KIRILL KAPRIZOV – Page 13 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Lou Nanne: Wild Need Goalie Change

Posted on May 11, 2022May 11, 2022 by David Shama

Lou Nanne told Sports Headliners this morning he believes the Minnesota Wild should change goaltenders for tomorrow night’s Game Six against the St. Louis Blues.

The Wild trail three games to two in the best of seven NHL playoff series and will be on the road Thursday night in a must-win situation. Goalie Marc-Andre Fleury has started the previous five games for Minnesota including last night’s 5-2 loss at Xcel Energy. “He just looked like he was fighting the puck a little bit and not controlling rebounds like he could have,” Nanne said.

In the series the 37-year-old Fleury, a former Stanley Cup winner with the Pittsburgh Penguins and the reigning Vezina Trophy winner, has a 3.04 GAA and .906 save percentage.

Goalie Cam Talbot was clearly the No. 1 goalie until Fleury was acquired in a late season trade from the Chicago Blackhawks. Nanne believes it’s overdue to insert Talbot into the lineup. “I just think maybe he might give them a shot in the arm,” Nanne said.

Talbot hasn’t played since April 28 and Nanne hopes a layoff won’t impact the 34-year-old if Wild coach Dean Evason makes a change at goalie. Can Talbot play at a high level Thursday night?

“You can never tell until he does it, but what are your choices?” Nanne said. “…I just wish he would have played earlier, that’s all. I just think Talbot was a guy that earned the spot…the way he played.”

Talbot started 48 regular season games for the Wild and was more than solid with a 2.76 GAA in a year that saw him play in the NHL All-Star Game. In the view of Nanne and others, Talbot’s season earned him the opportunity to start the series. But Nanne admires Fleury, too, and he realizes it’s difficult to decide on goalies when resumes of success are similar.

“I just like to see when you’ve got two good goaltenders, try to find the one that is really going to bring you through. It’s a tough decision. Nobody knows when it’s going to be right.”

Kevin Fiala, the Wild’s No. 3 goal scorer during the regular season and second in points, hasn’t found the net in the series. Nanne referred to Fiala as a “gigantic” key in tomorrow night’s game. “They need his help,” Nanne said.

Fiala appears to be pressing and not playing like himself. “He’s so anxious he’s not playing as smoothly as he did,” Nanne said. “I still believe in him. …Hopefully he’s going to come through next game.”

In the loss last night, second-year left wing Kirill Kaprizov scored Minnesota’s two goals on power plays. He was in the mix most of the night with potential goals and playmaking despite St. Louis players trying to knock him on his butt or shoving a stick toward his face. “He was absolutely spectacular,” said Nanne who labels Kaprizov the franchise’s best player ever.

Considering the quality of the opponent, the pressure of the playoffs, the physicality and strategies of the game, Nanne said he’s never seen a player perform better than the 25-year-old Kaprizov did last evening.

Nanne has closely followed the NHL for more than six decades. Now the godfather of Minnesota hockey, he was an All-American defenseman for the Gophers, and later a player, coach, GM and president with the Minnesota North Stars who relocated to Dallas after the 1992-1993 season.

Worth Noting

Shortly after the Twins signed shortstop Carlos Correa to the highest average annual salary for an infielder in MLB history, team president Dave St. Peter told Sports Headliners how impressed he is with the All-Star’s character. The Puerto Rico native cares about his teammates and wants to help them, including young players he can influence.

Bob Nightengale of USA Today wrote Monday about the great start to the season Jeremy Peña is having as the rookie replaces Correa as the Astros’ shortstop. “Carlos has been great to me since the first day (two years ago) I met him,” Peña told Nightengale. “He helped me out so much. A mentor to me. …”

The 2022 Vikings’ draft has been second-guessed but received some praise Monday from Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz also with USA Today. He wrote about top 10 steals from the 2022 NFL Draft and he first profiled cornerback Andrew Booth, whom the Vikings selected late in the second round. Injuries have slowed Booth since high school but he could have the skills worthy of going in the first round.

Condolences to the family and many friends of former Golden Gophers defensive end Leon Trawick who passed away Friday. The Washington D.C. native was a sophomore contributor to the 1967 team that won the Big Ten championship and he later became a Minneapolis attorney.

A 1969 Academic All-Big Ten selection, Leon battled brain cancer and was in hospice before passing. An email trail from former U athletes praised him as a great friend.

Former Minnesota Mr. Basketball Tyus Jones, who has a home in the Minneapolis area, could be a coveted free agent this summer after impressing in the playoffs this spring and averaging a career-best 8.7 points in the regular season. The seven-year point guard makes minimal mental and physical mistakes. He could start tonight for the Grizzlies in the absence of Ja Morant, with Memphis trailing the Warriors 3-1 in their playoff series.

Lindsay Whalen, the U women’s basketball coach who will be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame September 10 for her legendary career as a player, turned 40 on Monday.

Legendary Gopher baseball coach John Anderson, now in his 41st season, will be 67 next Monday.

Anderson’s redshirt junior right-hander, Aidan Maldonado, is the co-Big Ten Pitcher of the Week. The Rosemount, Minnesota native pitched a career-high seven innings Sunday, allowing five hits and one earned run while striking out eight in a 3-1 win over Nebraska.

Peter King and his identical twin Richard were the first batboys for the Twins in 1961 after the franchise relocated from Washington D.C. Sorry to learn that Peter, from Prior Lake, recently passed away.

Phil Anderson, GM at North Oaks Golf Club and Dave Tentis, PGA head pro at Troy Burne Golf Club, offer their views on the Upper Midwest golf industry as the latest guests on the “Behind the Game” program seen on local cable markets and YouTube. The show is co-hosted by Agile Marketing owner Patrick Klinger and USHL commissioner Bill Robertson. https://youtu.be/fZsxVOVmoFk

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Wild Owner Praises “Special Team”

Posted on May 1, 2022 by David Shama

Craig Leipold has owned the Minnesota Wild since 2008. Before that he owned another NHL franchise, the Nashville Predators.

“This is the best team I’ve had in 22 years of owning an NHL (club),” he told Sports Headliners. “It is the full package; very few weaknesses on this team. …It’s a special team and I think special things are going to happen.”

The Wild finished the regular season Friday night with a 53-22-7 record and second place in the Central Division. That’s the franchise’s best record ever. When Leipold owned the Predators they had best seasons of 51 and 49 wins.

The Wild open the playoffs at home Monday night against the St. Louis Blues. Even a casual Wild fan wonders whether this Minnesota team can make a deep playoff run and perhaps win the league’s ultimate prize, the Stanley Cup. That would be a first for the Wild franchise that started as an expansion franchise in the 2000-2001 season.

“It’s a fine line,” Leipold said. “It takes a lot of luck, let’s be honest. It takes a healthy team. It takes a hot goal tender. It takes very opportunistic goals at the right time. And we have the ability to do all of that.

“We don’t have many weaknesses—and our power play and penalty killing I guess would be the two. But five-on-five we’re in the top of the league. You play five-on-five for 80 to 90 percent of the game so I like our chances.

“The first round against the St. Louis Blues is going to be a really good series. If you’re a hockey fan, you’re going to want to watch these two teams play.”

A developing worry since Leipold spoke to Sports Headliners is Friday night’s injury to forward Marcus Foligno. He left the game against the Colorado Avalanche after being kneed in the first period. Part of a shutdown line, his potential absence in the playoffs would be a setback for Minnesota.

Leipold watched his team practice late last week and he saw energized players enjoying themselves, not a group worn down by the grind of the 82-game regular season. “You can tell, they’re just having a great time.”

Leipold hired general manager Bill Guerin in August of 2019. He has renovated the roster and installed former assistant coach Dean Evason as head coach. Guerin, who came from the Pittsburgh Penguins as assistant GM, has shown a discerning eye for both evaluating player talent and character.

Guerin has earned the owner’s trust and confidence in making moves like adding defenseman Dmitri Kulikov last summer. The 31-year-old veteran’s experience and skills were a welcome addition to the roster, and presumably, too, is the Russian’s fit in the locker room where he joined countryman Kirill Kaprizov, last season’s NHL Rookie of the Year.

“Billy knows he’s got the green light to do any of those kinds of deals,” Leipold said. “He doesn’t need my approval for that. He’ll just do that deal. …I was very happy to get a player like Kulikov on our team.”

There is something else about Guerin that impresses Leipold a lot and it’s the GM’s will to win. “He wants to win a Stanley Cup where he is the general manager. Where this is his team. …It’s great to have a GM and a leader in that department that is driven that way.”

Kaprizov led the team in regular season goals, assists and points. He is in the first season of a five-year deal. Kevin Fiala was second in goals and points, and the Wild face a salary cap crunch trying to re-sign the restricted free agent in the off season. “I can tell you when we look at players we want to sign next year, Kevin Fiala is on top of the list,” Leipold said.

The owner can’t be sure he and Guerin will be able to retain Fiala. “If we were unencumbered by a cap system, we would spend whatever it takes to get him. But we live in a salary cap world and Kevin has played himself into a very good contract for next year, and we’ll see where it goes.”

The Wild and other NHL teams went through the worst of financial times at the height of the pandemic when fans weren’t allowed to attend games. Now the Wild are playing before sellout crowds and that’s significant in the NHL where gate receipts are vital to the bottom line.

Leipold said all the home playoff games will be sellouts and his expectation is the same for the 2022-2023 season. “The fans are spectacular. They see in this team a special team as well.”

Worth Noting

Anyone remember a Gopher player performing a song at halftime of a U spring football game? That’s what happened yesterday when sixth-year tight end Sam Pickerign sang on the field while a TV audience watched on the Big Ten Network.

Head coach P.J. Fleck also used his creativity showcasing wide receiver Michael Brown-Stephens who was targeted for numerous passes and also lined up in the backfield while his high school brother, Anthony Brown, watched from the sidelines. Brown is a four-star receiving prospect from Springfield, Ohio who has shown considerable interest in Minnesota.

Brown-Stephens was one of three spring game MVP’s along with defensive back Miles Fleming and kicker Matthew Trickett.

The maroon and gold defenses impressed in the intra-squad game, with defensive line redshirt freshman Austin Booker and Western Kentucky transfer cornerback Beanie Bishop among the standouts.

Byron Buxton apparently likes the month of April. Although the Twins center fielder missed some games with injuries, including yesterday, he played enough to lead the team in home runs and RBI (11). His six homers rank near the top among MLB leaders.

Buxton’s April a year ago was spectacular when he won the American League Player of the Month award. He hit .426, with eight home runs and 14 RBI. He scored 15 runs, with a .466 on-base percentage, an .897 slugging percentage and a 1.363 OPS. He set Twins records for March/April in batting average, slugging percentage and OPS. His OPS broke a Twins record for any month, surpassing Joe Mauer’s 1.338.

Hall of Fame-bound Tony Oliva has signed a partnership agreement with Dan Stoltz and locally based SPIRE Credit Union. Oliva will appear in TV commercials and other promotions for SPIRE.

The baseball Gophers will host Nebraska next weekend for a three-game series at Siebert Field. On Saturday Minnesota will honor past teams including the 1960 Big Ten and NCAA championship team. The Gophers also won national titles in 1956 and 1964. No Big Ten baseball team has won the NCAA championship since 1966.

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Trade Kirk Cousins, Draft Matt Corral

Posted on February 6, 2022February 6, 2022 by David Shama

Daniel House started a blog several years ago devoted to Vikings coverage and since then he has drawn a large following for his new age insights about Minnesota’s NFL team and also the Golden Gophers. House is a workhorse in gathering and interpreting comprehensive information—including analytics—about those two teams. He also has a “library” on other pro and college football teams and players across the nation.

House told Sports Headliners he believes the Vikings, if they have the opportunity, should grab Ole Miss quarterback Matt Corral in the upcoming NFL Draft. “That’s the guy I would be going after 100 percent…a quarterback that has the highest upside that could change your franchise if everything clicks and the system fits him well.”

Corral hasn’t been as valued in 2022 mock drafts as a couple of other college quarterbacks. House is puzzled about that but it doesn’t deter him from raving about Corral who played for head coach Lane Kiffin, the quarterback whisperer who attended Bloomington Jefferson High School.

House looks at Corral and sees an athlete with arm strength and pocket presence who played in a quick tempo offense at Mississippi. He praises Corral’s competitive attitude and how teammates rally around him. Invaluable, too, is Corral’s ability to run and make gains out of potential lost yardage situations, while fitting the mobility mold of most successful NFL quarterbacks in today’s game. “That play extension trait is the most important thing, and Corral definitely has that,” House said.

House acknowledges Corral has mechanical things “he can clean up” and that the California native needs to keep improving his accuracy. But House could see the Vikings writing a long-term success story with a franchise rebuild plan that trades away 33-year-old QB Kirk Cousins, replaces him with a “bridge quarterback” for a couple of seasons and develops Corral to take over the position.

NFL trades are allowed starting next month and the Vikings are likely interested in moving on from Cousins. His $45 million salary cap hit is a roadblock to signing other players. Considered a top 12 to 15 NFL quarterback, Cousins has experienced mixed success with the Vikings but might be seen as someone helping another team improve. The Vikings could sweeten a trade deal by paying part of Cousins’ 2022 guaranteed salary.

Several landing spots might be in play including the Browns and Broncos. There are Vikings ties in both places. Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski was Kirk’s offensive coordinator in 2018 and 2019. New Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah came from the Cleveland front office. Klint Kubiak, Minnesota’s offensive coordinator last season, is now the quarterbacks coach with the Broncos. Former Vikings assistant general manager George Paton is the Denver GM.

A “bridge quarterback” candidate pool could include Baker Mayfield of the Browns. Former Vikings QB Teddy Bridgewater, popular with teammates and fans while in Minnesota, is with the Broncos. There are other possibilities with other teams.

When Cousins played for Washington his quarterbacks coach for one season was Kevin O’Connell, now the new Vikings head coach. He worked with Cousins to improve his quarterback’s skills in improvising and mobility. It’s evident, though, that Cousins doesn’t have a high ceiling for extending plays. “He is not that guy…that can go off script,” House said.

More recently as offensive coordinator of the Rams, O’Connell helped develop and direct one of the NFL’s most imaginative offenses, built on attacking the defense all over the field. Having a quarterback who can extend plays is most certainly something O’Connell wants in his Viking quarterbacks.

O’Connell is known for his teaching skills and could welcome a talent like Corral. He also has a young, athletic quarterback on the roster in Kellen Mond who the Vikings selected in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft.

In next Sunday’s Super Bowl the Rams play the Bengals, a team that was among the bottom feeders of the NFL for years. But with second year QB whiz Joe Burrow the Bengals have surprisingly earned their way into the big game. The Vikings haven’t been to the Super Bowl since 1977 and to earn their way back will need exceptional quarterback play.

House suggests Adofo-Mensah and O’Connell may well have to take multiple shots at finding their savior. “I think that’s the important thing is trying to throw darts until you hit on a quarterback because if you hit on the right one, you saw what can happen,” House said referring to the success of quarterbacks like Burrow and Patrick Mahomes of the Chiefs.

Nanne: Kaprizov Most Exciting Wild Player Ever

Lou Nanne, 80, is the godfather of Minnesota hockey. He was an All-American defenseman for the Golden Gophers, and for the NHL North Stars he was a player, coach, GM and president. At state tournament time he has been the authoritative voice of Minnesota prep hockey for nearly six decades.

When Nanne talks hockey, listen. And the other day he was raving about the Wild’s electric second-season forward Kirill Kaprizov.

“He’s the most exciting player the Wild has ever had to watch,” Nanne told Sports Headliners. “He’s so much fun and he’s got so many different skills. It’s really good that the Wild fans have the opportunity to see him play like this. That’s why you buy tickets is to be entertained and he entertains you.”

Nanne counts the 24-year-old Russian forward among a handful of NHL players who routinely bring fans out of their seats. He joins the appreciative crowds (whether at home or at Xcel Energy Center) in anticipating Kaprizov’s next shift on the ice and what he might do.

On track to becoming a super star, Kaprizov creates magic on the ice with his goal scoring and playmaking. “The fact that he can create stuff out of nothing,” Nanne said. “His speed, his hands, his shot, his head. It just energizes you. …He’s got five years on the contract and it should be a delightful five years watching this guy.”

Starting with Kaprizov’s rookie debut more than a year ago, opponents have tried to double-team and intimidate him. “That doesn’t affect him at all,” Nanne said. “He’s got a low base and center of gravity. He’s got huge thighs and he’s very, very strong on his skates. …He’s like a little truck out there. He’s taken some heavy hits.”

Nanne sees improvement from last season, particularly defensively, by the 5-10, 200-pound Kaprizov who is being showcased at the NHL All-Star Weekend in Las Vegas. “Kirill the Thrill” is joined in Vegas this weekend by teammate Cam Talbot who Nanne ranks a top 10 NHL goalie.

“He is a smart goaltender,” Nanne said. “He knows how to play. The way he cuts his angles, the way he controls rebounds. The way he sets pucks up; when to free the puck. …”

The Wild has a 28-10-3 record. It’s the first time in franchise history to earn 28 wins in the first 41 games. Minnesota’s first season was 2000-2001.

At the halfway mark of the season, Nanne includes the Wild among teams he believes are most likely to earn their way into the Stanley Cup Finals. Others are the Panthers, Avalanche, Golden Knights, Capitals and Lightning.

“Oh, I am really excited about them,” Nanne said about the Wild. “They’re playing so well.”

Minnesota has won six consecutive games but the second half of the schedule will continue to test the team’s abilities, resolve and depth. The Wild must play 40 games in 77 days.

The NHL trade deadline is March 21. The Wild, led by GM Bill Guerin, will apparently be cautious in making a move that could upset the locker room. “This team is a very close team,” Nanne said. “They care about one another and they play for one another. I know that Bill is very concerned about that (team chemistry). What he is going to do is…be extremely calculated—if he does anything—because he likes what he has.”

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