Recent content from Chip Scoggins
Scoggins: Leipold should let new GM make big changes as needed
The Wild isn't on the cusp of hoisting the Stanley Cup, so why prevent a general manager from making necessary changes, even if they are grand in scope?
Scoggins: Leipold must respond to Wild's latest early exit
Wild owner Craig Leipold has two choices: Stay the course and hope things will be different next season, or make major changes in management and/or roster construction.
Scoggins: Wild seethes as Game 4 turns series even nastier
The Wild was battered, bruised and bleeding in its 2-0 loss to Winnipeg at the X, which put Minnesota one game from summer vacation.
Scoggins: 'Mean' Nick Seeler brings fight to Wild's defense
Devan Dubnyk described rookie defenseman Nick Seeler as "mean," praise that underscores the former Eden Prairie high school star's impact only 25 games into his NHL career.
Scoggins: Wild comes out swinging, shows the right kind of fight
The Wild showed how to make a statement in Game 3 with pride, toughness and a willingness to not back down from Winnipeg's physical challenge.
Scoggins: Wild needs to show some fight, but not the chippy kind
Punching an opponent in the head after being so thoroughly dominated such as the Wild in Game 2 doesn't send a message. That's called blowing off steam.
Scoggins: Hiring of Whalen goes beyond public relations
The Gophers are getting plenty of substance with this PR splash: From high school to college to professional to Olympian, Lindsay Whalen is an all-time winner and competitor.
Scoggins: Meter is running on Wild during these NHL playoffs
A successful regular season was always an assumption, fair or not, because the Wild is built to be a playoff force. Is the team ready for that challenge?
Scoggins: Why can't it ever be easy with the Wolves?
It's somehow fitting that everyone will have to wait until the final day of the regular season before learning if the NBA's longest playoff drought will end.
Scoggins: Second title puts UMD hockey 'on the map' like never before
The Gophers remain a blue-blood in terms of facilities, resources and visibility. But the UMD Bulldogs don't take a back seat to anyone in pursuing championships right now.
Scoggins: Truax out to show he can beat DeGale again
Osseo boxer Caleb Truax granted a rematch to former IBF supermiddleweight champion James DeGale in a title bout televised on Showtime in the fight capital of Las Vegas.
Scoggins: UMD doesn't let youth get in way of hockey title pursuit
Minnesota Duluth's youth movement was supposed to be the team's undoing this season. Instead, the Bulldogs are right back where they finished last season, in the national championship game
Scoggins: Minnesotans have big role in Notre Dame's run to hockey final
Notre Dame, which advanced to Saturday's Frozen Four championship in St. Paul, has five Minnesotans on the roster.
Scoggins: Wild, Wolves show far separate approaches in playoff pushes
Both teams are jockeying for playoff positioning in this critical week, but things have become a little harried for each one for different reasons.
Scoggins: NCAA tournament seeds don't mean what they used to
At this point, nothing that happens with any of the remaining 16 teams should be shocking, regardless of what their seedings might suggest.
Scoggins: Adversity has arrived for Twins before the games do
News of Jorge Polanco's 80-game drug suspension as a result of a failed drug test serves as a reminder that best-laid plans can change in a blink of an eye.
Scoggins: In every way, Loons are different for the better in Year 2
Everything felt so rushed in the organization's first season of MLS a year ago. Now? The Loons are moving in the right direction.
Scoggins: Local teams' aggressive moves good for fan bases
Few things deflate a fan base more than envy borne of sitting on the sideline while other franchises conduct business with clear championship aspirations.
Scoggins: Generosity, speed set apart Edina star Walker
Sammy Walker, who had a goal and four assists in Thursday's 2A quarterfinal victory over Lakeville North, is as good as advertised. So is his Edina Hornets hockey team.
Scoggins: Minnesota's Olympians steal show (when do we leave for Beijing?)
After three weeks in Korea, Chip Scoggins writes: "Mostly, I'll remember those four days when Minnesota athletes stole the show with one riveting performance after another."
Scoggins: With gold, John Shuster's curling redemption is complete
Nothing in sports tops unexpected success, and the U.S. men's curling team, led by Chisholm-born John Shuster, engineered one of the greatest surprise endings in Olympic history.
Scoggins: Absence of NHL players a noticeable downside at Pyeongchang Games
Every other Olympic sport offers a showcase of the world's premier talent. Not men's hockey this year.
Football guy Bill Hancock takes on Olympic duty
Bill Hancock has worn many sports hats, handling high pressure with perspective
Forest Lake's Nordgren anchors sixth-place finish in biathlon relay
Americans finished sixth, equaling the best-ever result for the U.S, but the team was "gunning for a lot more."
Scoggins: Winning gold releases 20 years of emotion for U.S. women
A rivalry that already ranked among the best in sports managed to deliver another epic clash that won't be topped by anything in these Olympics in entertainment and drama.
Scoggins: At Olympics, it's finally a day for Minnesota success
Team USA sure needed a pick-me-up. These have been tough Olympic Games for the Americans in terms of winning medals, and a batch of Minnesotans came through.
Scoggins: U.S.-Canada women's hockey rivalry only gets more intense
Here we go again: The gold medal matchup for women's hockey at the Pyeongchang Games could have been written in permanent marker before the tournament began.
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Out with a bronze: Vonn nabs podium finish in final Olympics downhill
At 33, Lindsey Vonn became the oldest female medalist in Alpine skiing in Winter Games history when she took bronze in the downhill. She has said this is her final Olympics.
When it comes to making Olympic ice, Minnesotans know what they're doing
Pyeongchang Games organizers wanted experts in ice making so they outsourced those jobs. Minnesota experts stepped up and were selected.
Scoggins: No checks (wink), just 'collisions' in women's hockey
The no-checking rule should be placed in air quotes. It seems more like a suggestion than a hard and fast rule, judging by some of the physical play in the Olympics.
![Ryan Donato (16) celebrated with Team USA teammates after scoring a goal in the third period against Slovakia. ] CARLOS GONZALEZ � cgonzalez@startri](http://stmedia.stimg.co/DONATO.JPG?h=120&w=180&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
Facing elimination, Team USA explodes for 5-1 win in men's hockey
Team USA's offense came alive with a drubbing of Slovakia to advance to tonight's quarterfinals against the Czech Republic.
Vonn loses Shiffrin as foe in downhill
Awaited American showdown undone by schedule change forced by high winds.
Olympics women's hockey medal round results, schedule
Women's hockey final fourFirst semifinal: USA 5, Finland 0Second semifinal: Canada 5, OAR 0Bronze medal game: Finland vs. OAR, 1:40 a.m. Wednesday (USA)Gold medal game:…
Former Wild player instrumental in launching South Korean hockey
Richard Park is a large part of Korea's hockey movement.
One game from gold: Ex-Gophers score four in crushing Finland
The United States will meet Canada on Wednesday night for the third straight time in the gold medal game. The Canadians have won the last two and beat the USA in pool play last week.
Omeoga's slide: From Minnesota sprinter to Nigeria's first bobsledders
Thirteen months ago, Irondale High graduate Akuoma Omeoga took her first bobsled run. "This is crazier than anything I could have imagined," she said the other day in Pyeongchang.
Scoggins: American college hockey players have carried their weight
Team USA went 1-2 in the preliminary round, and its collegians have been among their most productive players.
Olympic men's hockey playoff schedule
Team USA faces Slovakia at 9:10 p.m. Monday in a qualifying round.
![Jessie Diggins got a hug from her mother, Deb, at the end of the women’s 10-kilometer free at Alpensia Cross-Country Centre in the Winter Games. ] C](http://stmedia.stimg.co/ows_15188805603343.jpg?h=120&w=180&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
Minnesota parents mark Olympic journey in years, tears
Mothers and fathers of Minnesota-linked Olympians made the 6,400-mile journey to South Korea to share in an experience that is as rewarding for them as it is for their children.
Postcard from the Olympics: Forced to cook, I grilled for the gold
Everybody always asks about food and how we're eating. In Sochi, the answer was simple. Not well. Here in Pyeongchang, no complaints.
Diggins finishes fifth again as part of USA women's cross-country relay
Afton's Jessie Diggins made up ground as the anchor leg but the Americans never seriously contended for a medal.
At Olympics, Russian fans wave the flags their athletes can't
The Olympic Athletes from Russia are participating with no flag and no national anthem.
Donato's two goals lead complete effort for Team USA over Slovakia
Team USA picked up its first win of the Pyeongchang Games after an OT loss in the opener.
Scoggins: Vagabond existence leads Blum to Team USA
Former Wild defenseman Jonathon Blum left the NHL for Russia, and now is in South Korea for the Olympics.
Scoggins: Wild prospect Greenway's Olympic debut has extra meaning
Wild prospect Jordan Greenway is the first black U.S. men's hockey player in Olympic history. He scored a goal Wednesday in his Olympics debut
Gold medal rehearsal? Canada holds off U.S. women in fierce finish
Olympic women's hockey remains a two-team battle for gold, and their renewed acquaintance in pool play on Thursday afternoon was a typical U.S.-Canada bout.
Scoggins: Stauber hopes different path leads to gold for U.S. women's hockey team
USA Hockey promoted former Gophers goalie Robb Stauber to head coach last May. He has brought a different style to the team, one that eschews dump-and-chase and embraces puck possession.
'We lost a big part of our soul': USA Hockey plays on without beloved GM
Jim Johannson, who died unexpectedly less than a month ago, was beloved by all.
Scoggins: 'Who are these guys?' will be theme of men's Olympic hockey
Unable to pick from the usual pool of NHL players, those in charge of constructing Olympic rosters were forced to beat the bushes in search of the next tier of talent in far-flung hockey outposts.
Scoggins: Extreme sports star White returns to Olympics to make amends
Shaun White's fourth-place finish in the halfpipe in Sochi in 2014 forced him to decide whether he still had the fire to compete. The answer is in his return to the Olympics.
Nordgren finishes 58th in 10k sprint, qualifies for another race at Olympics
Second opportunity comes Monday in 12.5k pursuit.
Scoggins: Olympic ski jumpers are brave - and crazy
Ski jumpers must have a screw loose to do what they do: Travel at speeds of 50-plus miles per hour down a steep hill and then launch themselves like a DC-9 at takeoff with no guarantees.
Scoggins: Murray calmly builds a bridge as Korea's women's hockey coach
Weeks before the Pyeongchang Games, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un announced that he would send 22 athletes to the Olympics, 12 of them women's hockey players. That was a surprise to the coach.
Scoggins: Let's start the Olympic Games - and sleep later
The Opening Ceremony is Friday for the Pyeongchang Olympics - a mere 15-hour time zone change away.
Scoggins: Vikings positioned for success, barring bad move at QB
The organization is positioned nicely in many facets. In looking ahead to next season, though, instability at quarterback hovers over the entire operation.
Scoggins: Back-up Foles gives Eagles an ending that didn't seem possible
A backup quarterback went nose-to-nose against the greatest quarterback in NFL history on the biggest stage, and came out victorious.
Scoggins: Foles loses all comparisons to Brady, but has proven he can win
Tom Brady owns five Super Bowl rings and holds the (un)official title of Greatest of All Time. Foles has been traded, demoted and released and gave retirement serious consideration after his fourth NFL season.
Scoggins: Take away their fans, and Eagles don't look like villains
Sorry, Vikings fans: The Eagles are a team full of interesting personalities, cool individual stories and a noticeable lack of ego.
Super Bowl jitters? Eagles coach Pederson isn't afraid
Doug Pederson will throw deep, go for it on fourth down and put his foot on the gas. A player's coach, Pederson is fearless.
Scoggins: Football's not rocket science, but Patriots' Patricia can relate
The New England defensive coordinator arrived at Super Bowl LII Opening Night in full character. If Paul Bunyan had a son, he would look like Matt Patricia.
Can Eagles' fierce defensive pressure bring down Tom Brady, Patriots?
The defensive line, a key part of the Eagles' powerful defense, runs at least eight players deep
Scoggins: Minnesota Nice will be tough to muster this Super Bowl week
It's one thing for a team to lay an egg one step from the Super Bowl. It's diabolically dreadful for a team to host the Super Bowl two weeks after laying that egg. How's the hangover going, Vikings fans?
Scoggins: The 2018 Vikings quarterback? Look outside of Winter Park
The Vikings have many selling points for any quarterback: A final four team this season, an elite defense, talented receivers and the return of running back Dalvin Cook among them.
Scoggins: Foles might not be the Eagles' weak link after all
Nick Foles, the Eagles' backup most of the season was near perfect Sunday. He completed 26 of 33 passes for 352 yards and three touchdowns with a 141.4 rating.
Scoggins: Zimmer understands the weight of this Vikings moment
Mike Zimmer has pushed the right buttons in guiding the Vikings to the doorstep of a Super Bowl appearance in their home stadium.
Scoggins: Vikings' epic sports moment is seared in our memory
Minnesotans woke up in a dream state Monday. The mood the day after the Vikings' dramatic finish was a beautiful blend of sleep deprivation and slap-happy.
Scoggins: The legend of Case Keenum grows exponentially
Case Keenum sat at his locker in disbelief, still dressed in full pads, 30 minutes after he delivered the mother of all finishes for the Minnesota Vikings.
Scoggins: The stage is yours, Case Keenum
Everything will be magnified Sunday in Case Keenum's playoff debut, the biggest moment of his career.
Scoggins: Picked on to pickoffs marks Waynes' progress with Vikings
In three seasons, Trae Waynes has evolved from underwhelming rookie first-round pick to the most improved player on the defense.
![Wolves center Karl-Anthony Towns reacted after throwing down a dunk in the third quarter against the Cavaliers on Monday night. ] CARLOS GONZALEZ �](http://stmedia.stimg.co/TOWNS30.JPG?h=120&w=180&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
Scoggins: Target Center on fire as Wolves put on a long-awaited show
Wolves fans have suffered long enough. They should be excited about how a remade roster is starting to gel and pick up steam and look like a team that could be dangerous come playoff time.
Scoggins: Woodbury's Hassenauer suits up for final time at Alabama
J.C. Hassenauer, a Woodbury native and former East Ridge High School standout offensive lineman, will play his final college football game in Monday's national championship.
Scoggins: Brace yourself, Gophers basketball faces long, uncertain road
The roster, the mood, expectations … everything feels deflated surrounding Gophers basketball with Reggie Lynch suspended and Amir Coffey out with injury.
Scoggins: Script surrounding Gophers athletics all too familiar
The latest incident involving a University of Minnesota athlete is another blow to the school's image. It's become all too routine.
Scoggins: For a healthy Wild, big picture can finally take shape
Nobody likes to use injuries as an excuse because every team deals with them, but the Wild has been treading water with key players sidelined for extended stints.
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