Wild – Page 66 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Goal Drought Ongoing for the Wild

Posted on January 27, 2016January 27, 2016 by David Shama

Goal scoring is a Minnesota Wild problem that doesn’t get solved. It was a barstool and chat room topic a couple of years ago, and there it was again last spring after the Wild was swept in the second round of the playoffs by the Blackhawks. Minnesota scored just seven goals in the four games, once being shutout and in another game coming up with one goal.

And now in January the Wild has scored 23 goals in 13 games. So far during the 2015-2016 season only eight of the NHL’s 30 teams have scored fewer goals than Minnesota.

Wild fans fantasize about a trade for goal scoring help. General manager Chuck Fletcher and the rest of the NHL have until 3 p.m. (ET) February 29 to make deals. The Wild might pull off a move but league imposed salary cap restrictions enter into trade strategies and negotiations.

The Wild may want to trade so-so veterans and goal scorers Jason Pominville and Thomas Vanek. Pominville reportedly earns $5.5 million and Vanek $6.5 million. Fletcher has to make the numbers work in any trades involving the 33-year-old Pominville or 32-year-old Vanek—or other players on his roster.

The Wild has recessed for the NHL All-Star Game break. The Wild is 15 points behind the Central Division leading Blackhawks, 12 behind the Stars and 9 back of the Blues. After the All-Star break the club can’t count on the phenomenal goaltending play it had last winter when Devan Dubnyk made the Wild one of the NHL’s most successful teams prior to the playoffs.

With or without a trade in the next 30 days, coach Mike Yeo and his staff will have to develop more goal scoring with existing players. Whether it’s veterans, or disappointing younger skaters like Mikael Granlund, the Wild need to get better.

The club won only three of 13 games in January, with all the victories on the road. The next two games after the All-Star recess are away from Xcel Energy Center. Six of the next nine will be on the road, so maybe that’s an unexpected positive.

The Wild, with a record so far of 23-17-9, appears capable of making the playoffs but this is a franchise that historically can’t make a deep playoff run. That will be difficult to change until the Wild consistently score more goals.

Worth Noting

The Gophers’ Big Ten losing streak reaches nine consecutive games tonight if Minnesota loses to Purdue, a team that is among the favorites to win the conference championship. Minnesota players were emotionally low after letting a late game lead disappear and eventually losing in overtime to Illinois last Saturday night.

After the game Minnesota coach Richard Pitino was concerned about team emotions going forward. “It’s my job to get them back and get them ready to go,” he said. “Top 20 team (Purdue) in your building. You gotta keep fighting. That’s what we signed up for. We knew it wasn’t going to be easy. We’re close (to winning) and I think they (his players) see that.”

Sophomore point guard Nate Mason, who scored 19 points but couldn’t make a last second shot to win the Illinois game at the end of regulation, admitted there is a mental challenge getting ready for Purdue at home tonight. “It’s going to be difficult but we’ll respond,” he said on Saturday.

Minnesota prep basketball authority Ryan James labels Minnehaha Academy point guard Jalen Suggs the best eighth grader in the state, and some day a potential top 100 player nationally. Listed at 6-foot-1, Suggs’ skills include attacking defenses off the dribble.

The Timberwolves might be wise to place David Blatt—recently dismissed as Cavs coach—on their list of possible head coaching candidates for next season. Blatt, in his first NBA season, coached the Cavs to the 2015 NBA Finals. Warriors assistant coach Luke Walton should be on the Wolves’ radar, too. Sam Mitchell, the Wolves interim head guy, may get the job permanently but right now the best guess is owner Glen Taylor will wait until season’s end to decide.

After U.S. Bank Stadium opens this summer, look for the covered multipurpose facility to be continually in use with events ranging from Vikings football to hundreds of amateur baseball games to concerts. Luke Bryan is already scheduled for a first-ever August concert and a source told Sports Headliners U2 might play at the new Minneapolis stadium. Other event possibilities could include a monster truck pull and a pro wrestling extravaganza like the WWE’s SummerSlam. Although stadium and Minneapolis boosters were turned down for the 2020 College Football Playoff Championship Game, the same source said local interest remains for some day hosting the game.

In retrospect, the Vikings’ 2015 draft looks like one of the best in the NFL. First round selection cornerback Trae Waynes played just okay and remains a potential future starter, and later round choices Eric Kendricks (linebacker), Danielle Hunter (defensive end) and Stefon Diggs (wide receiver) made the PFWA’s All-Rookie team.

Thursday will be the 56th anniversary of the founding of the Vikings franchise—January 28, 1960.

Former Minnesota Wild president Tod Leiweke and ex-Vikings center Matt Birk are rising stars in executive positions for the NFL. If commissioner Roger Goodell were to retire in the next few years, the two might be on a list of candidates to replace him.

The Minnesota Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame Committee has announced six inductees from three divisions for its MFCA Hall of Fame. The 2016 inductees will be enshrined in the MFCA Hall of Fame at the 52nd Annual Football Hall of Fame Banquet on April 2 at the Doubletree Hotel in St. Louis Park. The inductees from the High School Division are Don Henderson, Triton; Bernie Litecky, Totino-Grace; Flint Motschenbacher, Detroit Lakes; and Leo Pohlkamp, Pierz. Bethel’s Steve Johnson from the College Division will also be inducted, as will Citation Division representative Rand Middleton from the West Central Tribune.

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Rodgers Blocking Vikings Title Path

Posted on January 1, 2016January 1, 2016 by David Shama

The Packers have won four consecutive NFC North titles with Aaron Rodgers as their quarterback. The Vikings have one win against the Packers in the last four seasons.

“I am tired of that,” said Vikings defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd. “It’s been three years since I’ve been here and the Packers have been the toughest game every year.”

Sunday night in Green Bay two 10-5 teams will decide who is the 2015 division champion. “Everybody is going to play lights out,” said Vikings kick returner and wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson. “We want to go home with the title.”

The Packers were embarrassed in Arizona last Sunday, losing 38-8 to the Cardinals. Rodgers, probably the NFL’s best quarterback, played behind a leaky offensive line. His two fumbles were returned for touchdowns. He was sacked eight times and threw one interception.

Adrian Peterson (photo courtesy of Minnesota Vikings.)

The Vikings scored a season high 49 points in their easy 49-17 win over the Giants at TCF Bank Stadium. Adrian Peterson ran for over 100 yards for the seventh time this season. Quarterback Teddy Bridgewater completed 15 of 25 passes for 165 yards and a touchdown, with no interceptions. But it was the defense that wrote the best storyline, harassing quarterback Eli Manning, his receivers and runners.

That defense made Vikings fans wonder if similar results could happen in Green Bay Sunday in the nationally-televised game on NBC. Floyd, though, isn’t assuming the Packers’ meltdown in the desert will repeat in the below freezing temps at Lambeau Field.

“It’s not that easy to just take someone’s confidence away,” Floyd said. “At the end of the day they can easily jump back on a horse. You gotta understand who that quarterback is. …”

The Packers have stumbled at times this season, not playing up to expectations. The Packers were coming off consecutive losses when they played the Vikings in Minneapolis on November 22 but the Purple couldn’t put an end to their 0-4-1 losing streak against Green Bay. In that 30-13 win, Rodgers threw two touchdown passes and Eddie Lacy rushed for 100 yards.

The Vikings hope to control Rodgers by keeping him in the pocket most of the time. The Packers’ receivers sometimes struggle to get separation and if the Vikings don’t have to double team some of them it will allow the Minnesota defense to concentrate more on Rodgers.

Still, it only takes a breakdown here or there for Rodgers to exploit a defense. Floyd said Rodgers and Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson are the only two players he could think of that can throw touchdowns from the 50-yard line while moving.

“He’s a guy that can make a lot of passes on the run,” Floyd said. “We know his style and we know how he can be. We can’t take last week lightly (the Packers’ performance against the Cardinals). At the end of the day he’s still Aaron Rodgers—still the Green Bay Packers, and we gotta treat them as such.”

Worth Noting

Peterson, who has 1,418 yards rushing, could win his third career NFL rushing title Sunday night in the Vikings’ final regular season game. The 30-year-old Peterson would become the second oldest player ever to lead the league in rushing. The Jets Curtis Martin was 31 in 2004 when he led the league.

Bridgewater has 1,421 yards passing, six touchdown throws, two interceptions and a 94.6 passer rating in his last six road games. The Vikings are 4-2 in those games.

Stubhub.com is listing tickets as low as $97 for the game in Green Bay. The temperature at kickoff could be about 20 degrees with no snow and moderate wind.

National Player of the Year candidate Denzel Valentine, who last month had knee surgery, likely won’t be available when the Spartans play the Gophers tomorrow at Williams Arena. Without Valentine, the nationally No. 1 ranked Spartans lost 83-70 at Iowa on Tuesday night in their Big Ten opener.

Jim Dutcher, the former Gophers coach, told Sports Headliners Valentine is “50 percent” of the Spartans team. “The Gophers can beat them,” he said, while cautioning Michigan State will give its best effort to avoid an 0-2 Big Ten start.

The Gophers opened their Big Ten season with a 78-63 loss at Ohio State on Wednesday night. Inside play, on both offense and defense, was problematic as it was during the nonconference games. Dutcher likes the team’s perimeter play but problems defending, scoring and rebounding inside prompt him to forecast a 12th place finish in the Big Ten, and perhaps a 4-14 record.

Dutcher said if the Gophers (now 6-7 overall) get “lucky” they could win more than four games. “Six would be a lot but that can happen,” he said. “There are not a lot of great teams in the Big Ten.”

Twins president Dave St. Peter speaks to the CORES luncheon group on Thursday, January 7 at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Bloomington, 1114 American Blvd. CORES is an acronym for coaches, officials, reporters, educators and sports fans. Reservations and more information are available by contacting Jim Dotseth, dotsethj@comcast.net.

It will be interesting to see if former Twins Michael Cuddyer, Justin Morneau, Joe Nathan and Torii Hunter all retire during this offseason. Cuddyer and Hunter have already announced they will. Morneau and Nathan seem like candidates, too, after long careers that included being core players on the Twins’ division championship clubs several years ago.

The December 28 issue of Sports Illustrated includes pages of farewells to American sports figures who died in 2015 including former Twins pitcher Dean Chance, ex-Minneapolis Laker guard Hot Rod Hundley, former Gophers and Detroit Lions tight end Charlie Saunders, and Flip Saunders who played guard for the Gophers and coached the Timberwolves. Noticeably absent from the pages was wrestling icon Verne Gagne.

Niklas Backstrom, the Wild’s 37-year-old goalie who reportedly earns $4 million, hasn’t played in a regular season game January 13, 2015. He is an emergency goalie behind Devan Dubnyk and Darcy Kuemper.

The Wild play the Lightning tomorrow night in Tampa Bay. In a November game in St. Paul, the Wild shut out the Lightning 1-0. Dubnyk stopped all 31 Lightning shots and defenseman Jared Spurgeon scored the lone goal for the Wild.

Spurgeon, 26, recently signed a four-year, $20.75 million contract extension that begins with the 2016-2017 season. He is probably a top 20 NHL defenseman who can help the Wild for several more years.

With fall sports ended, results are compiled for the MIAC All-Sports competition, and St. Thomas and Saint John’s are the leaders. The annual MIAC All-Sports competition takes a comprehensive look at each institution’s performance within the league to award an overall champion for each gender. The fall update includes final results for golf, cross country, soccer, volleyball and football. Saint John’s leads the men’s standings, while the Tommies are atop the women’s rankings. Final standings for the 2015-2016 school year will be announced in the spring.

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Wallace Wants Vikings Return in 2016

Posted on December 18, 2015December 18, 2015 by David Shama

Vikings wide receiver Mike Wallace is headed toward his fewest receptions since his rookie year of 2009. His contract doesn’t guarantee he will return to the team, but he wants to stay in Minnesota.

Wallace was acquired last March in a trade with the Dolphins to give the Vikings a deep-threat among their receiving corps. His contract reportedly pays him close to $10 million this season, but doesn’t assure a paycheck or roster spot next season from Minnesota. The Vikings can let him go at no cost to them, according to reports.

After a rookie season when Wallace caught 39 balls, he has totaled 60 or more receptions each year. Twice he has had more than 70 catches in a year, but this season, with three regular season games remaining, he has just 33.

Mike Wallace (photo courtesy of Minnesota Vikings.)

Wallace has started every game except one but in three of those games never caught a pass. His games with the most receptions have totaled eight, six and four. It seems at times he has been used as a decoy, opening up space on the field for others. On other occasions he has been part of a failed Vikings passing attack characterized by poor blocking and quarterback Teddy Bridgewater’s inconsistencies.

Whatever the reasons for Wallace’s miniscule totals that include just two touchdown catches, he admitted being frustrated at times.

“Of course. I’d be lying to you if I said I didn’t (get frustrated),” Wallace told Sports Headliners. “I’ve been like three or four games where I had zero catches. Of course you’re going to be upset, but…probably all three of those games we won, so it’s bittersweet. Definitely, first things first is win, but at the end of the day you’re still on the field and you want to do personal things. At the same time you gotta stay positive.”

The Vikings won two of the three games Wallace referenced, defeating the Bears and Falcons while losing to the Packers. In those games and all season he said he remained upbeat. He hasn’t voiced concerns, or made complaints, to coaches.

Wallace likes his teammates and coaches. They support one another and that has everything to do with wanting to remain a Viking. He is all about wanting to return in 2016.

“I love this team,” Wallace said. “I love the guys on this team. I love the coaches. It’s fun. These guys give me energy. …”

Starting this Sunday with a home game against the Bears, Wallace hopes for opportunities to be more involved as the 8-5 Vikings compete for the NFC North championship and a playoff run. The 29-year-old known for his extraordinary speed, wants a fast finish to the season.

“I am trying to, man,” Wallace said. “I am focused on it. I want it to happen. I love being on this team. I want to give myself the best chance to be on this team, try to have a strong finish. …”

Worth Noting

The Vikings had to score 10 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to defeat the Bears in Chicago last month. Bears wide receiver Alshon Jeffery caught 10 passes for 116 yards and one touchdown.

It’s likely the Bears offense will feature a lot of quick screen passes to their receivers on Sunday—something the team has favored in its offense for a couple of seasons.

The Vikings started six rookies in their last game on December 10, the most in franchise history. Starting against the Cardinals were offensive tackle T.J. Clemmings, wide receiver Stefon Diggs, linebackers Eric Kendricks and Edmond Robinson, cornerback Trae Waynes and safety Anthony Harris.

The Vikings have scored 11 special teams touchdowns since coordinator Mike Priefer joined the franchise in 2011—tied with the Eagles for the most in the NFL during that span.

Want to be a volunteer for the 2018 Super Bowl in Minneapolis? Maureen Bausch, the Minneapolis-based executive in charge of planning and executing the week-long celebration for the Super Bowl here, told Sports Headliners she expects about 8,000 volunteers will be needed for activities and events. Anyone applying will be vetted four times including online.

Bausch doesn’t expect a problem reaching the 8,000 total and anyone interested can sign up in the summer of 2017. The best way to stay knowledgeable about the process and Super Bowl 2018 news is to sign up now for email notifications at mnsuperbowl.com. And, no, you don’t receive a game ticket if you volunteer.

Mikko Koivu in Wild's Stadium Series uniform. — Mikko Koivu in Wild’s Stadium Series uniform.

The Wild will unveil the 2016 NHL Stadium Series Alumni uniform on Monday during the team’s game against the Stars at Xcel Energy Center. The Stadium Series uniform current Wild players will wear was unveiled in late November and jersey sales to fans have been so brisk club officials were anticipating another shipment before Christmas.

Tickets remain for the 2016 Coors Light NHL Stadium Series weekend February 20-21. Starting at 4 p.m. on February 20 alumni from the Wild and North Stars will face alums from the Blackhawks. The next day beginning at 2:30 p.m. the Wild play the Blackhawks. Both games will be held outdoors at TCF Bank Stadium.

Former Gophers basketball player Jamal Abu-Shamala is now a financial services representative with Principal Financial Group and offices in Minnetonka.

Undefeated Hopkins is ranked No. 7 among midwest boys basketball teams by USA Today following last Saturday’s 89-81 win over previously unbeaten Apple Valley. The Royals are No. 25 in USA Today’s national rankings. Last week Apple Valley was No. 16 in the rankings but now is unranked.

Iowa Western Community College assistant coach James Bankhead is recruiting Minneapolis North forward Jamil Jackson and St. Croix Lutheran guard Ade Murkey. Iowa Western’s roster this season includes sophomore guard Andre Wallace who played at Eden Prairie High School. Iowa Western is ranked No. 10 in the latest NJCAA poll of Division I programs.

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