GDT: 10/19/2013 - Minnesota Wild @ Florida Panthers - 6:00 - FS-N

[tyratoku]

Storylines for the Game

The Wild have had an up and down year so far. They lost the first three, won the next three, and have since lost two straight.

Dany Heatley, if he does not score tonight against the Panthers, will tie his career-worst 9-game-streak without recording a goal. He is also off to the worst start to a year of his career. He really needs to pick up his play.

Mikko Koivu scored his first goal of the season a few nights ago against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Love him or hate him as the Wild's captain and top-centerman, Koivu should be putting up more offense than he has been. Hopefully that first goal jumpstarts his production.

The Florida Panthers have been off to a rough start. Highlights of their young season so far include young players like Jonathan Huberdeau(former teammate of Minnesota Wild centerman Charlie Coyle and prospect centerman Zack Phillips), recently drafted forward Aleksander Barkov, and former Goofer Gopher Nick Bjugstad.

It's time for Minnesota to get revenge on the Panthers.

Wait, what?

Lineups

Minnesota Wild

3-3-2 | 8p
18gf | 20ga
1-3-0 on the road
Fifth place in the Central Division

Leading Scorers

Matt Cooke
8GP | 3g | 3a | 6p | +5 | 4PIM

Mikko Koivu
8GP | 1g | 5a | 6p | +0 | 6PIM

Zach Parise
8GP | 4g | 1a | 5p | -1 | 6PIM

Josh Harding will likely get the start
4 GS | 3-2-0 | 1.15GAA | .946SV%

Parise - Koivu - Pominville
Cooke - Granlund - Nino
Heatley - Brodziak - Fontaine
Veilleux - Konopka - Mitchell

*Pairings subject to change*
Suter - Brodin
Stoner - Spurgeon
Scandella - Dumba

Harding
Backstrom

Florida Panthers

2-6-0 | 4p
18gf | 31ga
1-2-0 at home
Seventh place in the Atlantic Division

Leading Scorers

Tomas Fleischmann
8GP | 1g | 6a | 7p | -1 | 2PIM

Brad Boyes
8GP | 4g | 2a | 5p | -2 | 4PIM

Jonathan Huberdeau
8GP | 3g | 2a | 5p | -5 | 6PIM

Tim Thomas might start
4GS | 1-3-0 | 4.31GAA | .880SV%

Fleischmann - Barkov - Boyes
Upshall - Gomez - Versteeg
Huberdeau - Goc - Kopecky
Winchester - Bjugstad - Matthias

Campbell - Gilbert
Kulikov - Weaver
Gudbranson - Gilroy

Thomas
Markstrom

George Richards ‏@GeorgeRichards
Some odd #FlaPanthers combos (but when you've lost 6 of 8): Gomez w/ Upshall/Versteeg; Bjugstad w/ Matthias/Winchester; Goc w/ Hubes/Kopecky

Click to read more...

 

[Avder]

If we don't win tonight, I will be...disappointed.

 

[mezcal]

I am pretty sure Backstrom will start tomorrow. That's kind of what Russo has said. Anyways, Go Wild! All in on vCash.

 

[Puhis]

Veilleux*

 

[Avder]

Backstrom starting?

Welp, there's always next year.

 

[Northland Wild Man]

These "professional" athletes better start doing what they are paid to do and that's put the ****ing puck in the net. They have to do whatever it takes to score, no excuses. If they lose against Florida I'll be taking a break from watching this team until some personnel changes are made.

 

[Lapa]

Hope I can watch this one.

3-1 Wild. Grundelström, Koivu, Parise. Barkov.

 

[mezcal]

Backstrom starting?

Welp, there's always next year.

Whats with the Backstrom hate? We have started Hards a ton, he deserves a break as well. Backstrom struggled early on like many goalies.. look at Lunqvuist. I think he will improve. He is one of the hardest working players on this team.

 

[Avder]

Whats with the Backstrom hate? We have started Hards a ton, he deserves a break as well. Backstrom struggled early on like many goalies.. look at Lunqvuist. I think he will improve. He is one of the hardest working players on this team.

Backstrom is being held together at this point by string cheese, chewing gum, cortizone shots, and duct tape. Or something. He looked terrible in his few starts before he went down. Right now I consider Harding to be our clear #1 and I hope we are looking at ways of augmenting those goaltender ranks. Backstrom doesnt have 3 years left in his tank the way he looked in those games.

He is of course welcome to prove me wrong.

 

[Billy Mays Here*]

I still don't mind Backstrom but Harding has made it clear so far this season that he is easily the better goaltender.

And like Avder, if we don't win this one. . . . . ugh, I don't even wanna think about it.

 

[SwimToTheMoon]

If they lose this one, I start to get a bit concerned....

 

[Lapa]

Panthers have a pretty good team actually, but yeah we should be able to win this one.

 

[Avder]

Panthers have a pretty good team actually, but yeah we should be able to win this one.

Florida is 2-6-0. In what universe does that constitute a good team?

 

[mezcal]

Backstrom is being held together at this point by string cheese, chewing gum, cortizone shots, and duct tape. Or something. He looked terrible in his few starts before he went down. Right now I consider Harding to be our clear #1 and I hope we are looking at ways of augmenting those goaltender ranks. Backstrom doesnt have 3 years left in his tank the way he looked in those games.

He is of course welcome to prove me wrong.

Hope he does

 

[mezcal]

Panthers have a pretty good team actually, but yeah we should be able to win this one.

...uhhh what?

 

[Lapa]

Well, they did beat Pittsburgh, for example. Just saying they shouldn't be underestimated.

 

[ucanthanzalthetruth]

Dissapointed Dowell didn't make your team, I'm rooting for him.

Florida is 2-6-0. In what universe does that constitute a good team?

They aren't, but they try hard. This is an interesting matchup, a team of young guns with potential but raw and a bunch of washed up veterans playing for one last contract which results in a hard working team with little results on the scoreboard vs a team that on paper should make deep playoff runs but for whatever reason struggles to make the playoffs

 

[Avder]

Maybe we can get them to trade for heatley before we leave town.

 

[Gaps]

I will definitely have a break from these boards if we lose this one.

 

[Erikfromfin]

I will definitely have a break from these boards if we lose this one.

camoon florida then! just joking

atleast dont have to switch between games now can see both barkov and granny at the same time

 

[behemolari]

Dissapointed Dowell didn't make your team, I'm rooting for him.



They aren't, but they try hard. This is an interesting matchup, a team of young guns with potential but raw and a bunch of washed up veterans playing for one last contract which results in a hard working team with little results on the scoreboard vs a team that on paper should make deep playoff runs but for whatever reason struggles to make the playoffs

which one you describe as a hard working? i've pretty much watched both teams all games this year, wild is much much more active than panthers.

 

[jedisports]

Win tonight, please, thanks.

 

[Depch]

This will be interesting. Both teams are pretty much due for a win imo, I wouldn't bet on this game but the #1 game to watch for me tonight.

 

[Kaptain]

If we don't win........

 

[Panthers607]

Our GDT: http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?t=1519715

Is Harding a lock?

Good luck tonight. Both teams could certainly use a win.