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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 Wild game coverage
Wild TV play-by-play announcer won't be back
Posted by: Michael Russo Updated: April 20, 2012 - 4:01 PM
The Wild informed television play-by-play man Dan Terhaar that his contract will not be renewed, Terhaar confirmed Friday.
While all four broadcasters have expiring contracts, the Wild informed TV color analyst Mike Greenlay and the radio team of Bob Kurtz and Tom Reid that they will be re-signed.
A disappointed Terhaar said he met with Wild Vice President of Brand Marketing and Communications John Maher on Friday.
"They said they're going in a different direction," said Terhaar, who declined further comment until he comes to grips with the news. "It still hasn't sunk in."
Terhaar has been the Wild's TV voice for the past seven seasons.
After an inquiry from the Star Tribune, the Wild released the following statement:
The contracts of each of the Minnesota Wild television and radio announcers expired with the end of the 2011-2012 season. The team is in discussions to retain radio broadcasters Bob Kurtz and Tom Reid and television analyst Mike Greenlay and expects to make a final announcement regarding its broadcast teams later this spring.
The Minnesota Wild will hire a new television play-by-play announcer for the 2012-13 season. The Wild thanks Dan Terhaar for the seven seasons he devoted to the organization and wishes him the best in his future endeavors.
Disappointing Wild season ends with disappointing loss; Backstrom to undergo ankle surgery
Posted by: Michael Russo Updated: April 7, 2012 - 10:58 PMWell, sadly, the 2011-12 Minnesota Wild season has officially come to a close with a disappointing 4-1 season finale loss tonight at Xcel Energy Center against the Pacific Division-champion Phoenix Coyotes.
“We’d have the same feeling regardless of how the game turned out today,” coach Mike Yeo said afterward. “I think every one of us has to accept our share of the responsibility here. As much as anything, we have to use this feeling that we have right now. It’s an empty, disappointed, embarrassing feeling, and we have to use that – every one of us – as a force that drives you to be better next year.”
Similarly, captain Mikko Koivu said of the Wild’s fourth consecutive missed postseason, “We have to face it: We’re not where we want to be, and that has to change. I think everybody knows that it’s been too long that we finished a season like this. Being part of teams that are done at this part of the year, it’s just been too long.
“You have to learn from it. Obviously there’s things we can do better and we have to do better. You can’t just sweep it off and move forwards. You have to analyze what we have to do better to get where we want to be.”
In the finale, Chay Genoway, in his NHL debut, assisted on Dany Heatley’s 24th goal. Goalie Niklas Backstrom didn’t get his 20th win and Devin Setoguchi didn’t get his 20th goal – robbed by a scintillating save by Mike Smith on a power-play one-timer.
Backstrom told me after the game he won’t play for Finland on his home soil in the world championships. He’s been playing with an ankle injury since December, it’s been killing him the last couple weeks and he expects to undergo surgery next week.
It’s the end of the season, but I’m not done.
On Tuesday at 2 p.m., I believe, I’ll be hosting a live chat on startribune.com.
Read the year-end package in Sunday’s paper and the notebook on Guillaume Latendresse and Pierre-Marc Bouchard, as well as stuff on potentially re-signing Clayton Stoner and some other tidbits on Erik Haula and fellow prospects Charlie Coyle and Zack Phillips. In Monday’s paper, I will have a three-year look at Chuck Fletcher as GM. In Tuesday’s paper, I’ll have an odds and ends notebook. In Wednesday’s paper, a playoff preview. In Thursday’s paper, I’ll have an interview I conducted with owner Craig Leipold.
Check back in the blog Monday or Tuesday, too, because I’ll post pieces of the transcript from my interview the other day with Fletcher.
That’s it for me. I hope you enjoyed the Star Tribune’s coverage of the Wild this season.
Wild rallies to win 11th shootout; Prosser faces suspension
Posted by: Michael Russo Updated: April 6, 2012 - 7:07 AMFriday morning update: As expected, defenseman Nate Prosser has a hearing with the NHL this afternoon regarding his head-butt of Chicago forward Jamal Mayers, sources say. Prosser said the head-butt was unintentional, and coach Mike Yeo said that even though it may look bad, he also knows Nate Prosser and knows he wouldn't intentionally head-butt somebody.
The replay certainly looks bad though. As I wrote, my guess is Chay Genoway is recalled and will make his NHL debut in Saturday's finale vs. Phoenix if Prosser is suspended. I'm told it's very doubtful Clayton Stoner will be able to return.
Devin Setoguchi scored his second shootout winner in three games vs. the Chicago Blackhawks as the Wild rallied from a late 1-0 deficit to beat Chicago. Setoguchi has five shootout goals this year and deserved tonight because he had some tremendous chances through overtime and did everything he could on a few shifts to turn the momentum after a bad start from Minnesota.
The Wild is now 4-0-1 in its past five. Its past five wins have come in overtime or shootouts and six of its last seven.
The Wild has played in five consecutive overtimes for the first time in history and has played in 20 shootouts (11-9), tying Phoenix’s single-season NHL record set in 2009-10.
Cal Clutterbuck scored the tying goal with 3:12 left on a power play when he deflected Marco Scandella’s shot for his 100th career point and first goal since Feb. 26, snapping a 15-game drought. Josh Harding wasn’t beaten by three Chicago shooters and made 22 saves. Remember, he can be a free agent after this season, and with Niklas Backstrom likely making Saturday’s season finale start, this could be it for Harding.
Scandella, who also blocked six shots, skated a career-high 35:32 – the most in the NHL since Chris Pronger skated 35:43 on March 11, 2009. It marked the highest ice time for a rookie since Andrej Meszaros on April 5, 2006, who skated 37:47, according to Elias Sports Bureau. Scandella’s previous high was 31:11, set March 8 in Phoenix. The old franchise record was Brent Burns, who had 33:33 on Jan. 3, 2009, against Detroit.
This will be huge for Scandella going into next season.
“For sure it’s going to make a difference,” he said. “I’m just really happy to be out there in those situations. Tonight was a little more than I’m used to, but it’s really fun.”
Tom Gilbert skated a career-high 34:17, his fifth consecutive game topping the 30-minute mark. Four of his top five games in his career have come since March 8. The Wild now has 42 all-time 30-minute games, and seven of them have been Gilbert, who has played 19 games for the Wild.
Read the game story for their quotes, which were pretty good.
Why’d they play so much? Nate Prosser was booted for head-butting Jamal Mayers late in the first period.
“He pushed me in the stomach and I went forward. It was the most unintentional thing I think I’ve ever done,” Prosser said. “I think he sold it pretty well. He acted like his teeth were knocked out. I felt bad at the time, but then he’s back the next shift.”
If he is suspended, Chay Genoway is likely next on the callup list. If Genoway plays in Saturday’s finale against Phoenix, he’d be the Wild’s 47th player, 16th rookie and ninth to make his NHL debut. Remember, the maximum amount of players on a roster is 23, so the Wild has essentially fielded two teams.
Tyler Cuma was the 46th tonight.
Cuma, 22, nearly made his NHL debut March 8 at Phoenix, but he missed his flight due to limited time between his Vancouver-to-Houston arrival and Houston-to-Phoenix departure.
This time, he got the call at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday for a 5 p.m. flight. He got to the airport around 4 and breezed right through security.
The debut was a long time coming for Cuma, who has been devastated by a plethora of injuries, including three to his left knee, since the Wild chose him 23rd overall in 2008. Scandella, a second-round pick in the same draft, has catapulted past him on the depth chart.
“I was flying down the highway making sure I didn’t miss this flight this time around,” Cuma said. “With the last couple years the way things have gone for myself, fortunately so far this year I’ve had a full season down in the AHL. I’ve played a lot of games in a lot of different situations to get me ready for this. I’ve been waiting for this call for a long time.”
Cuma, other than a tough first shift and a delay-of-game penalty, moved the puck well and nearly scored on his third shift. He played 11:09.
“It’s tough seeing guys go up [to Minnesota] around you, but you’ve got to battle the ups and downs of the game,” Cuma said. “Injuries happen and things don’t go exactly the way you planned. My time is now. My opportunity is here.”
Coach Mike Yeo said Cuma will be better for the adversity he has faced.
“Nothing’s been given to him,” Yeo said. “I think that helps people in the long run. When things are given to you, there’s a sense of entitlement. The harder you have to work toward something and the harder you have to fight for it, the harder you’re going to work to hang onto it.”
Minnesota is 20-15-7 against teams currently in playoff position, and 15-20-4 versus teams not in the top eight.
“When we play against certain teams and our urgency level is up, your battle level is up, there’s almost a bit of fear going into the games,” Yeo said. “If you look at our record vs. the Eastern Conference (5-9-4) or [out of playoff teams], it’s an area we have to certainly make sure we’re much better at next year.
“It’ll be part of our exit meetings. We have to dig into this. We’re not ready to play the same type of game against those teams. It’s a lesson for us and something we have to improve.
“There’s a lot of ‘What could have beens and if onlys.’ It’s been a difficult time. That’s why I give our guys credit because it’s difficult on them, too. Real happy to see a lot of happy people living the building. I don’t know how many Chicago fans. I’m glad that they’re leaving. But I like seeing our fans leaving happy. We want to win some games for our fans. We want to give them something to feel good about here. We want them proud of a group that doesn’t quit.”
Talk to you Friday
If it's a shootout, the Wild's usually involved
Posted by: Michael Russo Updated: April 3, 2012 - 11:26 PMThe Nashville Predators got to the 100-point plateau tonight with a 2-1 shootout win over the Wild. Quality effort by the Wild, but no dice in the shootout when the Wild went 0-for-3 and Niklas Backstrom was beaten on a pretty nasty shot by Alex Radulov.
The Wild fell to 10-9 in shootouts. That’s the most in the NHL. I’m no math genius, but that’s 19 stressful ... file-the-second-the-game’s-over stories for first edition.
This was the fourth consecutive overtime for the Wild, incidentally. Six periods to go in this season, excluding the inevitable shootouts.
In the nightly casualty report, Clayton Stoner looked to get hurt in the third period on an Andrei Kostitsyn hit, but he did return. And Kyle Brodziak played with a bunch of stitches in his face after being clipped by teammate Darroll Powe’s left skate. He cut his left cheek and the outside of the left side of his nose.
He was real sore after the game, so he didn’t want to speak, but he looked to have trouble playing the puck after, probably because he’s not normally used to wearing a visor. He’s one of three healthy guys on the Wild that doesn’t wear one.
He didn’t just wear a visor, but athletic therapist Don Fuller told the equipment gents to get a ¾ visor to protect Brodziak, and the best they had was the specially-ordered Dany Heatley long model.
It’s amazing how many injuries the Wild’s had this season and still have right now, yet Nashville’s completely healthy.
“It’s a little ridiculous how things can go like this,” said defenseman Justin Falk, who was real good tonight. “It’s comical to the point where you just want it to end, the guys to be healthy, you want the best for each other. Nobody can play at 100 percent unless they’re feeling 100 percent. We have a lot of guys playing nicked up as well. Like you saw tonight, no shortage of effort and desire out there.”
That’s really it for me. I’m trying to get on an earlier flight in the morning. Read the gamer for all the details, but the ice was bad, Dany Heatley scored his team-leading 23rd, the blue line was good, the effort was solid, the Jason Zucker-Erik Christensen-Nick Johnson line bounced back fairly well after a bad game in Chicago that forced coach Mike Yeo to barely play them.
One weird moment came on a 10-minute video review in the second with the game scoreless.
Nick Spaling, always good against Minnesota, threw a puck in the crease. After a mad scramble, replays showed Johnson fishing the puck from deep inside his net.
But the goal was disallowed after FOREVER when the NHL said referee Ghislain Hebert finally determined he had blown his whistle to declare play dead prior to the puck crossing the goal line.
OK, Kent has practice Wednesday as I work ahead on my end of the season stuff.
Wild's top line shines in shootout win at Chicago
Posted by: Michael Russo Updated: April 1, 2012 - 10:24 PMVery entertaining game here at the United Center tonight as the Wild overcame the Blackhawks rallying from a 4-2 deficit to beat the playoff-bound team, 5-4, in a shootout.
Five of the Wild’s last six wins have come in a shootout or overtime and the Wild has won five of its last six shootouts and four in a row.
Devin Setoguchi, who was brilliant tonight, scored his fourth shootout goal of the season, and it was the winner. Erik Christensen, on another sick move, scored his 29th career shootout goal. That’s tied for third in the NHL and he is 5 for 7 with the Wild.
The Wild has won three in a row for the first time since it won seven in a row from Nov. 28-Dec. 10 (also known as, “nobody has a clue that the wheels are about to fall off the season in a most catastrophic way starting next game).
Catchy, isn’t it? 
The top line of Setoguchi, Mikko Koivu and Dany Heatley was outstanding tonight, spending all game virtually in the offensive zone. The line combined for seven points, with Setoguchi notching his 8th career 3-point game and Heatley scoring his 22nd goal and having an assist on Setoguchi’s game-opening breakaway-and-rebound goal.
Heatley’s goal led the team for a period until red-hot Kyle Brodziak again tied him with his 22nd. Koivu also had two assists, including Clayton Stoner’s first goal since Feb. 25, 2011, at Anaheim.
It was an intense, nasty game at times. I guess the Blackhawks aren’t very grateful to the Wild for single-handedly putting them in the playoffs last year!
Three fights, lots of scrums and it all started with Brandon Bollig, a 25-year-old, undrafted, enforcer from St. Lawrence University, lining up next to Heatley after Heatley apparently slashed Patrick Kane (I missed it, but I heard it did happen).
Whatever Bollig said to Heatley, Heatley was breathing fire during an incredible war of words. Right after, Stoner fought Bollig.
“It tells your teammates that you’re there for each other. That stuff is contagious,” coach Mike Yeo said.
Soon after, Setoguchi (who played his best game in a Wild sweater, Yeo felt) got things started with his 19th goal. After a dynamite headman pass by Heatley, Setoguchi was stopped by Ray Emery on a breakaway. But the puck squeezed behind him and Setoguchi found it in the blue paint.
Patrick Sharp answered 34 seconds later after an awesome setup by Wild 2009 first-round pick Nick Leddy (he and Johnny Oduya were real good tonight).
But on an ensuing power play, the Wild continued its marvelous puck movement of late and Heatley completed his 22nd goal by burying a tic-tac-toe from Koivu and Setoguchi.
Victor Stalberg, a threat all night, tied the score early in the second period, but 20 seconds later, Koivu sent in Setoguchi for a tremendous chance and Stoner scored his first goal in 67 games.
Just 41 seconds later, the Wild took a 4-2 lead when Brodziak was hit by Tom Gilbert’s shot, then found the loose puck for the tally.
But Kane cut it to 4-3 late in the second, then Kane tied it with 2:45 left after Koivu tripped Dave Bolland (I thought it was a dive, but Koivu reached in the neutral zone, which is asking for trouble).
Both teams were playing in the second of back-to-backs in Chicago’s regular season final home game. Yeo pretty much used the Koivu and Brodziak lines all game to avoid matchups, plus the Christensen-Nick Johnson-Jason Zucker line spent much of their shifts in the d-zone. Christensen and Zucker were minus-2 and at one point Johnson was minus-3 on eight shifts.
Now that the Wild’s winning, it’s seventh worst in the NHL. Only bottom five gets a crack at the No. 1 overall draft pick.
Yes, this is sooooooooooooooooooooooooo Minnesota Wild. Painful season and blowing its chances for a top-5 pick.
That’s not Yeo’s problem. His job is to win, and he says, create the culture that’ll turn this franchise into a consistent winner.
“I know that our scouts are going to get a good player,” Yeo said. “My job is not to try to help the scouts in this situation.”
If you didn’t see, Steve Kampfer suffered a knee injury and is done. Warren Peters has a pinched nerve and will meet the team in Nashville. If he can play and no other forward is hurt, Cody Almond will have to go back. I thought he played real well tonight and got into a good scrap with Andrew Shaw.
Also, Nate Prosser played a great, great game, and Gilbert was terrific. Logged 31:56 of ice time. Four of his top six ice times in his career are with Minnesota and this was his second most, topping last night.
On to Nashville for the last road game of the season.
Talk to you Monday.
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