Author: David Shama

Without goal scorer Marian Gaborik and goalie Manny Fernandez the Minnesota Wild are a struggling road team.  The performances of Gaborik and Fernandez helped the Wild break an 11 game road losing streak last week with wins against Vancouver, Edmonton and Chicago. 

Gaborik, who missed 34 games because of a groin injury, returned to the lineup against Vancouver, scored two goals and put the NHL on notice the Wild is a different team when he plays.  Former Minnesota North Stars president Lou Nanne told Sports Headliners that Gaborik has “tremendous talent and skills.”  He also said Gaborik probably is a “top 20” goal scorer among NHL players based on a full season.  At 24, Gaborik’s “best years” should be coming up, according to Nanne.  Gaborik has already had three 30 goal or better seasons for the Wild. 

Fernandez was superb in the road wins including 38 saves against Chicago.  That stretch was the kind of consistency Nanne said Fernandez must have for the Wild to cause a stir in the playoffs.  Last season Fernandez had career and club highs for appearances and wins.  He was sixth in the NHL in saves and goals against average.  

Nanne believes the Wild can be a top five team in the Western Conference.  He said the team is now “in position to move up in the standings.”  Minnesota is only two points behind Vancouver in the Northwest Division. 

The Wild are back in Chicago this Friday night, hoping to win their seventh straight game over the Blackhawks.  All three of the wins this season have been in overtime.

A source told Sports Headliners professional boxing is expected to continue its revival in Minnesota with a card on April 6 at Target Center headlined by Jason Litzau, light heavyweight from St. Paul who has fought on HBO.  The latest boxing success was last Friday night when a card with a main event between Shakopee’s Anthony Bonsante and St. Paul’s Matt Vanda helped draw a crowd of more than 7,000 at Target Center.  Walk up ticket sales were approximately 4,000 and the paid ticket receipts about $226,000, according to the source. 

Bonsante, defending his International Boxing Association Americas and Minnesota middleweight championships, defeated Vanda by unanimous decision in a long awaited grudge match. There’s talk now that Bonsante will fight John Duddy for the IBA world middleweight title in New York on March 16. 

Prior to the fight at Target Center Bonsante said, “I’m 36 and have a lot more to fight for than he does – pride! Like they said in (the movie) ‘The Cinderella Man,’ I know what I’m fighting for, my two children and new fiancé. You know, Vanda isn’t that bright, or he wouldn’t need his name tattooed on him to know how to spell it.” 

Also on last week’s card Minneapolis heavyweight Joey Abell, now 10-1, defeated Larry White from Alabama.  Abell has won all of his fights by knockout or technical knockouts. 

Until recently boxing wasn’t sanctioned by the state of Minnesota. Last year the state re-established a Minnesota Boxing Commission. Friday night’s event at Target Center followed up on a card in the building late last year.

Twins players and front office personnel will be among about 250 people attending a retirement party for Brad Radke on Saturday at a Tampa hotel.

USA Today on Monday had the Timberwolves ranked 7^th among the top 10 NBA teams.  All the teams ranked ahead of the Wolves are Western Conference teams except Cleveland at No. 6.   The Wolves were the highest ranked team from their division (Northwest) with Utah ranked No. 10.  Dallas and Phoenix were No. 1 and No. 2.

The No. 1 ranked Gopher hockey team will try to continue its 21 game home winning streak Friday and Saturday against Denver.  The Pioneers have the second best goals per game defense in the WCHA, 2.08.  Denver, in a three way tie for second place in the WCHA with St. Cloud State and Colorado College, has four players who have scored over 20 points, Brock Trotter (28), Ryan Dingle (27), Rhett Rakhshani (25) and Tyler Ruegsegger (24).

The timing of the search for the new Gopher football coach was unusual. Most schools were searching for coaches in November and December.  Schools like Arizona State (Dennis Erickson) and North Carolina (Butch Davis) hired big name coaches before year end.  Erickson and Davis both had great teams at the University of Miami and were also head coaches in the NFL.

Whitney Taney, who finished her high school career at Edina undefeated, is ranked No. 29 by the United States Tennis Association in girls 18 and under.  She will play this weekend as the No. 1 seed in the Midwest Winter Championships in Grand Blanc, Michigan.  Taney, who will enroll at Michigan later this year, will play in the local Boston Scientific Women’s Pro Tennis Classic on Sunday, February 11 at Fort Snelling Tennis Learning Center.