Checking in
Posted on April 28th, 2008 – 11:29 AMBy Michael Russo
Pretty competitive second round, eh?
Dallas up 2-0
Detroit up 2-0
Pittsburgh up 2-0
First on the Dallas-San Jose series: You’ve got to give props to the Stars, who are playing tremendous hockey, last night rallying from a 2-1 deficit. They’re 8-0-1 in their last nine in San Jose.
Now, the series isn’t over. The Sharks are an outstanding road team, but something’s going on with Dallas. And now, they’ve gotten Sergei Zubov back, and he makes that incredible pass to Mike Modano last night for the third-period power-play goal.
San Jose looked like it swigged Jager between the second and third last night. Joe Pavelski simply fell three times. Brian Campbell couldn’t get the puck out of his own end, and continually didn’t pick up the right players. I keep on watching him and thinking, “He wants $7 or $8 million a year????”
The Sharks just couldn’t make a pass through the neutral zone, while everything seemed to be cohesive for the Stars — from Marty Turco on out. The Stars come at you in waves, and there’s the shrewd veteran play of guys like Stu Barnes, who made the defensive play of the game last night with a bigtime backcheck to save a goal.
And Dave Tippett is a great, great coach, and you can tell with Dallas’ attention to all the little things.
Second on the Colorado-Detroit series: Little different series than the Wild-Avs, eh? First of all, no Peter Forsberg, no Wojtek Wolski, no Scott Hannan (remember I told you how he secretly had a leg injury because I watched him walk into the Pepsi Center with the use of an hourglass?).
Do you go with Peter Budaj in Game 3? Jose Theodore’s been that bad.
The Avs are a different team when they play from behind, which Wild fans would not know 
But like I wrote earlier this season, this is not the same type of Detroit team that typically would lose in the first round. The Wings also come at you in waves, and have the grit they didn’t have in years past.
Johan Franzen has emerged as a bona fide Tomas Holmstrom-like star. The Mule was the 97th pick in the 2004 Draft. That was the year the Red Wings didn’t have a first-, second- or third-round pick, yet they show up late to the party and grab a star with their first pick at No. 97.
Their scouts are truly amazing. They constantly get stars late — see Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg.
Third on the Pittsburgh-Rangers series: Game 1 was the best hockey game I’ve seen all year. Rangers were up 3-0, and I kept on saying to two friends of mine, this ain’t over. You could just tell.
Next thing you know, Pittsburgh reels off four straight goals before the Rangers tie it. And again, I kept on saying, this thing’s going to end in regulation. And then Sidney Crosby takes a shot off Evgeni Malkin’s skate and poof, insane meltdown by the Rangers.
Second playoff team this year to blow a 3-0 lead (San Jose in Calgary).
Fast forward to Game 2, and the Pens just smothered the Rangers with a hard, tight style. You know who was unbelievable yesterday? Pascal Dupuis. He was very good on the penalty kill, and relentless at even-strength.
Fourth on the Philadelphia-Montreal series: Tied 1-1, and Nasty with a capital ‘N.’ Montreal scares me. Any city that riots after a first-round win scares me.
Aeros were dispatched 4-1 by Rockford in the first round, so the Wild officially is in the offseason.
131 Responses to "Checking in"
Brian Campbell couldn’t get the puck out of his own end, and continually didn’t pick up the right players. I keep on watching him and thinking, “He wants $7 or $8 million a year????”
the studio guys for versus were all over him as well.
Dallas is proving that a solid team game leads to success in the NHL. they clogged the neutral zone against us to where it seemed like we were short handed the entire game.
You know who was unbelievable yesterday? Pascal Dupuis.
(Nodding.)
Problem is, we didn’t win a single game in MSG this year and I’m not sure if we were even close in most of them. I’m just hoping for a split in Games 3 & 4. Ideally a sweep, sure, but I’m not getting greedy. Ottawa I wanted to sweep. Don’t think NYR will go down that easily.
Second playoff team this year to blow a 3-0 lead (Calgary).
Does blowing a 3-0 lead but still winning count?
The Avs/wings series seems to me to boil down to JT not being superman anymore, he had his run against us and now that’s come to an end. Against us he had faced 40+ shots and made spectacular saves and now…not so much. I don’t know if floppy would make a difference or not either.
The Dallas/SJ series is one that is some good hockey, even though in the 1st game the Stars went into that ridculous “prevent” mode for 13 or so minutes and ended up giving up the tying goal, you could just feel it coming. Though I like seeing OT, I want the Stars to sweep quickly in regulation so they are fresh for the next round. Might be a bit of a pipe dream because SJ is such a good team, but I can hope.
Hello Russoville. I’ve been meaning to chime in on the Stars, but have been terribly busy. I figured their recent success would bring out some comments regarding their departure, and the feelings toward the club.
I always focused my anger towards Norm Green, and Gary Bettman. I don’t believe there’s anything that could have changed Norm’s mind about moving the team, and Bettman wanted it to happen as badly as Norm.
I can’t feel bitter towards them especially since Norm isn’t the owner anymore. The Stars were such a huge part of my childhood, and young adulthood. I could never find it in me to hate the team.
Based on comments I’ve read from Modano, Broten, and various others it was not a pleasent thing for them but they were professionals and handled the situation as such.
Watching the Stars in the playoffs this year has been a treat IMO. I love watching a TEAM get together, and bust their tails up, and down the line up. I’m not saying they’ve been perfect.I just think they handled themselves really well. They don’t panic when they’re down. The players that should be stepping up are, and they are getting contributions from guys you wouldn’t necessarily expect.
Bottom line is I understand where people are coming from with the negativity towards the team. I haven’t been able to share that sentiment.
Kevin: If Dupuis, and Hall keep scoring I’m sure you’ll be OK.
As long as they’re not the only ones. I’m not banking on Hall netting too many this postseason.
re: the Stars
I don’t equate the current players to the team that left here (even Modano).
It’s just that, since I can’t root for everyone…
I mean, I had some bad experiences with Jagermeister in college, and I still can’t even smell that without getting nauseated. Has nothing to do with the dorm room I lived in at the time, and the fact that I don’t live there anymore.
I can understnd where some of you ‘younger’ Russovillians would not understand what we ‘oldsters’ went thru in the late ’80’s-early 90’s with losing the North Stars.
If it makes some of you feel better…Norm Green is still listed by the Dallas Stars as a ’special consultant’ to the organization…
(As I said in the last thread: old hatred dies hard!)
I will continue to consider the Stars as ‘carpetbaggers’ until:
All personnel (playing and non-playing) who moved with the club to Dallas from Minnesota are no longer with the organization. (Includes trainers, announcers, front-office personnel).
A Minnesota-located NHL club wins the Stanley Cup.
On the other hand, I don’t have NEARLY as good a reason for hating the Packers - but that hasn’t stopped me.
A Minnesota-located NHL club wins the Stanley Cup.
that’s a huge part of it for me. And the way they did it too(*cough*illegalgoal*cough*) is a burr under my saddle.
Let’s not get all frothy about the Deadwings just yet. Franzen a star? I would tend to say no to that assertion. He may get there, but if Franzen is a star now, the Wild has multiple stars, which it does not. Also, the Wild skated circles around the Avs in games 1 & 5 and simply got beat by a goalie doing his Jesus Christ immitation. Theodore, while he may have had a tummy ache, has been putrid the first two games. If he would have played like this against the Wild, Minnesota would have won the series in 5. It’s not like the Wild wasn’t getting chances, JT was simply that good.
Just for clarification, the North Stars left in ‘93; not the late ’80s. Modo and Co. actually made a nice run in ‘91 and I doubt any of us at the time would have thought the team would be heading south in just 2 years 
Kirk Wise, Bettman was not even hired by the NHL until the deals were done and the trucks were nearly loaded. In fact, the NHL commissioners job was vacant at the time the deal was made.
We do not know his private feelings, but Bettman’s public remarks on multiple occasions that Bettman was not in favor of the transfer at all. And, he was there for St Paul so that we did get a team back.
Modano and some of the other younger players expressed negative comments toward the Twin Cities shortly after the move too. They speculated that the NHL would not be supported in the Twin Cities.
Of course, do to the extreme negative public relations earned by Sir Jackass Greed, the attendance for North Star games was sick and the season ticket base was zilch and falling.
(I do agree, that the MSC could easily have gotten the North Stars to commit here with some small and inexpensive modifications for the team. But, they did not, Dallas courted Greed, and we lost the team).
So, newer NOrth Star players mistook poor attendence by PR for lack of permanent fan interest.
The newer players never took the time to understand it was based upon years of frustration of the fans caused by continual mediocrity of the team. Last week I left on an earlier thread concerning the lack of success of the team, with the North Stars winning less than 40% of their games in their entire history in Minnesota!
But, anyway, the comments were made and the damage was done.
It was not until Modano became a FA, after the Wild had become a team, that his agent expressed interest in signing here, and Modano softened his comments.
Bitter feelings do not die that easily. Wild will need to have more cups than Dallas for my feelings to disappear.
good points, Ice….I always thought the fans booing Bettman at the Wild’s inaugural home opener was about the dumbest thing we could have done.
Minnesota does hold some grudges… Stars, Modano, and Bertuzzi to name a few.
Wasn’t it just recently that they stopped booing Modano. Fans haven’t stopped ragging on Bertuzzi yet.
Bettman deserves to get booed lustily each and every time he shows himself in the public eye. Ridiculous scheduling; terrible expansion to certain parts of the country when established teams are struggling; the laughable television deal he “worked out” and the fact the League has filed for bankruptcy, what, 3 times since he took over? Aside from the North Stars going south, there are plenty of things to boo Bettman about.
The Stars moved the same year I graduated from high school. The ‘91 run was magical. I’ve discussed it with KiPA on occasion.
I knew we were in trouble when Norm unveiled the new jersey. I don’t remember which home playoff game that was but I believe it was against the Pens. I saw they were dropping the grand old N, and all the rumors I heard about financial viability of the franchise gave me a feeling of impending doom.
On Theodore, I was of the opinion in the Wild series that he wasn’t that great, that it was more of the Wild not capitalizing on opportunities and less of Theodore making amazing saves. Outside of Gaborik (who disappeared), the Wild don’t have many real goal scorers. There is a big difference between just shooting the puck and shooting with the intent to score. That was something they didn’t do against the Av’s and Theodore got all the credit, now I think we are seeing that validated in the Detroit series.
Russo: I am LOVING the Pens-Rangers series! I guess I’m a little tired of the West, but I have enjoyed watching Dallas. They are playing really smart hockey. I have a soft spot for Modano. I can’t lie though, I’ve only watched a period or two of the Sharks/Stars and Flyers/Habs games, but I haven’t missed ONE second of the Pittsburgh-Rangers series. This is what playoff hockey is all about. How can you NOT cheer for the Kid!
My apologies Ice. I did not recall that Bettman had not been hired at the time. I still believe that the Stars move to Dallas fit his vision of growing the sport in the south, and there was a better chance of success by taking an established team and moving them as opposed to expansion. IMO the belief was that expansion would be better received in our market.
I’m with the hammer.
That Theodore was on fire in the series against the Wild is a myth.
The wild didn’t take many quality shots. Almost everything Theodore stopped was with his leg pads. The goals he let in were almost always high, and he had no excuses for some of them.
He was very good down low, but shaky up high. Unfortunately for the Wild, they took very few shots up high.
I don’t remember much about them. Lets face unless you play or have friends that play Rochester was not exactly a hockey hot bed. Also the year they left was the year I started high school, joined cheerleading, lost most of my friends and had to start over on that front, my dad was in the hospital most of that spring and summer, so lets just say that by the time I knew we had lost our team I was beyond caring about it. My one friend I managed to keep (mostly because he didn’t give a rats ass I had joined cheerleading) was on the high school jv team and I remember him being crushed. It was because of him that I started getting into to hockey more, it was a great distraction at that time when everything was sh!ty. High School age girls are evil, it’s no wonder more of my friends ended up being guys.
It was a sad angry time Kirk Wise.
Much as Mister Greed was a snake and a sleezeball, the Metropolitan Sports Council could easily have made a small investment in the Met Center to satisfy him. At least until he got fresh with the City Councilman’s daughter.
It might be that Bettman has not been wise in his capacity as Commissioner, but it is not his fault the North Stars are gone. And, after the year with no hockey I am not sure the NHL was in the drivers seat with any major TV outlet.
For us, after Nanne took over and later Gainey arrived and became involved, the team really did start moving in the right direction. It was much more positive and professional leadership which gave Dallas a team on the cusp of being the class of the league.
No doubt Greed felt unrepairable embarrassment … and the press including folks like Mr Ruesse saw it as an opportunity to put ink in their poison pens so the position Greed was in was beyond fixing.
(last comment do = due)
Again IMO I think the negative comments made by players were based on inaccurate information.
I shouldn’t type when I’m under caffeinated. I just noticed all the mistakes I made…
Actually, Kirk Wise, I think the vision to open southern markets came because Dallas was so successful, not as part of the grand plan.
There were some influential owners, maybe Wertz among them who were vehemently opposed to the move.
But, like I said, it was done in a vaccume. Bettman was hired after the move was agreed to and there was no reversal avaliable.
I think there was general agreement that the Twin Cities got screwed over but good, Dallas got a really good deal with a team at the perfect position to develop fan interest.
The first few years of the first round of expansion, the Twin Cities were the only of of the Second Six who had attendence equalling that of the Original Six.
I think that Wren Blair was a poor choice for GM and Coach, and then they made some successive equally poor hires as coaches. So, it was really a rough ride in the early years.
If you can recall any of that, you will agree that the Wild is much more professional and solid as a team.
We may all be disappointed with not being still playing, but we can still feel we are a team with a rosy future and still developing.
It was not until Modano became a FA, after the Wild had become a team, that his agent expressed interest in signing here, and Modano softened his comments.
modano was interviewed on the ice during the skills comp for the all star game and was soundly booed. He proceeded to basically apologize for previous transgressions that came out in the Inside sports article and I believe that is when the booing stopped.
I always thought the fans booing Bettman at the Wild’s inaugural home opener was about the dumbest thing we could have done.
since everyone else booed bettman, we had to as well even though we had no idea why. Didn’t want to look like were weren’t “with it”
We really are sheep around here when you think about it.
We really are sheep around here
I thought you were lemmings…
We do not know his private feelings, but Bettman’s public remarks on multiple occasions that Bettman was not in favor of the transfer at all.
Since I assume no expansion fee checks were cashed with the move to Dallas, I am sure Bettman would have rather expanded in Big D.
It’s seems like the Wild always run into a hot goaltender in the playoffs. Yet, in the next round the other team usually has no problem scoring. See Detroit this year and whoever beat the Ducks in the finals a few yers back after they beat the Wild in the conference finals. Maybe it’s not so much hot goalies as it’s just the Wild really aren’t that good, and don’t have a lot of true goal scorers. Just a thought.
Just curious, does anyone know what the grace period is for an NHL player to show his face at a golf course after being eliminated from the post-season?
Joe5786 and the others who commented on Theodore, I agree.
Isn’t this what happened pretty much all season? We were making goalies look the the second coming of Patrick Roy on a regular basis
like bettman or not, the league has record attendance and i’d assume record revenues. all under his watch
It depends, is he golfing locally or going “back home” first?
In Minnesota, doesn’t it depend on the weather?
That to sunshine, also if they are from Canada weather could be a factor as well.
GreenStar: When you artificially jack up the prices for everything, change uniforms, and arbitrarilly move teams into Southern fried markets to generate expansion fee cash, of COURSE your revenues will go up!
If you think the NHL is strong, I can name you at least six franchises (Atlanta, Columbus, Nashville, Florida, Tampa Bay and Anaheim) who are probably looking at double-digit losses this season, after all income is tallied.
“We may all be disappointed with not being still playing, but we can still feel we are a team with a rosy future and still developing”.
With that I agree 1000%
Joe Says, when the snow disappears ends the grace period.
It seems like most of the time, hockey players talk about fishing not golfing. Where did the idea that everyone golfs in the offseason start?
That last comment should have been to “tlwilliams55 says:”
Bud Grant is credited for saying “It is not who you play, but when you play them”.
It is true when you play a goaltender.
Some of the shots by Wild players maybe did not challenge Theodore, other saves he made when he needed to.
Detroit scouts had time to maybe watch how Colorado was playing the Wild and exploit them in different way either by them having different type of players or by attacking differently.
At a different time, the Wild might also have different results. But, as Brian Lawton pointed out, the Wild were constructed to play Calgary, San Jose, and Anehiem.
A lot of hockey players really do golf, which I’ve never understood.
Maybe it’s just that it’s nice to be outside, but a golf swing and a hockey slapshot are not even close to compatible.
Golf is the anti-hockey in so many ways (physically) that I sort of think that’s part of the “off-season” appeal to a hockey player.
Of the Flames, Sharks, or Ducks I think we have the best chance to beat the Ducks.
We came close to beating the Sharks but lost in shootouts twice and once by a gross error by Skoula. The last time 4-1.
Flames: you know the story there.
WRT, Greenstar has a valid point.
Leagues always have weak teams that are the result of prolonged losing years so that move to the south is relative.
Remember, the Whalers were not doing so good either, the North Star attendance was bad before the team left, the Nordiques and the Jets could not keep up with escalating salaries. At one time the Blues owners wanted to move to Saskatoon which probably would have been a financial disaster in this business climate.
Before Sid came to town and Ovechkin arrived with Backstrom, there were two more franchises not doing well.
Partly, you cannot eliminate fickle fans.
Some years in the future, maybe the Wild will fall on harder times at the same time that the Timberwolves suddenly become a hot ticket. Then corporate support will move and maybe fan support will erode.
Important to remember to support the team in both good and bad times.
artificially jack up the prices
artificially? surely you can’t be serious. got examples?
the league has had a stable number of teams for 7 seasons now. blaming the increase in revenue and attendence to adding teams and collecting expansion revenue appears to have little merit.
can anaheim really be losing money if they were sold out every game this season?
We really are sheep around here
I thought you were lemmings…
LOL, Kevin!
I was a little bit bitter about the Stars, especially since they went to Dallas of all places. But I’m over it. I actually have a bit of a soft spot for them now with Matt Niskanen on the team.
(btw, for a good chuckle, click on the Matt Niskanen link)
Bettman gets a lot of criticism–some of it justified. But, let’s face it hockey on TV is a tough sell in many parts of the country. It is not easy to follow if you don’t know hockey and many people don’t. Not many in Alabama, for example, have played pond hockey would be my guess. I do find it ironic that some will criticize Bettman for expanding into Southern markets while in the next breath blasting him for a bad TV contract. Sports with merely regional appeal do not get great TV contracts. He was trying to broaden the national appeal of the sport. It is a tough go as much we all love the sport.
As for the Sharks, I think the playoffs have exposed their blue line as their weak link. They’ve all got flaws that can be exploited.
When are people going to start talking Dave Tippet as our next coach. He loves MN, has a summer home and family here. They were about to throw him out of Dallas a couple years ago…If you asked me…he wanted the job from the beginning….what do you think Russo?
Well, I think some of you do have me at one point, about attendance. It was up this past season league-wide. Part f that could e tight divisional races in five of the six divisions (exception: Central) and the worsenig US dollar against the Canadian looney does make the revenue stronger from those siz teams.
Anaheim has lost tens of millions of dollars prior to last season. The Honda Center doesn not have the concert pull that STAPLES Center does for big acts booking Southern California shows. Prior to last season, except for their Cup run in 2003, when did the Ducks go to the finals?
The others, you have to admit, are all in the same basic area, except for the previous (to this past mid-season) mis-managed Columbus.
FWIW: Bruce McNall (at that time LA Kings owner) was the de facto NHL president who allowed the North Stars to move south. The final vote to relocate the franchise was held the day before Bettman took over as Commissioner. He had no say in the Stars move whatsoever (a point he took pains to point out time and again as his first trem started.) McNall was subsequently convicted of fraud and sentnced to a long run at ‘Club Fed’.
They were about to throw him out of Dallas a couple years ago
Or November, when Hull and the other guy took over the GM duties and Dallas was below .500 (I think). If he takes care of SJ, Tippet won’t be going anywhere while Ron Wilson can immediately start faxing resumes.
Sorry: second sentence should read: “Part of that could be tight divisional races…”…and six, not siz.
Sorry, I get wound up whenever the name Norm Green is mentioned.
toivo, I like Nisky too. He must be second generation Finn, right?
mbrose,
probably more like 3rd or 4th generation. I’m 3rd, and about 20 years older than him.
Anaheim has lost tens of millions of dollars prior to last season. The Honda Center doesn not have the concert pull that STAPLES Center does for big acts booking Southern California shows. Prior to last season, except for their Cup run in 2003, when did the Ducks go to the finals?
you said double digit losses this year:
I can name you at least six franchises (Atlanta, Columbus, Nashville, Florida, Tampa Bay and Anaheim) who are probably looking at double-digit losses this season
losing money in previous years has nothing to do with this. that and not able to compete with staples center on concerts. Does the nhl count concert revenue from the X in their numbers? is that revenue affecting the salary cap? if so then the NHLPA ought to start pimping their arenas for any and every act out there. more revenue means higher cap meaning more money for players. And, word on the street is while the X gets all the big shows, the X also pays those big shows money to use their facility so the rake ain’t that big.
Wood: to grow the sport you have to have your sport seen by people. Even if it meant less $$$, the NHL should have never left ESPN. Whether or not you like the channel, what all goes with ESPN when your sport is on it is what is so valuable. NHL gets 9th-rated billing on ESPN now because teh channel doesn’t give a sh!t about it. That wouldn’t have been the case if the channel would be carrying the sport. Forget the fact that when the NHL hit VS., roughly 14 households in the U.S. could watch the games. Leaving ESPN was just another in a long line of putrid business decisions made by Bettman. Shouldn’t be surprised, however, it’s hard work getting a league to file for bankruptcy 3 times in 11 years.
NHL gets 9th-rated billing on ESPN now because teh channel doesn’t give a sh!t about it
the channel didn’t give a shat about it when it had it.
do you think it would get any more backing if espn had it now then versus gives it? do you think espn would show more than one game a week? that would cut into its 12 hours a day of poker.
Concert revenue doesn’t affect the salary cap but it does affect what kind of dollars are going into an owner’s pocket. If you have a team that doesn’t do well in merchandising and the attendance is so-so, you have to get revenue streams coming in from other sources, i.e. shows in your building, assuming you own the building. If that isn’t happening, you can expect that team to be below the salary cap. Owner is not going to continue to lose millions and millions every year.
I’d take my chances on more people seeing a double-header on ESPN than on VS any day of the week and three times on Sunday.
toivo, great article on Niskanen. Sounds like a good humble kid.
toivo, guess that makes sense when I think about it. My wife is 3rd generation too (well, half anyway).
I’d take my chances on more people seeing a double-header on ESPN than on VS any day of the week and three times on Sunday.
would espn even have a double header any day of the week and three times on sunday?
i’d rather have the NHL on ESPN but if it will not get the same treatment that golf, IRL, WNBA, WSOP, PBA, women’s professional pool and the national spelling bee, then the NHL is better elsewhere.
G* has it right. ESPN had very little interest in hockey. TV contracts are a big challenge for hockey and I am not sure whether Bettman is doing a good or bad job on that. All I know is that very few of my friends in other cities have much interest in watching hockey and I think ESPN and others realize that. I think that rightly or wrongly Bettman was hoping that making hoceky more of a national sport (at least in terms of where franchises are located) would help get a better TV contract. But we have not yet sufficiently broadened the appeal of hockey (and may never).
Next Saturday we better hope there isn’t an overtime game on NBC because they’ll need to cut to a 2 hour preview of a 2 minute horse race!
Should be this Saturday, not next.
El Gato, is there a Saturday between now and then? No - then this Saturday is the next Saturday. You had it correct (IMO - which no one else seems to share) to begin with.
I’m not sure I get this whole “growing the game” thing. Seems like it’s big enough if you ask me. Is the goal to make hockey more popular than football? Probably not going to happen, but what’s the big deal? Seems to me that the league is doing pretty good these days. Not perfect, but pretty good. Personally, I like it that it’s more of a niche sport. I like it that it’s on VS instead of ESPN. But that’s just me.
mbrose,
does she have sisu?
cut to a 2 hour preview of a 2 minute horse race!
“Heidi” on ice.
even i know 15 is too young…
http://www.startribune.com/entertainment/music/18331119.html
I saw mcready back maybe 10 years ago when she opened for george strait and man oh man was she something to look at. if i’d a known the rocket was drilling her…
no wonder she is or was in jail and or hooked on drugs.
i thought i heard she was hooked up with dean cain AKA superman.
Thw Wild have no scoring; they lack people that go to the net! Just like an earlier comment: The Red Wings come to you at in waves and attcack the net (while using discipline on defense).
It would be pretty cool to see the high scoring Penguins go against the juggernaut Red Wings in the final.
I still would trade Gaborik (as much as I hate to say it); we’ld get a ton for him or free up $$$ for a huge free agent ourselves. Save $$ from Demitra also (or see if we can package Kim Johnson and maybe Rolston for a offensive stud).
It would be pretty cool to see the high scoring Penguins go against the juggernaut Red Wings in the final.
I have forseen it
I’m with you toivo. I prefer it on Versus. Maybe I am biased because I get Versus and not ESPN though.
Seriously though, what exactly is good about ESPN? I liked when Gary Thorne did the play-by-play, but that’s really the only positive I can think of for me.
I’d like ESPN to cover games on Wednesdays or Thursday.
Versus can continue to cover Monday/Tuesday games.
toivo says:
I’m not sure I get this whole “growing the game” thing. Seems like it’s big enough if you ask me.
I would agree. Especially with the expansion of information and broadcasts on the Internet. I get plenty of hockey without it being mainstream.
I don’t have cable or satellite, so I could care less if ESPN or Versus has the US TV contract. I get what games I can from NHL Center Ice Online, and the rest from “other” streams.
And toivo, at least while she’s not looking over my shoulder, I would say my wife does not have sisu, although she does seem to like her hockey players that way.
Patience. Building things do take time. If we see the sort of tight races in the future, the NHL will become more popular in southern cities too.
The NHL will never exceed MLB, the NHL or NBA in fan interest nor will it receive the same television treatment in the US as the NHL does in Canada.
I believe if I was a television executive (ESPN, NBC, Versus, or other) who was making a decision on adding the NHL games to my programming, I would be willing to pay a hell of a lot more $$$, and be willing to give the NHL better billing, if there were teams in all of the largest cities in the US.
NOt to put words in his mouth but maybe a point that Greenstar is making is that with ESPN, the NHL does not command as much respect as poker!
However with Versus it is the biggest thing they have and gets the very best treatment possible in every one of those 14 households DB mentioned.
Maybe part of the answer is for NHL fans to ask the hard question: “why their cable providers they do not offer Versus”?
When Dallas got our North Stars, they had emerged to strong contender which they have pretty much been ever since.
They got a head start in fan interest and also because the Rangers, Mavericks, and even the Cowboys were slumping at that time. So, it will no doubt take more time and energy to find similar success in other non-traditional places.
I am neutral on Bettman, except I think he did fulfill his “promise” to Minnesota to get us back a strong franchise and so I do appreciate that.
I saw mcready back maybe 10 years ago when she opened for george strait and man oh man was she something to look at. if i’d a known the rocket was drilling her…
By the photo in the article, I couldn’t really see where you were comin’ from. But a quick Google search seems to confirm that she musta been hot ~10 years ago.
But, man! she’s put on some hard miles, though.
Still, I’m givin’ Erin Andrews the nod.
For the Wild specifically, they need to show every game on tv locally. I know there were a little over a handful of games not shown but they were good games that we missed. The Columbus game was great when CI was provided free of charge for one week. We missed Gaborik’s 200th goal because it was on HDnet, which most Comcast users don’t get.
If Chicago can get 82 games shown next year in HD, the Wild can do the same.
The NHL will never exceed MLB, the NHL or NBA in fan interest
Is that kinda like a mobius strip?
In defense of Bettman - Outdoor Life Network came to the NHL with an offer that included changing the station name to Versus and making the NHL its top priority. I don’t know if it was the right move to go with Vs over ESPN. But it is hard to turn down a network willing to dedicate itself to your product compared to another network that will put you when there isn’t a poker tournament to air.
I feel like Vs has done a great job with the NHL this year.
The problem with televising every game is there are conflicts with Timberwolves, Gophers, etc. And, some games are candidates for NBC, etc.
We are fortunate to get what we have.
But, up here, we miss the Channel 45 games except every so often one shows up on a non-traditional channel unannounced. That hurt especially in the beginning of the season.
GreenStar: If your hockey team isn’t pulling in the revenue, you have to find other revenue streams to make up for it. Anaheim found out this year: the best formula for financial success is WINNING. It will be very interesting to see if they continue their sell-out streak at Honda Center next season. (FWIW: I doubt it.)
mbrose: I’m like you. I subscribe to NHL Center Ice (what did I ever do without it?) and I’m thinking that the NHL likes Versus. Kind of the old theory of, “Better a whale in a swimming pool than a small fish in the ocean.” Besides which, it’s been pointed out before, the NHL gets very favorable financial terms from Versus, which is co-owned by CBS and Comcast, who also owns the Philadelphia Flyers.
Is Versus a ‘niche’ network? Yes, definitely. Most cable subscribers don’t get the channel, or if they do, it’s only on part-time. Does the NHL like their ‘niche’? No, but it’s better bringing money IN from advertisers than paying it OUT to ABC/ESPN to carry NHL games on the ESPN channels.
The only other time I ever even watch Versus is for the Tour DeFrance bicycle races (hey, I go for the crashes, like NASCAR!) 
As long as whatever channel carries the Wild and the playoffs, I don’t care who it is, I don’t watch any other sport, well, besides women’s beach volleyball and the Olympics.
Theodore wasn’t other worldly against the Wild. Quantity vs quality.
No inside shots due to Av’s D.
Detroit’s wingers are abusing/exposing the Av’s D men in ways the Wild could not.
Detroit = Elite NHL Organization
Wild = Wannabe Elite NHL Organization.
The introduction of the Cap was supposed to kill the Wings. It just made them smarter.
Red Wings were not always such an elite organization either. They were not good at all during the North Stars tenure here.
Scotty Bowman turned them around.
Detroit = organization 100 years old (almost), Wild = 7 seasons.
Actually teams won’t see double digit losses after revenue sharing kicks in for the bottom teams but clubs like Columbus won’t be qualifying for as big a share because they have been in the bottom in attendance for the past few years, same story in Nashville and Atlanta, though Nashville’s late season and playoff run helped quite a bit. Minnesota’s early playoff exit was not what they wanted either. Sponsorships looked to be down and I doubt they’ll keep up the lower bowl and club level season ticket renewals if they try and hike prices this summer. The only people on the waiting list are waiting for upper deck seating.
By the way, I had Montreal and Sharks as my preseason picks for Cup, but I think it may end up as rematch of 1991 series, Dallas/Pens.
I have forseen it
Whew, I’m glad you’re not kj.
Prices have to increase but how much might be a breaking point. I am not worry that the Wild will lose many sponsorships due to an early playoff bounce. Corporations might be less willing to buy more because of the downturn in the economy but the Wild look to better than the T-wolves and maybe even the Twins. However, tickets for those two teams are alot less than for the Wild, too.
Bottom line: I am not too worry about the Wild. They will come out fine.
BTW, for any folks of Finnish persuasion, a bloody lip and a swollen eye later and I am told that my wife does indeed have sisu. I retract all previous comments to the contrary.
this Flyers/Habs tilt has been full value.
For the Wild specifically, they need to show every game on tv locally.
What is the deal with that anyway? There are some conflicts between 45 and FSN related to Gopher hockey, Twolves and even some Twins but some of the games that get left off there are spots for and some of those games are good ones. However, to perhaps answer part of my own question, I did get CI this year based on the thought of missing some Wild games.
Good Old Wally has made some Monday night predictions
First of all I want the Wild to improve team speed
I like to see
(1)Look for Walz replacement at center (UFA) Team speed help
(2) Sign George Larouqe to go with Boogy
(3) 1 to 2 UFA on Defense
(4) Determine if Parrish or Gabby have a future with the club
(5) I would keep Demitra compared to Rolston, especially if Gabby has a future with the team
(6) If Gabby has no future you sign Rolston and LEMAIRES JOB JUST GOT EASIER
(7) Is Parrish ready to retire ?? If he dont he might score 10 goals at best, but he will be a great Dad I am sure
Monday night thoughts
Centers
(1)Bellanger
(2)Sheppard
(3)Koivou
(4)UFA signing
Right Wings
(1)Gaborick or his replacement ?
(2)Parrish or his replacement ?? I think he is done as an effective player
(3)PMB
(4)Cal Clutterbuck
(5)George Larouqe
Left Wings
(1)Vellieux
(2)Pouliot
(3)Demitra = I think he will sign for a reasonable price if Gabby is here
(4)Boogy
(5) Fedoruk
Defense
(1) Johnnson
(2) Schultz
(3) Skoula
(4) Burns
(5) Foster= When he returns
(6)UFA
(7) UFA or Houston prospect
(8) Erik Reitz
Russo-
We have been discussing the great and cheap finds for Detroit–low in the draft pool and repeated examples of excellent scouting. and the other day someone pointed out that Detroit has spent time really preparing them to become great..that was why they were so great..and that we are nothing like this.
Well..my question is..if DR is on the Radio (wcco to be exact) whining that Detroit has a lower payroll than him..why isn’t he DOING something about it instead of complaining that he has too many people to sign?
Russia and Sweden are the two hockey hot beds outside of North America. Yes..Slovakia is great and all of that..but when there was the NHL lockout..where did the top NHL players go? Russia and Sweden. Why aren’t we looking there for some players? and I am not talking about cheap players like Weinhandl…
As for the Avs..who said they did not look a bit tired vs us?
I have contended the past few years..that we cannot win in 60 minutes. We have a coach and a system that, no matter who is the goalie, whoever are the “scorers” whomever is on D..we have a coach that is more obsessed with his system than going for the jugular. We have a team that plays not to lose…and when you look at Detroit..they play TO WIN.
I am not Russo but I can help explain DR’s comments about having a higher payroll than Detroit. I think he is trying to combat the impression that the Wild is a frugal team and unwilling to spend money. Its not whining, its stating a fact that some people refuse to believe that the Wild did spend money.
I can’t speak about the Swedish League. Maybe the Wild needs to have better scouts there. However, teams are worried about picking up Russian players. Look at what happened with Voloshenko. He upped and left because the NHL does not have a contract with the Russian league.
Filatov, a highly touted Russian prospects, is probably facing questions about if he will really come to the US or will he stay and play in Russia. Teams have to weigh that along with other factors.
MIssy, I think the system is important because it covers holes in the lineup.
I am not Russo but I can help explain DR’s comments about having a higher payroll than Detroit. I think he is trying to combat the impression that the Wild is a frugal team and unwilling to spend money. Its not whining, its stating a fact that some people refuse to believe that the Wild did spend money.
I didn’t catch the interview but I am sure you are right sunshine. The “cheap” tag is a cross this team will have to continue to bear as a result of passing on the post lockout FA bonanza and Bruno to boot. We know it changed the last two years and we know ownership has now changed as well but I still don’t feel all that sorry for DR.
Sweden is likely backing out of the IIHF agreement as well so that is going to throw a kink into signing Swedish imports just as signing Russian imports has become more difficult so don’t count on the influx of Swedish prospects to continue. In truth, the ones who can identify the best undrafted College and Junior free agent prospects and deep draft picks will come out winners in future drafts as more European countries will start negotiating their own transfer agreements as well.
Adam: That was the impression I got when I saw CL interviewed on that End of Season show. He was pretty adamant on that subject. He was saying something like he couldn’t understand why people don’t know that the Wild was right at the cap.
It was also mentioned on WCCO This Week in Hockey when Russo was on.
Yep, I agree with you that it will be a cross the Wild will bear for awhile. Two years of being near the cap for two years vs. 5 years of frugalness.
I think Claire is right, we’re heading towards a Pens/Stars SC final. I don’t know if the East can handle the West, so maybe the prodigal sons can bring home another SC.
I just looked up above, does everybody realize that retard Good Old Wally is predicting the Wild will pick up George Larouqe ?? everybody must be in a Coma not to recognize
I was cool with 4 years of frugalness but the 5th one was tough to figure out. Since contracts can be vary in cap hit from year to year, the post lockout year wasted some serious Wild cap space. For example, Modano was paid $4.25 million in 05/06, 06/07 and this season but will cost just $2.25 next year and the year after.
I saw it Beaver, that is one thing I would not be so interested in. Simon is just fine for that role, maybe cheaper.
But, think of the first five years Sunshine. If you pay big time in the development years, how do you increase your payroll when the guys you develop really deserve it?
There is no place to go if you are spending to the max.
Dissension in the GoW and Beaver alliance? Wow.
Iceman:
I agree with you on being frugal on the first 4 -5 years. What’s the point of spending all that money that you probably didn’t have and giving away top prospects or draft picks. Columbus did that and it set them back a bit.
I was just saying that the Wild for at least a little longer will be known as trap-happy, frugal, and boring. It takes time and good PR to change that.
I would like to add that I think the Wild can do a better job promoting the game, the team, and its players. It has to be done on a continuous basis. They have relied heavily on the goodwill and the desire to have hockey back in MN. They also to some extent take for granted the re-upping of STH and the warming house folks. That can all disappear really quick and they need to market the Wild better.
Also, they need to get on top of bad press like the Simon trade. Almost everyone was up in arms about it and it took the team a couple of days to respond. They can’t do that. They need to address it immediately.
I agree with your comments about the Wild needing to be proactive with the fan base Sunshine.
It makes sense to keep the fan base feeling positive.
Good old Wally, why do the Wild need Laraque when they have Boogard?
KiPA…I am NOT forseeing anything Pens related. You’ll need your own soothsayer for that.
Yes, the Wild have spent near the cap the past 2 years. However, instead of trotting out Alexander ‘the not so’ Daigle post-lockout, they could have spent some dough on a C that might still be under contract. Ok, maybe some flexibility would have been lost - but maybe it wouldn’t be needed. There is a difference between spending and spending wisely. Johnsson was better this year, but 4.8 mil better?
Detroit will have UFA problems in a couple of years, but given their track record, they will continue to find gifted players in later rounds.
Ice - I am fully aware of how bad the Wings were during the NStar era…their turnaround came with the arrival of Stevie Y, not Scotty B. You pointing out how bad they were renders your 100 year vs 7 year argument useless. It’s not about how long you have been an organ EYE zation, it’s about how good you are.
DR has admitted failure - too many UFAs to have a cohesive team. What he does about it this summer will determine the level of success the Wild have next season.
JL has shown time and time again that he can do more with less better than any other NHL coach. I am afraid he will have to demonstrate that ability again next season. The cupboard is NOT bare, but Chi has more dynamic young players. Same for the Oil. I hope the Wild are not next year’s Vancouver.
Spending money on FAs in the early years of an expansion franchise just doesn’t seem to be the wise move. The Panthers did, made a nice run to the Cup Finals, got rolled. How has that worked for them these last 12 seasons? What, one decent year in the last dozen? Ish. I think where the Wild has hurt itself is how it has psent in certain areas. The Kimmie J contract is the one that immidiately jumps up and bites you in the lips.
whoa, Deep…I thought you were the guy that wouldn’t stand for comparing franchises? 
I note that the BJs did spend money on FAs early (having to “sell” the game to the relative newbies in C-Bus, that and Maclean being a clown), and that has really hurt them in retrospect.
World Championship update: Brent Burns scored the only goal for Canada in it’s game against Russia in the World Championships. The goal came @17 seconds and was the first shot of the game. Russia won 4-1 though.
I’m not comparing franchises, but seem to think an expansion franchise is better off duving into the FA market right away. Florida is proof that it doesn’t work if you’re not building a serviceable younger core of players. No problem whatsoever with the Wild going cheap the first few years and even the first year after the lockout. I thought they picked the right time to start throwing money around a couple summers ago, but they left themselves open to questions, and criticism for that matter, with some of their finanacial decisions.
Just shows you how the Wild still do not have what it takes to make a playoff run.
FIRE RISEBROUGH NOW BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE!!!!!
Deep Breath….the reason the Panthers flopped was due to payroll reductions on behalf of the owner. Heck, that would happen to Detroit if they decide to slash payroll. Bottom line, it DID work.
well…following the thread…if your belief is that FA excursions early are a bad way to build your team (which I would agree with), and the Wild did that and the BJs (for example) didn’t…then, ergo sum, isn’t the Wild in better shape - in terms of total development and evolution of the franchise - than the BJs…BEFORE you throw in the 3 playoff appearances and division title (neither of which the BJs can claim)?!?
whoops…I meant to say that the Wild did NOT jump into the FA pool early, but the BJs DID.
Good Old Wally also forgot to add Colton Gillies to the Wild’s roster next season.
BIIIRONNN!!!! (shaking fist) I was a little shocked to see how brutal Philly fans are and someone said Wild fans were classless. Sheesh.
Allons-y les Canadiens!
My point to the years of the organization KJ is only to remind us that the Wild is still a fledging organization while the Wings are very mature and have had a model in place since the beginning of the NHL.
It’s unrealistic to think other NHL would make it easy for new franchises to get to the Cup quickly by making available all the resources necessary to get there.
Doubtful that the Red Wings let their best scouts or administrative people escape to Minnesota or Columbus.
The dispersal draft was a collection of players in the margin (some people even refer to the playes as stiffs).
But, some like Walz turn out to be outstanding though not others like Roost. That is the hand the Wild was deakt, it needed to be played out and time for their young assets to be developed before it was smart to spend any big bucks.
So, the Wild, with others, start with a bare cupboard just seven seasons ago and they began to build.
But, boarding up the NHL a year created more questions about what teams ought to look like after the new CBA.
The Wild have built carefully and solidly, which I am happy with. And we continue to see progress and a bright future.
Florida got to the Cup quickly, but they could not sustain it because they did not have the resources needed! They spent too much. They found they could not afford the team they had bought and where have they been since then?
Hockeydude: The Panthers are on a 12-year run on futility, save one season, because the organization did not develop enough substantial young talent.
NiNY: I would say the Wild is in better shape than the BJs, but I’ve never been of the ilk to say, “Well, at least we’re not Columbus.” That does us no good. If you’re going to say that, why not say, “Why can’t we be like Detroit.” Instead of comparing yourself to the dregs, why not aspire to be like the elite?
Ice: I’d like to agree with your comments, but it is against my nature to agree with people. Although I did like your comments. Florida, for lack of a better phrase, blew its wad too early and has been stuck in a 12-year drought, save one season, ever since. Not exactly the prototype for expansion franchises.
Deep: Instead of comparing yourself to the dregs, why not aspire to be like the elite?
that’s fair.
My point is that C-Bus is the best comparable for the Wild since they’ve had the same amount of time since birth to evolve. It has nothing to do with aspiration, just a measure of how far we’ve come relative to a peer. Given the 3 playoff appearances and division title, I would agree the BJs have more to gain by being compared to us than we do by being compared to them.
BJs in the pool? sweet
DB - I agree with your aspirations to be great but you have to use the franchises that started on a level playing field to properly evaluate the Wild’s success/failure. For that we must look at Columbus, Atlanta and Nashville.
We can also look at teams like Anaheim, San Jose and Tampa Bay to indicate that recent expansion teams can have success if they are run/coached properly.
Given what I’ve seen from DR, JL and the Wild in the first few seasons I think it is safe to assume this franchise will be quite successful in the next few years.
A Minnesota Wild “Year in Review,” hosted by Darby Hendrickson, Brad Bombardir and Clay Matvick, will air at 6:30 p.m. Saturday on KSTC Channel 45.
food
Ondrej Fiala is another kid to add for next year.
