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This is Michael Russo's 17th year covering the National Hockey League. He's covered the Minnesota Wild for the Star Tribune since 2005 following 10 years of covering the Florida Panthers for the Sun-Sentinel. Michael uses “Russo’s Rants” to feed a wide-ranging hockey-centric discussion with readers, and can be heard weekly on KFAN (100.3 FM) radio.
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Posts about Roster moves
Wild to recall Steve Kampfer, Chad Rau
Posted by: Michael Russo Updated: March 3, 2012 - 12:48 PM
After a 6-0 loss last night in Detroit, I am hearing the Wild will make two roster additions for Sunday's game against Colorado.
Forwards Cal Clutterbuck and Nick Palmieri sustained upper-body injuries last night. There's no word today on if either will be able to play the Avs, but the Wild will recall forward Chad Rau, meaning both could be out because the Wild also has Erik Christensen waiting in the wings. Rau, an Eden Prairie native, has two goals in seven games for the Wild -- winning goals on Hockey Day Minnesota against Dallas and Hockey Day in America against Boston.
We also may get to see the Wild debut of Steven Kampfer, the 23-year-old puck-moving defenseman acquired in the Greg Zanon deal last week. I hear he's on his way, too. Kampfer is a former Michigan Wolverine and Ann Arbor native. He has 12 points (five goals) in 48 NHL games.
That means one of the defenseman will likely be scratched because as far as I know, everybody survived last night's game healthy.
Kurtis Foster played two shifts in the third period. Justin Falk and Foster were minus-3. So those are the likely two candidates. It may be Foster, because Kampfer could just take his slot on the right side and his power-play slot.
Wild juggles roster, four players called up from Houston
Posted by: Kent Youngblood Updated: January 20, 2012 - 2:05 PMForwards Matt Kassian, Jed Ortmeyer, Chad Rau and defenseman Nate Prosser are coming up from Houston for the Wild, and forwards Casey Wellman and David McIntyre are headed back to the Aeros today.
That's a quick update from today's practice, which is in progress. Youngblood here, and I'll have more when things wrap up from the X.
Youngblood here, with an update from today's practice.
Let's start with the roster moves. Here's what coach Mike Yeo had to say: "Well, we need to make some changes right now," he said. "We're not just going to stand around and hope things get better. Whatever it takes, whatever we can do to try to energize our group, gain some confidence to get a good feeling coming to the rink -- whether it's personnel decisions or the things we do in practice or meetings -- we have to do."
Friday's practice was an interesting one. Yeo wanted to focus on skill work and goal scoring. So he divided up his team into two groups and ran them through scrimmages, tip drills and shootout work, keeping score all the way.
Officially, the green group (Cullen, Setoguchi, Clutterbuck, Johnson, McMillan, Zanon, Spurgeon and Lundin) beat the white group (everyone else) in the final tally, though Yeo wouldn't reveal what the losers had to do.
It was all designed to give a team that has struggled to score goals confidence in that area. "If you don't score in practice, you won't score in a game," noted Setoguchi.
Other items:
--Yeo said he's excited about being the finale Hockey Day Minnesota. "This is a really big thing for us," he said. "A deal like tomorrow, a game like tomorrow night could help pus get going in the right direction, and give us a great feeling. That's what we need right now."
--Matt Cullen will officially get his silver stick for playing 1,000 NHL games in a pre-game ceremony Saturday. He said he hasn't decided where in the house it will go. "I'm afraid my three-year-old will have it out whacking around the walls and stuff," he said. "I'll find a place for it. It won't be stuck in the corner of the garage or anything like that."
That said, Cullen said he didn't want anything to take away from the focus the team needed trying to get on the right track.
--Mikko Koivu was doing some shooting in the cage under the stands this morning during practice.
--Spurgeon looked very good while scoring on a couple shootout attempts today. Yeo said he took note of that. So maybe we'll see Spurgeon out there in that situation at some point soon.
That's about it. Have a good day.
Wild lucky to get point in shootout loss to Islanders
Posted by: Michael Russo Updated: December 18, 2011 - 9:05 AMUpdate: As I alluded below, I hear through the grapevine two forwards will be recalled later this afternoon. The guys I am hearing are Eden Prairie's Chad Rau and Jed Ortmeyer. If Rau plays, it'll be his NHL debut and he'd be the team-record 11th rookie to play this season. If both play, the Wild will have used 35 players this season in 34 games. Absurd.
Kent Youngblood will cover practice, so he'll have injury updates. Roster moves like won't happen until 4 p.m.
As I often say, I've covered few coaches as honest as Mike Yeo, so give the guy credit for not painting a pretty picture on the ugliness that took place on the ice tonight. It would have been to easy to use the injuries as an excuse or let Cal Clutterbuck's tying goal hide the fact that the Wild just didn't bring it tonight, but an edgy, ticked-off Yeo didn't let the current cast of Wild players -- as depleted as this team is -- off the hook for a 2-1 shootout loss to the lowliest of NHL teams -- the New York Islanders.
This was an opponent dead last in the East, on a four-game losing streak -- a team that was 0-6 in overtimes and shootouts and hadn't even scored a shootout goal in two previous shootouts this season.
But the Wild didn't show up in the first two periods. I mean, in the first two periods, Jarod Palmer and Jared Spurgeon had SEVEN of the Wild's NINE shots!!! In the first period, the Wild had five shots, and Palmer's one was the only one by a FORWARD!!!
The Colton Gillies-Warren Peters-Palmer did try hard, setting a tone physically, trying to bring momentum. And they for the most part accomplished that. But most of the rest? Blah.
Well, blah, except for Nik Backstrom, who made 35 saves and got the Wild this point. Depleted lineup or not, the Wild didn't lose this game because of the minor leaguers. Most the vets didn't show, which to me is what disappointed the hierarchy.
I can see a couple bodies shuffling between here and Houston on Sunday though. You can't have a performance like tonight and not react in some way. Cody Almond's done little the last few, so maybe he heads back and they bring up some forwards.
At one point tonigh on an icing in the second period, Yeo called time to let his gassed players rest. But during that time, Yeo took the opportunity to animatedly let his players know what he thought of their effort and execution.
"The direction we were going, it needed to change," Yeo said. "After the second period, it turned around, but it’s tough to flip a switch."
The Wild did look like a different team to start the third. It began getting pucks deep, generating chances off cycles and speed through the neutral zone. Finally, the team that hasn’t been shut out this year struck with the tying goal.
It began with a Matt Cullen forecheck that created an Al Montoya quick pass to Mark Streit and turnover. Dany Heatley picked off the puck, fired it on net and Clutterbuck found the rebound and scored his ninth goal.
But minus Mikko Koivu, Pierre-Marc Bouchard, Devin Setoguchi, Guillaume Latendresse and Casey Wellman, the Wild just didn't have it tonight, and of course, a few of those guys would have been useful in the shootout. Frankly, after Kyle Brodziak's shootout-winning move last month in Edmonton, I'd start using him in these extra sessions.
Anyway, the Wild is 0-1-2 in its past 3 -- its first three-game winless streak of the season. But it's still clinging to the top spot in the NHL and the West by a point and has points in 19 of its past 24 (17-5-2).
This would be my concern heading into a three-game road trip to all divisional opponents. Often times when you lose this many guys, the guys that remain in the lineup start freelancing, abandon the system, try to make fancy, individual players and suddenly forget what the team did that made its successful in the first place.
That's what I saw on the ice tonight. The Wild must be wary that even after it gets some of these guys back, the guys that remained in the lineup during the interim don't suddenly forget the system and how this team must play to win.
That's getting pucks behind D, grinding it out on forechecks, being responsible with the puck, being hard on the puck and being tight in the neutral zone and D-zone. We saw zero of that tonight.
Koivu and Setoguchi will be on the road trip. I can't imagine Setoguchi plays. He hasn't practiced at all since getting hurt in San Jose. Koivu, he tested his injury today and my guess, and this is a pure guess, is that he plays in Calgary (Tuesday, or day after Vancouver) only because I don't see him playing back-to-back games.
Again, total guess. Kent Youngblood is covering practice Sunday and he'll let you know if Koivu practices while I'm in the air to Vancouver.
Bouchard was very close to playing tonight, Yeo said, but he went from a gametime decision to not even skating in warmups. Yeo said the Wild must make sure Bouchard is completely comfortable that he is OK and can do the things he needs to do on the ice before it allows him to play.
Wellman's practicing and perhaps the extra game off and few days will help improve his injury so he can shoot the puck and be put into the lineup in Vancouver. The Wild could certainly use his speed and shot.
Palmer tried to bring that type of game tonight and he had six of the Wild's 21 shots. His line had a combined 10. He nearly scored the overtime winner, too. Yeo called him arguably the team's best forward.
No offense to the lad because he was good, but that's an indictment of the players who have been on the team more than anything.
The team is depleted. This is the time these guys need to step up. Didn't happen tonight.
Tidbits:
--Clutterbuck has seven goals and 13 points in his past 15 games.
--131-104-27 Wild's record with Mikko Koivu; 6-8-3 without him (since 2008-09)
--5 Wild players have played all 33 games (Brodziak, Heatley, Powe, Schultz, Spurgeon)
--Clarification on the Charlie Coyle situation: The Wild was never willing to sign Coyle and place him now in Houston. If he left Boston University, he would have had to go play major junior or Europe. The Wild would never want a 19-year-old to leave college for the AHL.
Youngblood Sunday, I'll be back with ya after the morning skates Monday in Vancouver. I'll be XM Home Ice at 9:45 a.m. CT Monday and the Team 1040 in Vancouver at 7:30 p.m. CT Monday.
Goalie Hackett called up for injured Backstrom
Posted by: Michael Russo Updated: December 3, 2011 - 2:10 PMUPDATED
ANAHEIM, CALIF. – Wild goalie Niklas Backstrom strained his groin during the first period of Friday’s 4-2 win against the New Jersey Devils and will not be in uniform Sunday night against the Anaheim Ducks.
The Wild recalled Matt Hackett from Houston to back up Josh Harding.
Backstrom did travel, however, and is day-to-day.
“I don’t think it’s too serious. [He’ll miss] a few days,” coach Mike Yeo said.
Cal Clutterbuck, who missed Friday’s game with a leg injury, will decide during Sunday’s morning skate if he can play against the Ducks, while defenseman Justin Falk was placed on injured reserve and did not make the trip due to an “upper body” injury.
Defenseman Nate Prosser was recalled and center David McIntyre was reassigned.
Wild roster moves: Wellman, McIntyre promoted; Prosser, Peters demoted
Posted by: Michael Russo Updated: November 28, 2011 - 11:01 AMUPDATED:
Morning from the X, where back-to-back 5-2 home losses caused a management reaction this morning.
The Wild has reassigned defenseman Nate Prosser and center Warren Peters and recalled forwards Casey Wellman and David McIntyre. McIntyre, acquired this offseason from the New Jersey Devils for Maxim Noreau, will play tonight against Tampa Bay, meaning he'll make his NHL debut.
McIntyre will center a fourth line that coach Mike Yeo hasn't been happy with of late. Last night, as I mentioned on Twitter, he kept throwing them out to gain energy and momentum after goals against, and they'd spent the entire shifts in their own zone. Colton Gillies will be scratched.
Coach Mike Yeo calls McIntyre fast and tenacious, and he certainly showed that during a few impressive preseason games. Yeo has not been happy with Gillies' play of late, and he thinks Wellman and McIntyre can add a little "life."
Wellman leads the American Hockey League with seven power-play goals and ranks seventh with 11 goals. It sounds like he'll start on the fourth line with a chance to move up if he plays well. Yeo said he's not a believer in just giving ice time. He's got to earn it.
The Wild didn't skate this morning, but my guess is Cal Clutterbuck, who has four goals in eight games and has been shooting the puck a ton, will skate with Mikko Koivu and Dany Heatley. I'm thinking Devin Setoguchi skates with Matt Cullen and Pierre-Marc Bouchard.
The Wild also activated defenseman Greg Zanon off injured reserve, so don’t be surprised if Zanon returns from a groin injury for the first time in 17 games and Mike Lundin makes his Wild debut, likely for banged-up and suddenly-struggling Justin Falk. and he will return tonight for the first time in 17 games. Mike Lundin will also make his Wild debut after missing all season with a back injury.
Lundin will be paired with Nick Schultz, playing the right side. Greg Zanon will be paired with Clayton Stoner. Marco Scandella is paired with Jared Spurgeon and Justin Falk, banged up, will be scratched.
I'd assume Mathieu Garon starts for Tampa Bay tonight. The Lightning is coached by Guy Boucher, now amazingly the longest tenured Southeast Division coach with today's firings of Bruce Boudreau in Washington and Paul Maurice in Carolina.
Also, I talked to Clutterbuck, and it was Clutterbuck who sprayed Jarome Iginla in the visor with a water bottle after he says Iginla taunted the Wild bench. Clutterbuck also clarified it was Gatorade, not water. 
Coach Mike Yeo said he will come back with Niklas Backstrom tonight and give him a chance to respond.
Lastly, according to TSN's Bob McKenzie, Wild prospects Brett Bulmer and Zack Phillips have been invited to Canada's world junior camp.
Talk to you tonight. Happy Cyber Monday everybody!
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