard-working backup?

I will be taking a mental day away from hockey writing. Talk to you Sunday, or maybe Monday, because I can’t see the Wild practicing tomorrow unless they lose 10-zip.

Which doesn’t seem like such an impossibility.

This entry was posted on Friday, November 23rd, 2007 at 11:40 am and is filed under Game coverage. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.