GDT: 10/24/13 - Carolina @ Minnesota - 7:00 PM CDT - FS-N

[tyratoku]

Storylines for the Game

Only a few short weeks into the season, Josh Harding is already putting up first-class numbers. He is currently top-5 in the league in every goalie category and has looked stellar in every appearance so far this season. If he continues to play as well as he has in this early season, he could easily find himself in Vezina conversations in the coming weeks.

Second in the Metropolitan Division, even with a middling 3-3-3 record, the Carolina Hurricanes bring with them a potentially lethal offensive core with the Staal brothers, Alex Semin, and Jeff Skinner. Even if they have been less than perfect so far this season, the Wild are going to have their hands full tonight.

Already shorthanded thanks to the loss of Keith Ballard, the Wild blue line lost Jonas Brodin to an errant dump-in that broke his cheekbone. Out for an indefinite period of time, the Wild defensive corps are going to need to play above and beyond their already high level of play to continue success.

The superior Justin Falk Faulk returns home to Minnesota for the first time this season. He brings with him a set of defenders already weakened by the loss of Pitkanen to injury. The Wild are going to have holes to exploit if they press hard enough.

Two shifts after Wild Head Coach Mike Yeo placed him on the first line alongside Mikko Koivu and Zach Parise, Justin Fontaine scored his second NHL goal and first game-winner. Riding the hot hand, Yeo plans to play this line as is in hopes they continue to find success.

Lineups

Minnesota Wild

4-3-3 | 11p
21gf | 22ga
3-0-2 at Home
Fifth place in the Central Division

Leading Scorers

Mikko Koivu
10GP | 1g | 6a | 7p | +2 | 6PIM

Zach Parise
10GP | 4g | 3a | 7p | +1 | 6PIM

Matt Cooke
10GP | 3g | 3a | 6p | +5 | 6PIM

Josh Harding will likely get the start
6 GS | 4-2-1 | .096GAA 2nd in the NHL | .953SV% 3rd in the NHL

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

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

Harding
Backstrom

Carolina Hurricanes

4-2-3 | 11p
22gf | 26ga
3-1-0 on the Road
Second Place in the Metropolitan Division

Leading Scorers

Jeff Skinner
9GP | 3g | 6a | 9p | +6 | 8PIM

Eric Staal
9GP | 3g | 4a | 7p | -4 | 12PIM

Nathan Gerbe
9GP | 3g | 3a | 6p | -2 | 4PIM

Cam Ward might start
6GS | 2-2-3 | 2.84GAA | .910SV%

*Taken from the 10/18 GDT | Will update later*
Ruutu - E. Staal - Semin
Gerbe - J. Staal - Tlusty
Skinner - Nash - Dvorak
Bowman - Dwyer - Westgarth/Sutter

Sekera - Faulk
Bellemore - Hainsey
Harrison - Murphy

Ward
Peters

Click to read more...

 

[AJ Thelen]

Heatley's playing on 2 lines tonight?!

Just kidding.. You mixed Heater and Cooke on your 3rd..

-------------------------------------------------------------

Let's win this one..

Score:

5-2 Minnesota.

Parise
Pommer X2
Heatley
Grynchlynch

 

[TZM]

Two second lines + Skinner ('Canes) vs. three 3rd lines (Wild).

 

[tyratoku]

Heatley's playing on 2 lines tonight?!

Just kidding.. You mixed Heater and Cooke on your 3rd..

Good call. Thanks.

 

[Lapa]

Is Harding a confirmed starter? Because starting Bäckström would make sense.

 

[bluedevil58*]

Two second lines + Skinner ('Canes) vs. three 3rd lines (Wild).

Are you implying that Tlusty-Staal-Semin is not a legitimate 1st line in the NHL?

 

[Uberdachen]

Heatley's playing on 2 lines tonight?!

Seems reasonable.
"Now remember, Heatley, however far you skate out, you have to skate back."

 

[TZM]

Are you implying that Tlusty-Staal-Semin is not a legitimate 1st line in the NHL?

I wasn't 100% serious.

 

[tyratoku]

Is Harding a confirmed starter? Because starting Bäckström would make sense.

I haven't seen anything either way so I just guessed Harding.

 

[57special]

All my remaining V cash on the Wild.

 

[this providence]

*reads Fontaine is left on the first line

*eye won't stop twitching

 

[DeuceMN]

Good GDT, TY

In the second photo, it totally looks like Mini-Me Staal

 

[DeuceMN]

Oh yeah, and Wild win 3-2

 

[Billy Mays Here*]

Wild win 1-0. Heatley finally starts to get outright booed.

 

[StealthClobber]

Is Harding a confirmed starter? Because starting Bäckström would make sense.

Don't forget tonight is Harding's Hope night...

 

[Lapa]

Don't forget tonight is Harding's Hope night...

Didn't even remember. In that case, it makes sense if Harding starts!

 

[Lapa]

Floodgates open. 5-2 Wild.

Parise, Koivu, Grandson, Stoner (yes), Konopka (yes)

Skinner, Faulk

 

[Jongdo]

Today we are going to see "second-line explosion", wild win 4-2.

Pominville 2+1
Grandslam 1+2
Heatley 1+1
Suter

------------

T.Ruutu
Gerbe

 

[Engebretson]

That second line will remain goal-less in 5on5 as long as Heatley is there.

Mike Yeo, man of faith.

2-1 Wild. Another game where we barely hang on to get the win and give 29 other fanbases even more fuel for the "Wild are the most boring team in hockey" fire.

 

[Lapa]

Saw this on Twitter:

Thanks Matt Cooke of the @mnwild for donating your suite tonight to @DefTheBlueLine military families! #ClassAct

 

[Jarick]

The top line hasn't looked really good yet this year so I don't mind Fontaine up there. Really, it's a matter of time before Koivu and Parise get split up.

 

[Minny Lakes]

Will the Wild win and lose games in pairs of threes? Get two more wins here then lose 3 again.....3 wins......3 losses..... I think you could win the Cup doing that actually..... let me try......
first round....W W W L L L W
Second round..... W W L L L W W
Conference Finals....W L L L W W W
Finals.... L L L W W W L


Well.... almost a finals win.... lose in game 7

 

[Nharris31]

The top line hasn't looked really good yet this year so I don't mind Fontaine up there. Really, it's a matter of time before Koivu and Parise get split up.

Yeo said something on the radio how they might do it when coyle gets back.Russo said it was probally going to happen but coyle got hurt.

 

[Soldier13Fox]

Wild win 4-0.

Puck luck turns. Parise gets 2, gramblin and pommers get 1.

Harding gets back to back shutouts in celebration for hardings hope.

 

[jedisports]

What do you guys think... if they split Parise and captain, who stays on the first line and who goes to the second line?

Please let's win tonight and finally score some goals along with dominating possession.