Foster breaks leg, undergoes surgery, out for the season; Wild loses 4-3 to San Jose in shootout
Posted on March 20th, 2008 – 1:29 AMBy Michael Russo
Just wrote these for the web site. Posting here if it doesn’t get on till morning. First is the Foster story, below is the gamer. FYI, unedited and written quickly because I have a 4 a.m. wakeup call.
By Michael Russo
SAN JOSE, CALIF. - Wild defenseman Kurtis Foster underwent season-ending surgery at a San Jose hospital late Wednesday night after breaking his left leg during the second period of the Wild’s 4-3 shootout loss to the Sharks.
Foster suffered a displaced fracture to his left femur and was going to have a steel rod inserted to stabilize the leg, director of hockey operations Chris Snow said.
Assistant GM Tom Lynn said Thursday morning a timetable for Foster’s recovery won’t be known for a few weeks.
It’s a devastating injury for the 26-year-old, third-year Wild blue-liner who had just started picking up big minutes and playing solid hockey.
“I thought he was playing great,” coach Jacques Lemaire said. “He was playing his best hockey. It’s a big loss.”
In fact, the injury came shortly after Foster made a terrific, heads-up play to set up a Wild tying goal 49 seconds into the second period. Foster passed up a shot, instead executing a perfect slap pass to Stephane Veilleux for the winger’s 11th goal.
But four minutes later, Foster tried to chase down a Christian Ehrhoff dump-in behind his own net.
As Foster passed the goal line, he was hit from behind by an oncoming Torrey Mitchell and slammed headfirst into the lower part of the end boards at full-speed.
“It’s just one of those things that tell you that there should be automatic icing,” Sharks coach Ron Wilson said. “I guess that’s a play where the fans want to see a big car wreck like that.”
Mitchell, immediately realizing the severity of the situation, showed concern toward Foster.
“We both fell, so I don’t know if I lost an edge first or he lost an edge first,” Mitchell said. “I was coming in with a lot of speed and so was he. We collided. It wasn’t intentional. I asked him if he was OK when it was over and he said no. … I would never want to hurt anyone.”
Trainer Don Fuller raced out to aid Foster, who was crouched on his side in pain. After a few minutes, paramedics were called out with Fuller, assistant athletic trainer Mike Vogt, four Wild teammates and Sharks veteran Jeremy Roenick assisting.
“It was not fun,” Roenick said of the scene. “You never like to see things like that happen. You don’t wish injuries on anybody. The kid, he showed a lot of guts to go into the corner after that puck at that kind of speed. It seemed like he was in a lot of pain. But he held himself pretty good.
“I hope he’s OK. I wanted to go over to show my appreciation for his toughness.”
In visible agony as his leg was put into a splint and he was placed on a backboard, Foster was taken off on a stretcher after a 12-minute delay. Mitchell was assessed a two-minute minor for tripping, but the Wild went into an emotional lull immediately after.
“It was tough,” said Mikko Koivu, Foster’s closest friend on the Wild. “It made it a little bit better when I asked him how he was and he said it hurts. At first I thought he couldn’t move. But he felt the pain and I think that’s a good sign.
“We know he’s going to get better. At first, you get scared, you know? It’s going to be a long rehab for him, but still, you have to be happy. He went hard along the boards. It was tough to get going after.”
The Wild had to play the final 35 minutes with five defensemen. The injury is significant. Petteri Nummelin’s out with a groin injury, and Lemaire has shown little faith in veterans Keith Carney and Sean Hill all season.
They’ve either been healthy scratches or seen limited minutes.
“I will have to go sit down and look what’s left,” Lemaire said. “We have to call somebody up. We have to.”
Candidates at AHL Houston are defensemen Clayton Stoner, Erik Reitz and Shawn Belle.
————————————————————-
By Michael Russo
SAN JOSE, CALIF. - In a game marred by a season-ending injury to defenseman Kurtis Foster, the Wild stole a point from the hottest team in hockey Wednesday night.
Marian Gaborik twice rallied the Wild back from a one-goal, third-period deficit, the last coming on a power play with 28.7 seconds left in regulation, before the Wild once again succumbed in the shootout to the San Jose Sharks, 4-3.
With the Wild trailing 2-1 with 39 seconds left, Sharks defenseman Chris Ehrhoff was called for hooking Gaborik behind the Sharks’ net. The penalty gave the Wild a 6-on-4 because goalie Niklas Backstrom had been pulled for an extra attacker.
Mikko Koivu, 16 of 26 on faceoffs, won the draw cleanly, the Wild worked the puck around and Gaborik one-timed Brian Rolston’s pass from the point for the tying score, his 38th goal, which tied his career-high.
The goal came after Joe Pavelski gave San Jose, 13-0-1 in its past 14 and without a regulation loss since Feb. 20, a 2-1 lead with 2:02 left.
“It was a good point,” said Gaborik. “I don’t know how many times we’ve been scored on late this year, so to tie it late, it’s a huge point. But too bad, shootouts lately don’t work well for us. But it was important to get a point out of here.”
The Wild, which has lost four shootouts in his last six games, fell to 3-7 this season in shootouts with Backstrom, the worst goalie in shootout history, falling to 1-6. Pavelski and Jeremy Roenick beat Backstrom. Brent Burns scored for the Wild, but Gaborik and Koivu missed. After going 12 for 21 in his first two seasons in shootouts, Koivu is 1 for 7 this season.
During overtime, FSN North’s Kevin Gorg reported that equipment trainers went to get backup Josh Harding’s mask and glove, speculating that perhaps the coaches were contemplating pulling Backstrom if it got to a shootout.
Lemaire denied that, saying, “We felt he played good enough. He deserved to be there.”
“It’s getting kind of frustrating to lose on shootouts,” Koivu said. “It’s an extra point. We need the extra bounce in the shootout or a lucky one or something. But they’re the second-best team in the whole league right now, so even one point on the road is good.
“And the way we played is something we have to be satisfied with.”
The point gives the Northwest Division-leading Wild 87, pushing Minnesota three points ahead of idle Vancouver, Calgary and Colorado.
Foster sustained a broken left leg early in the second period. He was scheduled to undergo season-ending surgery late Wednesday night at a San Jose hospital. The injury forced the Wild to play with five defensemen for the final 35-plus minutes and overtime.
Defenseman Kim Johnsson played a season-high 30 minutes, 2 seconds.
“You look at a guy like Johnsson,” coach Jacques Lemaire said. “He made a few mistakes at the end because he played too much. I mean, he played 18 minutes after two periods. It was kind of tough. I thought the guys battled hard.”
On the go-ahead goal, defenseman Martin Skoula’s attempted pass to Johnsson was deflected by Milan Michalek. Michalek put the puck out front for Pavelski’s goal.
This after Gaborik one-timed Brent Burns’ pass earlier in the period to tie the score at 2-2. Burns had drawn a cross-checking penalty from Joe Thornton to put the Wild on the power play.
The Sharks took a 1-0 lead into the second because they capitalized on their one odd-man rush and the Wild couldn’t on its two.
Gaborik pick-pocketed defenseman Brian Campbell in the neutral zone for a breakaway, but Evgeni Nabokov kicked out his right pad to deny Gaborik’s wrist shot.
Later, Pavol Demitra and Gaborik took off on a 2-on-1 shorthanded rush, but defenseman Matt Carle cut off any chance of the pass and Nabokov stopped Demitra’s shot.
But with about two minutes left, Skoula lost the puck at the offensive blue line, then fell down when Patrick Marleau tripped him up.
There was no call - something that infuriated Lemaire. That triggered a 3-on-1 with Hill the only Wild player back. It ended with a perfectly-executed tic-tac-toe from Curtis Brown-to-Marleau-to-Roenick to beat Backstrom.
The period also included Derek Boogaard opening up San Jose’s Jody Shelley’s right cheek like a can of tomato paste. It was Boogaard’s first fight since Nov. 23 when he dropped the gloves with a Columbus Blue Jacket named … Jody Shelley.
But Foster made a great slap pass to set up Stephane Veilleux’s tying goal to open the second before Curtis Brown gave San Jose a one-goal lead again.
The Wild is winless in seven games against the Sharks since Oct. 21, 2006. The Wild’s final eight games will be against Northwest Division foes, with the first of three road games coming Friday in Vancouver.
90 Responses to "Foster breaks leg, undergoes surgery, out for the season; Wild loses 4-3 to San Jose in shootout"
I pray for a successful surgery a speedy and full recovery for one of the Wild’s best defenseman. Tough injury for the Wild to have happen now but I feel the remaining defensemen will step up and fill the skates of Foster. Get better the Wild are going to need to slap-shot next season.
Very good coverage Russo thanks for the fast update. Wish him the best from the fans
Jody Shelley is one of Boogaard’s favorite victims. He just doesn’t get it that he’ll never be able to beat Boogaard.
Foster’s injury and how it occurred is scary. Why wasn’t Torry Mitchell (San Jose center who crushed Foster into the boards) given a major for Deliberate Attempt to Injure?
‘Night…
Pretty entertaining game, aside from the Foster play which happened on the opposite end of the ice from me, but looked just awful. They didn’t show any replays on the screen so I can’t really say anything about it. Both were going in hard and Mitchell has some pretty good wheel on him, Foster went down. Slammed hard! Ouch.
I’ve got more things to say about the game and Wild, but maybe tomorrow. Now it’s time for bed.
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So is Friday’s game on TV or not? Does it depend on how the Gophers do tonight?
Burns is what, 3 for 3 in the shootout? Nice move to shift his body around the way he did. Goalie had to be thinking the way he swung wide that he was going to maybe try a spin-o-rama. Then, he turns around so he’s gliding backwards, goalie has to think the shot is coming as he moved the puck to his forehand. Then, he cuts back the other way. Goalie must’ve been thinking he wasn’t ever going to shoot at that point. Gaborik thought it looked good, he tried something kinda similar - in hard, slow up and change direction.
What’s with Koivu in the shootout this year. Last year, straight in, forehand, backhand, goal. He doesn’t seem to be using it this year. I wonder if Backstrom and Harding have solved that in practice so maybe he’s lost confidence in it.
I believe that both Friday and Saturday’s games are on Channel 45.
VoR, it’s on the NHL Channel, I’m not sure about any other channels.
So is Friday’s game on TV or not? Does it depend on how the Gophers do tonight?
I’m hoping it’s on TV. Not that I’ll watch, but I’d rather see SCSU play CC tomorrow. 
I seem to remember that it was picked up regardless of how the rodents do. Wild.com has it on KSTC.
Skoula was a minus 3 last night and Foster broke his leg…why couldn’t it have been Skoula.
Burns missed against Brodeur. So, 3 for 4?
But still, he’s money.
And with K-Fos out, JL better play Nummi some more so we can turn these SOLs into Wins.
Please do NOT call up Shawn Belle. There has to be a better option in Houston then Very Bad Marty’s younger brother with the deer in the headlights stare. I went to bed so I will be watching the game after work today. Gotta love DVR. Here’s to a speedy, healthy, easy recovery for Foster.
So Gorg actually had a good thought on hoping that JL would pull Backstrom and insert Harding to give us a shootout chance. Wish he would try it. Backstrom has to know he isn’t good and it has be more of a confidence breaker to keep letting his team down by losing them then to get pulled to give them a chance. Just my opinion though.
Voice of Reason-if Backstrom can’t stop the opposing teams pucks in the shootout, it won’t matter how many we score. I think they need to make him practice those big time whether JL likes shootouts or not.
If Nummi’s groinerik isn’t going to let him play soon, I think Reitz would be called up as an extra D-man.
kgopher - at least that extra SOG gives Backstrom another chance at getting the W.
Friday night’s game was added to the Wild TV schedule after Versus chose the Wild-Capitals game to show on Feb. 26th.
It is also on the NHL Network in the US and on Rogers SportsNet Pacific in HD. Cannot tell you if the game will be in HD on NHL Network; will not be in HD on KSTC 45.
Didn’t see the game last night, only the highlights. I’m undecided about the Foster injury after watching it several times. It didn’t necessarily look dirty to me. It just looked like a typical hockey play with two guys going in hard for the puck. What does everyone else think?
I’d like to see more of Gabby up high on the power play a la Kovalchuk, like on his 2nd goal, the 6 on 4. It looks like he has a pretty good slapshot, and I hope he starts to use it more. Not as much as Rolston, but more. Maybe with Foster out, he’ll play the point more. That might break up a little of the monotony and predictability that’s plagued the power play recently.
I wish Foster a speedy recovery. It hurt like hell to watch and you could see how much pain he was in when they rolled him over. Foster sure does have some bad luck. Pucks to the throat and eyes and now this.
In regards to the game, I was happy to get the point out of there and score a goal late in the game to tie it up. In OT we were lucky not to lose PMB as he got crushed. I was happy to see him get up.
In regards to Friday nights game, it will be in HD on NHL Network. They will use the Rogers SportsNet Pacific feed, so you will have their announcers. Hopefully it will be available in the metro area. I know that it was earlier this year when they played DTW and the game was being shown locally.
There are Aeros fans saying that Reitz has an undisclosed injury; so its either Belle or Stoner imo.
I will be cheering for 2 pt games tonight with the Avs and Grease winning.
To me it looked like Mitchell pushed Foster as they were approaching the boards. Whether he was losing an edge or trying to get one, is irrelevant.
You DO NOT play the body in that situation. That is how you get hurt, not from fan bloodlust like Ronnie Wilson thinks. What a lousy thing to say.
It was a pretty good effort.
Burns is pushing for ‘all world’ right now!
A few months back, we were trying to identify ‘go to’ guys. I am leaning toward adding Gaborik to that list. After he got the ‘C’ he looked like it was weighing him down. Now he is looking more and more like a leader.
Friday’s game is on NHL Network.
Sharks should have gotten a call for tripping Skoula before the first goal.
Attempt to injure is too much, but if the hit on Foster didn’t deserve 5 minutes for checking from behind (which can not be a minor penalty), what does?
I had a Saltar 3 fracture of my Femur in High School during a hockey game. And Let me tell you, breaking your Femur is about the most painful thing in the world. My Fracture was at the bottom of the bone, and I only had two screws inserted to realign and steady the fracture. Seems like #26 has it much more serious with a rod being inserted. I was on crutches for about 9 weeks, and had a solid 3 months of excrutiating rehab.
It seems to me Kurtis Foster is one of the most unlucky players when it comes to injuries. Nicest guy, but the darnest things seem to happen to him. Pucks in the throat, deflections to his face, then this BUSH LEAGUE push from behind.
I think someone touched on it, but what a no-class thoughtless act. Yes, some of the Sharks players did show class by acknowledging the injury and showing concern, but seriously, the league needs to protect it’s assets, and one of these times a play like that will lead to paralysis, or even worse. I think Fosters life was saved by the fact he was turning, otherwise it would have been head first, and who knows how bad it would have been.
Now comparing the way Mitchell shoved Foster to, say the way Rolston, or another Wild player moves toward a player with his back to him, I can see how Rolston uses his hands (bear hug as it’s referred to by many here) to keep the opposing player upright. That is the right way to play that. It’s about repsect, and showing that your aren’t aout out there to paralyze somebody by “finishing your check.”
I’m all for the physical play, but every single person who’s ever played hockey knows that even the smallest shove to a players hips when he’s turning will knock him off balance. So when you decide to do it while the player is skating with his back to you, it’s bush league and dangerous.
Dave…I guess that’s my take on it.
Thanks, kj and Lapper. I never played organized hockey, just pickup games on playground rinks (”hard puck, no raise”), so I can’t speak with any first-hand knowledge. I’ll have to watch the play a few more times with those things in mind.
Is anybody else having trouble with the Strib site? It sucks today.
Is Nummelin’s groin injury legit? or is that just was is being said while he is being scratched?
We could certainly use him right now in these Shoot Outs!
Hoping KF heals quickly and 100%
Selfish hope that Stoner gets the call up. Big fan of his and have been hoping he would make the jump up one of these years, not at the expense of an injury but at this point I’d stil be pleased to see him join the club.
Have to admit I felt so sorry for Fozzie that when he yelled when they put him on the back board to lift him I cried. Overly girly I know but that kind of pain gets to me. Guess he’s getting married on crutches this summer, or at least he’ll need a cane by then.
I had such high hopes for Sean Hill when they signed him. G* warned me, but I didn’t listen. I can’t believe it’s come to this, that JL is trying to decide which prospect to call up from Houston so he isn’t faced with the prospect of having to play him. What a bust.
Huge blow to the Wild. Foster has really picked it up lately and been much more consistent even contributing on offense with his huge shot.
This is my take on the play, Mitchell sort of just gave Foster a shove to let him know, OK you beat me and I’m not happy about it. 99 times of 100 all that would usually happen is that Foster will slam into the boards hard and walk away. This time however Foster fell before he hit the boards and the rest is history.
I don’t think Mitchell’s intent was to injure but the chance of injury is always there especially on a play like that. It was a reckless play that IMO should be reviewed and a suspension should be handed out. It did happen in a “hockey move” but the play was essentially over and there was absolutely no need for the player contact. We will see if Campbell agees.
I’ve never broken a leg, but I have broken my arm (radius) in a similar way to Fozzie’s leg (displaced fracture requiring three pins to set the bone).
It hurt like hell, like no other pain I’ve ever felt (sidenote: my wife says that I have no right to complain until I give birth), and I had to repeatedly beg for something for the pain.
So yeah, I could really feel for him when I saw that look on his face.
Unlike RM, who last night claimed the hit was good old-fashioned hockey (apparently an aficionado of the Hanson Brothers), this was not old-fashioned hockey; you don’t check or “shove” someone in the back when going full speed into the boards. Old-fashioned hard-hitting hockey is Burns contending with Forsberg and Thornton or the hits on Grier and Butch. Lots of nice checks last night; but not Mitchell’s on Foster.
Dave, I think it’s Hill’s and Carney’s liability comes from their inability to skate with the best in the Western Conference, and JL can really only afford to have one stone-footed defenseman dressed on any given evening.
I think Carney’s got a lot of great tricks up his sleeve, so I’d rather see him than Hill.
Lapper, I understand what you are trying to say but the “bearhug” Rolston does is the opposite extreme from last night. We don’t need either of those plays in hockey. They are both equally dangerous….on opposite ends of the spectrum.
I’ll throw in my 2 cents, I bet if Mitchell does that to Niederlanne or Pronger or Phaneuf and that result happens he’d get probably 8 games, but I’m going to go out on a limb and say that result wouldn’t happen to any of those three or many other NHL defensemen.
That just stinks for Foster. I still don’t think you will see much in the way of supplemental discipline from Campbell and I don’t have a huge problem with that. But it still stinks for Kurtis.
Big point, and I agree with kj that Gaby may have adjusted to the yoke of the C and is starting to look like a gamer again.
If we are only talking about single digit minutes, then I too would like to see Nummy from here on out. Won’t be much worse than Carney/Hill if he scores in a shootout for us.
PS I am typing on my cellphone and it sucks!
VoR, Carney is 100 times better than Old man Hill IMO. I can’t stand it when Hill is out there. Plus last night he waas out there with Skoula… and that is a recipie for disaster (as we saw). I still place the blame on the 3 on 1 mostly on the shoulders of Benny’s bad pass. If Skoula wouldn’t have been pulled out of position by the pass, the 3 on 1 wouldn’t have developed.
How is Bouchard doing after getting smoked in the 3rd period?
As I said before, I think a deliberate attempt to injure penalty should have been called on Mitchell. To do something like that, and I really don’t care how in the world you sugar-coat it, is reprehensible and heinous. Mitchell will probably not be suspended more than a game or two, if at all, due to the fact that the player injured is not a ‘Bettman boy’ superstar type of player. Foster is a blue-collar, 5th defenseman who has improved his game and has actually increased his worth throughout the season.
Who’s attending to the wheelchair at his wedding this summer?
The NHL is a joke when it comes to enforcing its rules.
This blogg is driving me crazy today, please fix!
WRT, I wouldn’t argue that the attempt to injure should have been called, but at the very least, a 5 for checking from behind for the shove.
Hopefully Bettman and CC will take a break from kissing the a$$es of their “stars” and look at what is happening to the game because of crap like this. Mitchell deserves a few games off at least.
High ankle sprain for Reitz. He isn’t even skating right now. My guess is Stoner would get the call. Of course, I think that’s the nail in the coffin for the Aeros if it happens. *sigh*
Yeah the blog is pretty broken today. Most of my posts don’t even get through. Ugh.
Blog Bad! Fire Bad!
In OT, when the game went to a 3 on 3 for two full minutes, we threw 1 forward and 2 d dmen the whole time. When you know the Shoot-out is looming and you’ve been as terrible as the Wild have been, why don’t you throw 2 forwards out there and actually try and win the game instead of trying to not lose it?
Agreed beanco, especially when for at least 1 minute of the 3-3 we had Skoula and Johnsson out there. I would have taken 3 forwards at that time.
Isn’t it strange how last year we begged for shoot-outs and this year we are dreading them?
Haven’t seen the Foster incident. Can’t comment on how clean or dirty it was.
I’d like to discuss the icing rule. Yeah, I know some got into it yesterday. This is one area where I am in favor of giving the refs the some leeway to decide. I think that the current rule is dangerous as illustrated last night. I don’t think we need ‘automatic icing’ though.
Here’s what I propose. In the following, Team 1 is the team that shot the puck resulting in a potential icing situation. Team 2 is the team which currently must touch the puck first for icing to be called.
If the puck is shot from behind the defensive blueline (a potential icing situation) it should be whistled icing if one of the following occurs.
1) It is clear a memeber of team 2 would beat anyone from team 1 to the puck (no touch required). An example would be if the member of team 2 is at his blue line and everyone on team 1 is within their defensive zone. Clearly the defender can beat any of them to the puck.
2) If there is a foot race and there is no clear ‘winner’ by the time they players enter team 2’s defensive zone, icing shall be whistled. So, say team 2’s defenseman and a team 1 forward are at team 1’s blue line. The puck is shot the length of the ice. They both take off. If they are ‘neck and neck’ at team 2’s blue line, icing would be whistled. If one of the players had shot ahead and would clearly win the race, if it is team 1’s forward - no icing. If it is team 2’s defender - icing.
These rules would eliminate the players from skating full speed directly at the boards. In the first example, no speed is necessary. In the second, if it looks like the players would be put in a dangerous situation if they proceed, the icing whistle would stop it. In the second, if team 1’s forward is way ahead, they wouldn’t skate directly at the boards because that wouldn’t give them any offensive options. They’d naturally approach at an angle to pick up the puck.
Thoughts? Comments?
A week or two ago, I suggested the team spend an entire practice on shootouts with Backs. Now, I have a better idea.
Let’s pull the goalie during the shootout for the extra attacker…
That makes no sense Bnag. The league would never allow that.
Colt45 didn’t quite get it. As Mork once said ‘Humor, ork, ork!’
If an Aero gets the call today the player will miss the Bikini Contest tonight for 2008-2009 Ms. Aero! My money is on Stoner (as the player, not Ms. Aero)
Bring back the cowboy! Better than the odd ordering of messages which reduces the ability to have a conversation and then today’s problem where I couldn’t get the blog to open. Sounds like Stoner coming up. Can’t imagine JL will have too much confidence in him but I suppose he will get a shot at some point. Any idea if Nummi’s groin is close to being ready?
For all the ranting on Skoula, Benny’s pass didn’t help and it did look like a trip but didn’t see the replay often enough to know for sure. But on goals 2 and 3, Backs has to get those.
It’s called sarcasm The Cat. It’s called sarcasm.
I thought I’d enlist before I got drafted.
Ah son, there ain’t no draft anymore.
There was one?
Hmmm, now I understand.
Stripes, very nice Colt45! My bad. Carry on!
TSN’s Darren Deger on the Foster incident and no touch icing:
In the aftermath, immediate reaction from the hockey world has been broad, with one NHL coach alleging Mitchell preys on the vulnerable.
This veteran coach thinks Mitchell should be suspended, as he believes a message needs to be delivered that battling for the puck is a fundamental of the game, but all battles must be fought with respect, noting Torrey Mitchell merely had to pull-up to avoid this devastating hit.
It’s unlikely the NHL will consider supplemental discipline, but Colin Campbell and the leagues hockey operations department will be forced to chew on this topic in light of the physical damage incurred and because of the public appetite for the debate.
But, that’s where the argument will rest as NHL general managers recently agreed the concept of no-touch icing has been discussed enough and have decided the issue will be kept off of future agendas, at least for the next 3 years.
http://www.tsn.ca/blogs/dreger/?id=232451
woodcock,
I’d agree, Backs has to corral both of those.
Colt,
Where was the sarcasm, in sentance one or sentance two, because I didn’t really see it either. You must just be too witty for us.
It’s actually a goaltending nickname, nothing to do with you’re link, which I cannot access, so it can’t be very clean.
Great to see Boogs rip Shelley a new one. Those two are good buddies, yet Shelley always comes out on the losing end when Derek is swinging.
Good to see the team show heart and make the come back after Skoula hands the Sharks the game. I dont have the slightest idea what he wanted to accomplish with a backhander as limp as his hockey skills - but it definitely was a huge break for the Sharks.
Onto the Foster injury. Very tough break for Fosty. Right when he starts getting his cannon on net and through, something nasty like this happens. I had to watch the game from the San Jose feed, and even those announcers thought Mitchell boarded Kurtis. In watching it a few hundered times on their angles and views, it looks like Mitchell loses an edge and puts his hands up to help break the fall/missed stop - and thats what gets Fosty going hard. On purpose? I dont think so. Initially, I did think it was a solid boarding. I guess this means Nummy, Hill or Carney get regular duties.
Shootouts… Burns is 3/5 now in them - for those wondering. Backstrom couldn’t suck anymore in them. The entire time JR was coming down the ice, I knew right away it was in. He’s going to shoot, and Backstrom has the reflexes of a chunk of driftwood. He can’t stop shooters, at all. Pulling him and throwing Harding in might be the best option, when it comes down to it…. might be our only chance to take a SO victory.
If I have to explain it, then I’ll agree with ya, I’m too witty for you.
The whole concept of pulling the goalie (which can be fun if the situation presents itself)in a shootout situation is illogical and so is my response believing that you were serious and answering with a seemingly serious response, when in fact it wasn’t.
I can’t believe I explained that….
At least with Backs in the net the shooter might occasionally lose control of the puck like Marleau did last night. That keeps his stopping one of every three alive.
I agree with Adam and Ms Conduct, Clayton Stoner would likely be the call up if the Wild choose that route.
I’m not sure he is an upgrade to Hill, Carney or Nummelin though. Those three guys have been practicing with the Wild all year. Stoner is pretty green yet.
And like Ms Conduct said, that call up would likely end any legitimate playoff hopes for the Aeros.
You know who isn’t getting any mention is Brandon Rogers. Reitz is injured and Belle isn’t an option. I think it is between Rogers and Stoner.
I think Rogers is a bit better at moving the puck but Stoner is a bit better physically.
AiH - hope you get to see the SCSU v. Gophers game tonight - here’s hoping for a good one but I would rather not see it go to OT!
AiH - does Stoner or Rogers have anything close to an above average shot?
I’ll be taping the SCSU game, I’ll watch it when I get home from the Aeros.
Above average shot? Neither have a heavy shot like Foster if that is what you are asking?
Cool - you wouldn’t want to miss Miss Aero get her crown even to see what should be another memorable Final 5 showdown live. Yep, Foster’s shot is going to be missed. Unlikely that Stoner or Rogers could come in and help the PP significantly even if they did have big shots. However, having another slapper on the team wouldn’t hurt.
No word on the call-up yet.
I don’t know about anybody else (and I don’t know if anyone has seriously suggested it), but I think it would be a huge mistake to pull Backstrom for shootouts. I’m the first to say he’s horrible, but I’ve heard smart people say that goaltending has a lot to do with confidence. I don’t know how you could pull Backs at the end of a game and then expect him to go right back out there for the next one. If we’re really worried about shootouts, we should just go with Hards as the #1 and sit Backs. That also seems like a bad idea, though.
I’m also not sure Harding would be any better at them if he was coming into the game cold like that. Maybe, maybe not.
Suppose you do pull Backstrom and put Harding in for shootouts in the last couple of games, and suppose he wins them and we make the playoffs as a result. Do you then go to Backstrom and ask him to be The Guy again now that there are no more shootouts? This is the wrong time of year to be messing with a guy’s head like that, IMHO.
Then again, what do I know? I just watch hockey on TV.
Russo–
The TV guys said something about putting Harding in for the shootout.
How true is this? Will they consider this in the future?
I can’t imagine they would ever pull him in a shootout. First, it would blow his confidence and we are going to ride him until our season is done. Second, the backup will be cold and even with stretching wouldn’t really be ready.
I saw the game live and it was not intentional. It was a hard San Jose Style hit–they are a team that finishes their checks and play tough. And Foster is not one of our tougher guys…ever since the jaw incident–and the irony is that he got hurt AGAIN. Tough luck here. But Mitchell stopped the minute it happened.
I think San Jose will be at the SC finals this season.
Wow, it’s like you’re inside my head, woodcock.
Lemaire was asked by Russo (I think) when he met with the media and JL said that he was not going to pull Backs out. He felt that Backstrom was playing well.
Dave - I would also add that by luck or by pluck, Backs is due to get 3 stops in a row at some point. I mean, even the Washington Generals beat the Globetrotters once, didn’t they?
I just watched it again because FSN was replaying the game. While I don’t think it was a malicious hit or an intent to injure, Mitchell clearly gave him a push.
Missy, take the glasses off. You don’t finish a check from behind. I like the way the TSN article reports it–”Foster collided with Mitchell”. I suppose Pronger stumbled onto Kesler’s leg, too.
Yeah, Adam. Once. After about a thousand losses. You’re right, though. He’s due. What’s that saying about a blind squirrel and a nut? LOL.
When you look at shootout stats in general, you see that some otherwise pretty decent goalies on some good teams struggle in them. For instance:
Chris Osgood - 8 GA on 16 Shots (.500)
Ryan Miller - 12 GA on 24 Shots (.500)
Martin Biron - 10 GA on 15 shots (.333)
Cam Ward - 5 GA on 6 Shots (.167)
Even Nabokov is not that great - 18 GA on 40 shots (.550).
I think we could all agree that the key for us is to avoid the shootout.
Too bad Krusty the Clown didn’t bet on the Washington Generals that night (Adam is a big fan, he’ll know the episode). 
Afternoon snack is on the buffet
And Ryan Miller was one of the best in the league in shootouts last year.
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