Cullen game-time decision; Behind the Scenes: Derek Boogaard

Afternoon from balmy Arizona, where it's sunny and in the low-70s.

It's tough to deal with.

Matt Cullen is a game-time decision tonight with a "lower body" injury. He'll test it in warmups. With back-to-back games on the weekend in southern California, the edict to Cullen is don't risk it tonight if you feel like it's not 100 percent in warmups. In other words, don't worsen it.

If he comes out, Patrick O'Sullivan plays. If Cullen plays, there's a chance O'Sullivan is scratched for a second straight game unless coach Todd Richards decides to drop Antti Miettinen to the third line and somebody else (Brad Staubitz maybe, Eric Nystrom maybe) comes out.

Richards seemed to be considering the O'Sullivan on the first-line option to "get Mikko going," so if I had to guess, O'Sullivan plays.

But just like O'Sullivan in L.A., Edmonton or Carolina, I don't suspect you'll ever see O'Sullivan play in a game here that's not on the first or second line. He's just not cognizant enough defensively or gritty enough.

If he can't be effective there, he won't dress like the other night in Dallas. The Wild picked up O'Sullivan off waivers to fill Pierre-Marc Bouchard's skilled role because the team had no idea when Bouchard would return. Now Bouchard's back and playing well, which affects O'Sullivan unless Richards is willing to keep Koivu and Miettinen separated.

Richards is looking for a big game from the Wild. He said the morning skate was a "bit quiet," which at first seemed to concern him. But then he said he believes the team was just getting focused because this is a "big game."

Nik Backstrom in the nets. Jared Spurgeon plays. Clayton Stoner is scratched.

Without further ado, here's a behind the scenes video of Derek Boogaard's photo shoot with Men's Journal and the picture I was describing to you the other day.