Monday’s St. Paul update
Posted on April 7th, 2008 – 3:52 PMBy Kent Youngblood
Greetings. Youngblood here, in St. Paul while Mr. Russo spends an extra day gathering news in Denver. He will be filing a blog update from the Rockies in a bit.
So, here’s what was going on at the X:
1. Practice started after everybody gussied up and sat for the team photograph. Brian Rolston, with a hair cut and his stubble shaved — apparently the traditional playoff beard starts tomorrow — looked 10 years younger. Oh, and Kurtis Foster looked completely different. Actually, that’s because Foster, still recovering from his broken leg, wasn’t there. But the Wild had media relations coordinator Ryan Stanzel — who is nearly as tall as Foster himself — don some shoulder pads and Foster’s sweater and stand in for the photo; Foster’s face will be airbrushed in at a later date. Man, you should have seen Stanzel smiling.
One other photograph note: Incoming owner Craig Leipold was in the picture, but current owner Bob Naegle wasn’t. But that’s just because Naegle wasn’t in town; a chair was left empty and a picture of Naegle will be cropped in later.
2. Perhaps because of the photo shoot, the Wild looked a little out of synch to start the practice, but had worked into focus by the time it ended. A lot of time was spent scrimmaging.
3. Seems the Laperriere-Gaborik thing has calmed down, at least in the Wild locker room. Nobody was biting on that topic, at least today.
4. That didn’t stop a lot of questions about the Wild’s additional toughness, and how much it will be a factor in the playoffs. Ultimately, Jacques tired of that line and, referring to Colorado’s skill, asked this rhetorical question: ”How much are you going to need the size against Colorado? You don’t want to talk about something that won’t be a factor.”
That comment makes me wonder the chances of seeing all three Wild ”enforcers” dressed for a game. I think you’ll see two, maybe. But that would seem to provide an in for Mark Parrish, who responded to some playing time Sunday in Colorado with a goal. Lemaire, however, wasn’t tipping his hand in regards to whether all three tough guys — Boogaard, Simon and Fedoruk — will suite up or whether Parrish will be in the lineup.
5. One thing Lemaire did seem to indicate was that, given Colorado’s front-end speed and skill, that Petteri Nummelin — who hasn’t played much in the last month — might get some playing time. The most logical move should he play would be to give Nummi Sean Hill’s minutes.
6. Lemaire said the biggest difference on his team from last year’s version wasn’t the toughness, but the experience. Lemaire said his team didn’t take it to another level enough to win in the playoffs. ”I don’t think last year, even though the games were pretty much a goal difference, I don’t think that we had that experience,” Lemaire said. ”I don’t think we elevated our game as much as we should have. But it could also be the fact that Anaheim is so good. ‘Cause they won the cup.”
7. Nick Schultz, who missed Sunday’s game with the flu, made it to the team picture, then went home again.
That’s about it. Stand by for Russo’s Colorado report.
27 Responses to "Monday’s St. Paul update"
Thanks #2.
I hope they have the best docs in the state working on Nicky…first to get him healthy and then to get him back up to game speed but quick.
We absolutely need him.
No one is biting on the Laperierre question but I guarantee you it is on everyone’s minds.
How about Inglewood Jack on the scoreboard to rev up the crowd? Do you think the PR mavens would allow Jules on the big board???
I know Russotans would be on their feet!
I hope Ryan Stanzel gets a copy of that group photo for himself before Foster’s head gets photoshopped over his. What a cool momento (”yeah, that’s me with the Wild, the year we won the Cup…”).
Hey everyone! I made it home safely! Denver was pretty fun for sure. It’s a nice town, although the dry air killed my sinuses and chapped my lips real bad.
We spent the first day drinking beer at Coors Field while some people played a strange game with sticks and a ball in the park. Then we met up with Lemmiwinks at this place called the Falling Rock Tap House. Great place to drink beer (they have like 80 beers on tap!) and we had great company. Lemmiwinks is real is a real cool guy… thanks for meeting up with us Lemmi!
The day of the game we went up to the Pepsi Center and caught a bit of warmups and walked around the arena a bit. The arena was pretty col, but it seemed a bit old and the concourses seemed reall closed off and a bit closterphobic. Oh, and WRT, you were right, the seats are really skinny! I kept thinking I was going to knock over my beer!
The game was good, we had seats in the first row of the upper deck on the end that the Wild shot on twice. We got an excellent view of Parrish’s goal. We also had a pretty good look at the Gabby altercation. It looked like both Gabby and Lappy were jawing at each other and then Lappy just started throwing punches. I think after the second or third punch Gabby snapped and threw a few haymakers to Lappy’s helmet. The punches looked good from where we were, but I couldn’t tell if he landed anything. It was still awesome to see Gabby’s first ever fight in person! We also saw a scoreboard proposal for the first time too.
Thanks for all the advice and helpful hints for the trip for those who offered their wisdom (WRT alsong with others). It’s good to be back!
P.S. Woodcok, if you are coming to Austin and you need a place to watch the game, drop me a line! We can go out to watch, or you can come to our house and watch. Let me know if you are interested. (my email is: ahmug@hotmail.com)
Unless Laperriere acts up again I think it will be much ado about nothing. Kind of like the Ohlund situation.
Welcome “home” Austin! sounds like you had a good trip…
sounds like fun Austin…glad you had a good time, and got back safely.
My sis told me to apologize that they weren’t able to get in touch with you before the game.
Thanks for the update, ATX.
Thanks guys! I highly recommend taking a trip out to Denver for a game if you ever get the chance. It was real fun. And the Aalanche fans were pretty easy going too. I never felt like they wanted to beat me down or anything!
NiNY, it’s no problem. We had enough other Wild fans to drink beer with 
Sunshine, I wish I would have had a better look at the Gabby ‘fight’. But it was awesome to see.
Kirk, I hope you’re wrong because I want to see some fists flyin’!
So phil, if you are in mid-conversation/mid-debate with someone and “food” comes up, do you just switch to the new thread or finish what you are saying in the old one?
Usually you finish on your thread but there’s no “rules” to say you can’t continue it on the new one..also, if the person you’re “debating” with moves on to the new thread, just tell them you posted a reply on the old one. Sometimes the “food” is no big deal so we keep posting for a bit on the older thread.
A couple hours ago, I checked on hockeyfights.com to see who was voted the winner: Gabby by like 53%. Of course, that was awhile ago.
I think a fight has been acoming to Gaborik. It was only a matter of time because I felt he was tired of the abuse heaped upon him as a star player.
ATx: Glad I was able to be of service. Told you about those Pepsi Center seats — lean and mean. Hopefully the rest of the info I gave you was good, also. Sorry about the outcome of the game itself, but it was nice that there was some other Wild fans there (i.e., it sounded good when the Wild scored!)
WRT, the Red Lion was much closer than I expected it to be. Thanks for that tip for sure. The game was really fun regardless of the outcome. It was pretty stress free because I wasn’t too worried about if they wonor not. We got everything we could have asked for. some goals, OT, a shootout, and even a Gabby fight!
MN_in_AL — not sure if anybody got back to you, but the Old Pro bar in Palo Alto is a good place to catch a hockey game. i think it’s off Ramona near University. i saw a Wild/Ducks game and a SJ playoff game there last year. i’m not sure how many people were really watching, but the games are on, it’s a big bar, good beer menu, and about as un-Palo Alto as you can get in Palo Alto…
@#%&! One game off for Gabby to drop the purse!
Austin: Welcome back. Glad your trip was groovy.
What did I miss while I was at work, and actually had to work today? Anything really good or the more of the same as before I went to work?
Typically, Alan, we just jump to the new thread.
BTW, we should be careful saying stuff like a Wild player would never pull a move like Burro et al. We’re OD-ing on the kool-aide if we think this is the case. It might very well be that DR or JL don’t want a guy who has such a reputation, but that doesn’t mean one of our guys one game won’t do something stupid or reckless.
Main course from the Don above, thanks for the salad #2.
Austin - Glad you had a great Denver trip. Did you enjoy a beer up in the revloving bar on top of the Red Lion?
BDS, we actually did go up to the bar. It was late though, so it wasn’t rotating. Pretty nice view of the amuesment park though!
Does anyone have a link to Fedoruk’s dance?
Hockeydad, I repeat here what I told Dave on the other thread:
“Let’s just agree to disagree, but mark my words: If a Toootoo or a Ruutuu or a Cheechoo or an Avery or a Carcillo or a Cooke or a Barnaby or a Laperriere or a Hinote EVER EVER EVER EVER EVER get traded to the Wild at any time….I will be on you like cheap cologne on a pimp - - watching your guys’ every single word with my hypcrisy detector on “high”.”
Must.resist.feeding.trolls….
Darn… can’t do it…
Alan, haven’t you figured it out by now? Naslund drinks because you cry.
Wildly Optimistic: Go here: http://wild.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NHLPage&id=6514
Click at the bottom of the article to “lauch Wild TV,” then you want to play the video entitled “NW Division Champs.” Fridge’s dance is at the end.
Alan is more than welcome here and I’m happy to engage him as long as he doesn’t act like an idiot.
