Greetings from Ottawa, where the freezing rain is coming down on a gloomy day in Canada's capital.
The Wild's doing well though. Winners of three straight on the road, day off yesterday, a good practice today, gear that hasn't gone up in flames.
Really not a whole lot going on.
If today's practice was any indication, coach John Torchetti is going with the same lineup Tuesday against the Senators as he did during Saturday's 4-1 win at Montreal.
Torchetti is usually pretty cloak and dagger with his lineup though, so just because he went with the same lines today doesn't mean he will Tuesday.
If he does, Jason Zucker, Chris Porter and Mike Reilly could be on the shelf for a second game in a row.
Zucker, who has one goal and two assists in his past 21 games, wasn't on a regular line today.
Asked why Zucker was taken out of the lineup against the Habs, Torchetti repeated what he told me the other day, "Got to play a two-way game and the rest we talked about one-on-one."
Asked if Zucker would play, Torchetti said, "We'll see what tomorrow brings."
"I just got to be better," Zucker said. "That's what it comes down to. I'm not playing well enough."
Zucker, too, said his conversation with Torchetti will remain between them.
One player who seemed to get Torchetti's message was Thomas Vanek, who played as strong a game as he has in awhile in Montreal. Torchetti said again today that Vanek knows what is expected from him. I'll have more from Vanek in Tuesday's paper.
Torchetti again made clear today that he has told the team that if any player isn't doing what is expected of them, they're subject to being removed from the lineup. Torchetti said it's a group decision with the coaching staff and GM Chuck Fletcher, but Fletcher has left the final decision up to Torchetti.
One player definitely out for a third game in a row is Jason Pominville. He is on the trip but not skating. He worked out with strength and conditioning coach Kirk Olson today off the ice and is still limping around pretty good. Torchetti said Pominville is doubtful for Thursday's game in New Jersey, too.
The Senators, who give up the most shots per game (33.3) and fourth-most goals per game (3.03), are the only team in the NHL the Wild has yet to play this season and they're usually a team the Wild struggles against. The Wild is 2-7-1 in its past 10 against the Senators and has lost five of seven all-time games in Ottawa.
That's it for moi. As you can see, not much up. Only news out of the GM's meetings so far is what I reported in my Sunday Insider eight days ago: there will be blue line cameras for offside challenges starting in the playoffs.
Talk to ya Tuesday after the skates.
