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GDT: Wild @ Blues -- 7pm -- FSMW & KMOX

Posted: Fri Oct 23, 2009 11:56 am
by cprice12
Did we forget about the GDT? :lol:
Minnesota (2-6-0) at St. Louis (3-3-1)
http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/preview?gid=2009102319

Game info: 7:00 pm Fri Oct 23, 2009
TV: FSMW
By SANTOSH VENKATARAMAN, STATS Senior Writer

A road-heavy early schedule has taken its toll on the Minnesota Wild.

The Western Conference-worst Wild look to avoid a seventh defeat in as many road games this season Thursday night when they take on the St. Louis Blues.

Minnesota (2-6-0), adjusting to a new system under first-year coach Todd Richards, already has played six road games and lost them all while getting outscored 22-11.

The Wild have matched their worst road losing streak from all of last season and now look to avoid recording their longest since a franchise-record 11 straight road defeats from Nov. 20, 2006-Jan. 9, 2007.

They lost both of their games in St. Louis in 2008-09 and Niklas Backstrom(notes) was in net each time, though he went on to become a Vezina Trophy finalist with a 2.33 goals-against average. He’s 0-3 with a 5.18 GAA in three starts at Scottrade Center, getting pulled after two periods in two of them.

Backup Josh Harding(notes) has won his only two starts in St. Louis and has a 0.74 GAA in four career appearances there. However, he’s given up 11 goals in two starts this season.

St. Louis (3-3-1) went 3-1 against the Wild last season behind right wing Brad Boyes(notes), who had three goals and two assists in the Blues’ three victories.

This will be Minnesota’s first road game since Mikko Koivu(notes) was named captain Tuesday. The move seemed to pay dividends Wednesday as the Wild ended their five-game skid, as Koivu scored the tying goal with 4:51 left in regulation and the only goal in the shootout of a 3-2 victory over Colorado.

“He leads by example. He battles and competes,” Richards said. “He’s not perfect by any means, but his hard work and his effort makes up for a lot of the mistakes that happen in a game, whether it’s by him or his teammates.”

The Wild believe they will get better as they continue trying to jell. Offseason acquisition Martin Havlat(notes) returned from a two-game absence because of a strained groin muscle and the Wild also welcomed right wing Chuck Kobasew(notes) to the lineup. Kobasew was acquired in a trade with Boston on Sunday.

“You wonder if you’ll ever get over the hump, so hopefully this does give the guys some confidence as far as finding ways to win games,” Richards said.

The Blues are back home after a dismal end to a three-game road trip. They split the first two games before falling behind by four goals midway through a 5-1 loss at Pittsburgh on Tuesday.

Three nights earlier, St. Louis was dominant in a 5-0 victory at Anaheim.

“For us not to be ready to play the defending Stanley Cup champions is unacceptable,” Blues goalie Chris Mason(notes) said. “We come off a good second and third period in Anaheim against a very good team. I don’t know if we’re getting a little ahead of ourselves and getting a little cocky and thinking that it should be easier than it really is. … To come out like we did against these guys, this is what’s going to happen.”

The Blues held a team meeting upon returning home and no doubt are looking for more from Boyes, who has one goal this season. Boyes led St. Louis in that department each of the last two seasons and had 33 in 2008-09.

Re: GDT: Wild @ Blues -- 7pm -- FSMW & KMOX

Posted: Fri Oct 23, 2009 11:57 am
by cprice12
BLUES PREVIEW — The Blues are looking for their first victory at Scottrade Center this season. They are officially 1-2 at home this season, but the team's lone "home" win came in Sweden against the Detroit Red Wings.


WILD PREVIEW — Minnesota, which is 15th in the Western Conference with a record of 2-6, is winless in six road games. The Wild would equal the franchise's record for consecutive road losses in regulation with a defeat.

WHAT TO WATCH — D.J. King returned to the team after a two-week conditioning stint in Peoria. King hasn't played a game since October 2008, missing all but one game in 2008-09 because of a shoulder injury.

INJURIES — BLUES — LW D.J. King (thumb), questionable; C Alex Steen (wrist), D Barret Jackman (ankle) and D Eric Brewer (back), out; WILD — RW Petr Sykora (groin), questionable; C Pierre-Marc Bouchard (concussion) and RW Cal Clutterbuck (high-ankle sprain), out.

Re: GDT: Wild @ Blues -- 7pm -- FSMW & KMOX

Posted: Fri Oct 23, 2009 12:36 pm
by SteveO
Damnit. I was hoping for a big win tonight.

I hope we don't pull the "slumpbusters" tonight.

Re: GDT: Wild @ Blues -- 7pm -- FSMW & KMOX

Posted: Fri Oct 23, 2009 1:10 pm
by stlcujo
cprice12 wrote:
INJURIES — BLUES — questionable; C Alex Steen (wrist)
saw him at the grocery store today, he had a breast cancer pink cast on his wrist...

Re: GDT: Wild @ Blues -- 7pm -- FSMW & KMOX

Posted: Fri Oct 23, 2009 1:48 pm
by cprice12
Tonight's game will not be available on DishNetwork.

From FSMW:
Blues fans: DISH has decided not to televise tonight’s game vs. the Wild and possibly many more this season. FOX Sports Midwest increased the number of Blues games it is televising and will show an all-time high 74 Blues games. Most distributors have decided to carry the additional games, but DISH has not. FOX Sports Midwest remains ready to find a solution, but unfortunately, we don’t expect a deal anytime soon, as DISH has declined to negotiate with us. We will do our best to keep fans updated on this issue. Thank you.

Re: GDT: Wild @ Blues -- 7pm -- FSMW & KMOX

Posted: Fri Oct 23, 2009 1:51 pm
by SIU LAW
There is a question whether the game will be aired as a tape delay at 11:00 p.m.

Re: GDT: Wild @ Blues -- 7pm -- FSMW & KMOX

Posted: Fri Oct 23, 2009 2:39 pm
by comeoriginal
Image ???

Re: GDT: Wild @ Blues -- 7pm -- FSMW & KMOX

Posted: Fri Oct 23, 2009 3:29 pm
by abc789987
cprice12 wrote:Tonight's game will not be available on DishNetwork.

From FSMW:
Blues fans: DISH has decided not to televise tonight’s game vs. the Wild and possibly many more this season. FOX Sports Midwest increased the number of Blues games it is televising and will show an all-time high 74 Blues games. Most distributors have decided to carry the additional games, but DISH has not. FOX Sports Midwest remains ready to find a solution, but unfortunately, we don’t expect a deal anytime soon, as DISH has declined to negotiate with us. We will do our best to keep fans updated on this issue. Thank you.
Fack you Dish...
If you gots the internets you should be able to watch on atdhe.net
Wild@Blues

Re: GDT: Wild @ Blues -- 7pm -- FSMW & KMOX

Posted: Fri Oct 23, 2009 5:48 pm
by stlmark
I'm unable to watch this one. So we win 5-0. :letsgoblues:

Re: GDT: Wild @ Blues -- 7pm -- FSMW & KMOX

Posted: Fri Oct 23, 2009 6:24 pm
by sseagle
Ugly (green?) thirds... Early leads are good.

Re: GDT: Wild @ Blues -- 7pm -- FSMW & KMOX

Posted: Fri Oct 23, 2009 6:50 pm
by strocklen083
Playing well so far... although MIN doesn't look like a very good team. Nice to see early lead though.

Re: GDT: Wild @ Blues -- 7pm -- FSMW & KMOX

Posted: Fri Oct 23, 2009 6:53 pm
by SIU LAW
Someone was talking, so I missed some of it, but did Chaser just completely rip into Andy Strickland? He talked trash about some "blogger" ("not even a reporter I would say...just a blogger"). Whoever it was, he stopped short of calling him an idiot.

Re: GDT: Wild @ Blues -- 7pm -- FSMW & KMOX

Posted: Fri Oct 23, 2009 6:55 pm
by abc789987
can i watch this on atdhe? or is it broken.... sorry would have asked awhile ago but i fell asleep...

Re: GDT: Wild @ Blues -- 7pm -- FSMW & KMOX

Posted: Fri Oct 23, 2009 7:19 pm
by glen a richter
abc, the atdhe feed is working fine now. Get back in flashchat, dammit.

Re: GDT: Wild @ Blues -- 7pm -- FSMW & KMOX

Posted: Fri Oct 23, 2009 7:20 pm
by glen a richter
sseagle wrote:Ugly (green?) thirds... Early leads are good.
I don't know why, but I like the Wild 3rds.

Re: GDT: Wild @ Blues -- 7pm -- FSMW & KMOX

Posted: Fri Oct 23, 2009 8:13 pm
by Krigloch the Furious
they look cool, actually

Re: GDT: Wild @ Blues -- 7pm -- FSMW & KMOX

Posted: Fri Oct 23, 2009 8:31 pm
by gaijin
glen a richter wrote:
sseagle wrote:Ugly (green?) thirds... Early leads are good.
I don't know why, but I like the Wild 3rds.
They should have just taken the old North Stars green jersey and simply add another leg to the "N" to make it an "M" for Minnesota, or flip it upside-down for a "W" for Wild.

ENG Boyes!

Re: GDT: Wild @ Blues -- 7pm -- FSMW & KMOX

Posted: Fri Oct 23, 2009 8:40 pm
by abc789987
glen a richter wrote:abc, the atdhe feed is working fine now. Get back in flashchat, dammit.
thanks... i get this now....lol

Re: GDT: Wild @ Blues -- 7pm -- FSMW & KMOX

Posted: Fri Oct 23, 2009 9:38 pm
by Sweetred95ta
Good game. Not great, but good. The Wild aren't the best team around, but it seemed like we actually showed up to play.

Re: GDT: Wild @ Blues -- 7pm -- FSMW & KMOX

Posted: Fri Oct 23, 2009 9:59 pm
by Nyghtewynd
That's better.

It was absolutely freaking insulting, though, to see all of the Dish advertising that the Blues were doing. I guess I know who I'm calling on Monday.