If you actually endured tonight’s Wild slopfest on your television set, just be aware of this — 150 Wild jersey-wearing fans, who passionately jammed one end zone here at the Pepsi Center, who screamed “Let’s Play Hockey,” before the opening puck drop, who chanted “Let’s Go Wild,” paid their hard-earned money to actually fly out here and witness one of the Wild’s most incompetent performances of the season.

Feel for them. 

The Wild was brutal tonight, generating zero offensive attack after failing to generate a single offensive attack on six straight heinous power-play minutes in the second period that fittingly ended with a too-many-men penalty of their own.

Asked how it’s humanly possible that a team as allegedly desperate as the Wild, a team who’s fighting for their playoff lives, can come out with this type of game against the worst team in the Western Conference, coach Jacques Lemaire said simply, “Maybe this is the team we have.”

To steal another Lemaire line for myself, “No doubt.”

Sorry, this isn’t a mirage. The Wild has played 67 games. Without Marian Gaborik, it’s an average, average hockey team that many nights have overexpended or undertalented or way-too-young players just not getting it done.

Speaking of Gaborik, I talked to GM Doug Risebrough today about the question that’s on many of your minds: Are the Wild interested in keeping Gaborik on a short-term deal. The answer is yes. Whether Gaborik would be interested is the bigger question. Here’s the story.

Personally, I still think the bridge is burned. Gaborik’s shown no sign he wants to stay, and if Gaborik can only get a short-term deal this summer anyway, why not wait and see which teams offer it to him?

By the way, Gaborik had an MRI real late today, so no results on how his hip looked. I did just see him getting back to the hotel minutes ago.

Back to the game, the Wild worked tonight, only all the energy was spent working hard trying desperately to chip the puck out of its zone. By the time the players finally got out, it was time for a line change.

Niklas Backstrom stole this point. Stole it. Forty saves. Peter Budaj only had to make 16.

Sorry, but it’s inexcusable that you can come out with this type of game. Good teams don’t play like this against dragging opponents when you’re the only one who needs points. The Wild could have popped into seventh with a win. Instead, it stayed in ninth, still only a point back from eighth.

But the Wild again offered little reason for hope. They could use every excuse in the book — they’re tired from all the travel, they played basketball yesterday afternoon rather than practicing because somehow a single ice sheet wasn’t available in the entire Denver area, the altitude was high.

But the reality is, this team comes out like this too often for it to be a fluke.

The Wild was outshot 41-17. It had 15 shots through regulation. An Andrew Brunette wraparound was the Wild’s first shot of the third — 15 minutes, 37 seconds in.

Same old, same old. Onward to Dallas, where the Wild, incidentally, hasn’t won a single time since I’ve been the beat writer post-lockout.

Talk to you after Friday’s practice.

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Very glum mood here inside the Pepsi Center, where 36 employees for Kroenke Sports — which owns the Avs, Nuggets and Pepsi Center — have been told they’re being laid off.

I was in the elevator and a couple of very sad people who have lost their jobs were talking.

On to the more trivial thing, but tonight’s game. Coach Jacques Lemaire said he prays the Wild’s “hands” are much better tonight than they were this morning.

Scratches are indeed Kurtis Foster and Craig Weller. Derek Boogaard is sick. 

By the way, I’ll talk to Gaborik in Dallas, but apparently his hope to meet A-Rod was a little more than that. Apparently, Dr. Philippon told Gaborik that A-Rod wanted to meet him today to discuss the surgery and rehab that it entails.

OK, onto the game. About 150 Wild fans made the trip here to Denver for the game. Thanks goodness they’re here. They brought the attendance up to 3,150.

Adam Foote out the rest of the game with a head injury sustained in the first.

This entry was posted on Thursday, March 12th, 2009 at 6:50 pm and is filed under Game coverage. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.