#-1: Wild (Last Week: -3). The winner of the first WMNSS lost this past eight days and is placed ahead of a team that didn't lose this screening week +1 (Note: I always start the new year moving the days of the week so that the first WMNSS ends the 7th, or thereabouts. The last one went up to the 30th of December, so this one encompasses eight days, New Year's Eve to the 7th [with some hedging for games that have finished Saturday afternoon, depending on whether or not I finish the survey overnight or not]). New Year's Eve was the day the Wild embarrassingly lost 4-1 at home to Nashville. But the have ripped off three straight since, and that makes them 7-3 in their last ten. We're so down on them and yet they have had a pretty good stretch this part of the season. In a weak Northwest Division, that could help a lot more than it looks at first. Therefore, I'll throw these substitutes for the North Stars a bone and put them in the top spot.
The feedback of the win over the Bastard Winnipeg Jets is a head-scratcher. The game itself was crazy; the Wild were up 3-1 when the Coyotes scored 13 seconds apart early in the third period. The Wild scored, then the Coyotes tied, then the Coyotes took the lead with three minutes left to go in regulation. But Pierre Marc-Bouchard saved the team from another shameful loss with a slapshot with 26 seconds left.
Tying the game went down to the wire; winning it in extra time was over just like that. PMB fed Cam Barker on a one-timer, and the wild win in OT, 6-5. They may be floating on the afterglow of that wild, Wild win, beating hapless New Jersey (and charter Wild Head Coach Jacques Lemaire) in New Jersey and then Boston in Boston. Very weird fact: The Wild are perfect all-time in Boston; this is their sixth straight win. That's a great, though strange, trend to lord over the current leaders of the Northeast Division.
The Wild themselves are still only third in the Northwest Division, so they still have a ways to go. Tonight (Saturday night) they face the Pittsburgh Penguins without Sidney Crosby (whew!), then immediately come home to face The Team That Was Stolen From Us; they then visit Nashville Tuesday.
#-2: Gopher women's hockey (Re-Entry!). They haven't played in so long, I thought this was a college football team. But they weren't rusty, notching a sweep with wins of 4-0 and 5-1. Of course, this was against MSU-Mankato, and this was at home, but still. Normally, a perfect weekend (capped off by that 5-1 victory that just got done this early evening) means the Gopher women's hockey team would be #-1. But the reason I don't comes to town next weekend: If they can't beat the elite teams, such as UMD, it doesn't matter what cupcakes they beat.
#-3: Gopher men's basketball (Last Week: -4). They finally get a win, a 67-63 win over doormat Indiana (aside: this is the second year of Tom Crean taking over IU. I think a little more progress is expected, and I don't see it) to open their home season. A team that's 21st in the rankings should not be struggling to beat bad squads. This week: at second-ranked Ohio St. tomorrow (Sunday) afternoon, home vs. Purdue Thursday.
#-4: Timberwolves (Last Week: -2). A 1-3 week, but I was at one of those three losses. I got a free ticket to the game Wednesday against Charlotte, and I'm afraid that loss confirms that I should never buy a ticket to see a Woofie Dogs game ever again.
They were up in the first quarter until the Bobcats came back to lead by the end of it. Charlotte then opened up a lead in the second by as many as 16, and the Wolves were behind by several points at the half. Suddenly, and shockingly, the Timberwolves came back to tie and eventually lead in the fourth. But with a few minutes left and them clinging to a four- or six-point lead, I knew there was a good chance they'd lose, or at least lose the lead. And they did, through offensive miscues, defensive breakdowns and the Bobcats getting to the free-throw line.
They didn't lose in regulation; they went to OT. And though it was back-and-forth, Charlotte finally got a three-point/two-possession lead late in the game. On the final play in OT and the Timberwolves down by 3, they looked absolutely befuddled in getting a play set up. Michael Beasley had to throw up a three-point shot. Of course it missed.
So as I kept telling my friend, we saw first a blowout, and then a collapse. We saw two, two, two losses in one!!!
This virtually wipes out the New Year's Day victory over New Jersey. They also lost at Boston (playing without Kevin Garnett) despite having a lead, and home to Portland where they never were in it. A home-and-home with San Antonio, then hosting Flip Saunders and Washington this week.
#-5: Gopher men's hockey (Re-Entry!). I went to the New Year's Day doubleheader. First of all, Bemidji St. won the Mariucci Classic despite having a losing record. Second of all, a college called Union has a top-flight men's hockey team -- and I think they're ranked.
Third of all, the Gophers are an incredibly maddening team. You should see the roster lists for the Gophs and the other three teams in the tournament. The other teams have one, one, and zero players drafted into the NHL. Minnesota's roster is replete with capitalized three-letter notes indicating which team has that player's rights. On the ice, I see the virtuosity on the ice; they can pass the puck with verve and fluidity. But then they turn the puck over in their defensive zone and the opponent, which on Saturday was Ferris St., scores. And so they tie the Bulldogs at 2 ... and this was after a 3-2 overtime loss to the Dutchmen (the nickname for Union College) New Year's Eve. Fuck this team. Seriously, fuck this team. Besides an exhibition against the U.S. Under-18 team last (Friday) night, they're off until visiting North Dakota next weekend.
#-6: Gopher women's basketball (Last Week: -5). The Pam Borton Era is over, or it should be. Two games at home. Lost both. Worst of all, the Gophs coughed up double-digit, second-half leads in both games to lose, the former of which ended in overtime.
Just glanced at the roster. Only seven of the 13 players are from Minnesota. If you're going to lose, why not lose with local kids? Just a thought.
I haven't been to a game in years. I should go, just to check out how this program has deteriortated and how much the crowd, so proud to find a good women's b-ball team, has atrophied. It won't be this week -- they visit Wisconsin and Penn St. Say hello to 0-5 in the Big Ten, ladies.
#-Infinity: Vikings (Last Week: -1). I was about to watch the final game of this disappointing, very disappointing season against Detroit. But Sunday was the last day of this lauded exhibition at the Walker by this local photographer, Alec Soth. I didn't really want to go outside the house, but I was fairly certain the ViQueens were going to lose, so I went out. The exhibition was OK, but coming back I heard that they did indeed lose to the Motor City Kitties, so I did the right thing.
Wow, what a thud. The Vikings, which I predicted would win it all this year, got old fast, and they finish last in the NFC North. Even worse than the Lions. Fucking A. That makes me think this team needs to be blown up, but they still have Adrian Peterson, Sidney Rice, Percy Harvin, Jared Allen, Kevin Williams, Antoine Winfield, Chad Greenway, Ben Leber, E.J. Henderson, and Ryan Longwell. I guess I could settle for an overhaul of the offensive line and the secondary.
Leslie Frazier was the cogent choice. However, he finished leading this interim stint at 3-3. Maybe Owner Zygi Wilf explored a home-run choice, like Bill Cowher or Jon Gruden, and failed. That's OK if he went with the safe option. But if this is the "players' choice" for coach, wouldn't he inspire them enough to notch a better record than 3-3?
Whatever. They're still going to California in two years.
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