With its playoff hopes hanging by a thread, Minnesota must find a way to overcome a burly Calgary defense led by Dion Phaneuf.
Normally, penalty box arguments aren't for the easily offended. They can be vile, loud, profanity-laced exchanges.
But six nights ago in Calgary, the Wild's John Scott and the Flames' Dion Phaneuf had one of the most civilized penalty box-to-penalty box conversations in history.
Midway through the third period, the rugged Flames defenseman hit Marian Gaborik so hard, it's amazing the Wild star didn't land in Edmonton. Quick to Gaborik's defense was Scott, a towering 6-8 defenseman.
As play went up ice, Scott stood in front of Phaneuf wanting to fight. Phaneuf told Scott he wasn't dropping his gloves. When Scott refused to let him out of the zone, Phaneuf slashed Scott's stick in half.
Both drew coincidental minors, then had a brief, composed "chat" between boxes.
"He told me to go back down to the minors," Scott said. "He said he's just doing his job and I said, 'Well, you hit my best player. What do you want me to do? I'm just doing my job.' He's like, 'All right then. Fair enough.' And I'm like, 'Good.'"
Tonight, when the Wild plays host to the Flames, you can bet Phaneuf will do what he always does -- play physical against the Wild's skilled forwards. And Scott vows to 1) protect those players, and 2) take some notes from Phaneuf and play physical against Calgary's forwards.
"It's his gameplan, that's for sure, to hit our people and rattle their cages," Scott said. "He's a strong defenseman, and he's great at his job. My job is to watch out for our star players and make sure nobody's taking liberties with them. And I have to hit their top guys, maybe get in their heads."
Playing against the Wild six to eight times a season, Phaneuf and fellow defenseman Robyn Regehr seem have a pattern of hitting the Wild's skilled forwards early in games. The tactic is clearly to cause them to disappear late in games.
Maybe that's why injured Pierre-Marc Bouchard has scored one career goal against Calgary. This gameplan seemed to work to perfection last Saturday. Phaneuf took a violent run at Antti Miettinen early, and he seemed to avoid traffic late. Of Gaborik's six games since returning from hip surgery, his only stinker came against the Flames (no shots).
"I think that's [Calgary's] strategy. I think that's how they play," Wild General Manager Doug Risebrough said. "It's a man's game. They're going to play physical, and you've got to anticipate it's going to happen. They're probably saying the same thing about [Cal] Clutterbuck.
"Our players have to understand that element's going on, but they've got to push through it."
Gaborik, who typically matches against Regehr, said he is aware of Calgary's gameplan.
"They're always physical and play a very tight game. It's been always like that since the beginning," Gaborik said. "It's a big challenge. I'm not going to not go there because [Phaneuf and Regehr] go there. I'll try to stand up and get ready for the hit. I have to be strong down there, find open spots and get the puck and do whatever it takes.
"We have to play them down low to get chances because there's not going to be a lot of 2-on-1s and 3-on-2s."
To get down low, however, the Wild must be willing to go down low. That takes guts against intimidating defensemen, and it seems the Wild rarely penetrates Phaneuf and Regehr.
"They're good, but I see other teams penetrate because they're skating. So we've got to skate. We have to," coach Jacques Lemaire said. "I know their defensemen, it's a good crew, but on the other hand ... you get speed ... the guys are going to back up, and if he stands, you put the puck behind him and what is he going to look like? That's what speed does.
"I don't care the strategy they'll take. I care if we skate or we don't skate. You don't skate, you're in traffic all the time, so you might get hit. But if you're skating, you can get away."
The Wild is 1-7-3 in its past 11 games against Calgary, including 0-3-2 this season. A loss tonight essentially ends the season.
Injuries: Wild D Brent Burns and RW Pierre-Marc Bouchard (concussion), and LW Derek Boogaard (upper body) are out. The Wild recalled G Anton Khudobin, though G Niklas Backstrom is probable despite lower-body soreness.
Normally, penalty box arguments aren't for the easily offended. They can be vile, loud, profanity-laced exchanges.
But six nights ago in Calgary, the Wild's John Scott and the Flames' Dion Phaneuf had one of the most civilized penalty box-to-penalty box conversations in history.
Midway through the third period, the rugged Flames defenseman hit Marian Gaborik so hard, it's amazing the Wild star didn't land in Edmonton. Quick to Gaborik's defense was Scott, a towering 6-8 defenseman.
As play went up ice, Scott stood in front of Phaneuf wanting to fight. Phaneuf told Scott he wasn't dropping his gloves. When Scott refused to let him out of the zone, Phaneuf slashed Scott's stick in half.
Both drew coincidental minors, then had a brief, composed "chat" between boxes.
"He told me to go back down to the minors," Scott said. "He said he's just doing his job and I said, 'Well, you hit my best player. What do you want me to do? I'm just doing my job.' He's like, 'All right then. Fair enough.' And I'm like, 'Good.'"
Tonight, when the Wild plays host to the Flames, you can bet Phaneuf will do what he always does -- play physical against the Wild's skilled forwards. And Scott vows to 1) protect those players, and 2) take some notes from Phaneuf and play physical against Calgary's forwards.
"It's his gameplan, that's for sure, to hit our people and rattle their cages," Scott said. "He's a strong defenseman, and he's great at his job. My job is to watch out for our star players and make sure nobody's taking liberties with them. And I have to hit their top guys, maybe get in their heads."
Playing against the Wild six to eight times a season, Phaneuf and fellow defenseman Robyn Regehr seem have a pattern of hitting the Wild's skilled forwards early in games. The tactic is clearly to cause them to disappear late in games.
Maybe that's why injured Pierre-Marc Bouchard has scored one career goal against Calgary. This gameplan seemed to work to perfection last Saturday. Phaneuf took a violent run at Antti Miettinen early, and he seemed to avoid traffic late. Of Gaborik's six games since returning from hip surgery, his only stinker came against the Flames (no shots).
"I think that's [Calgary's] strategy. I think that's how they play," Wild General Manager Doug Risebrough said. "It's a man's game. They're going to play physical, and you've got to anticipate it's going to happen. They're probably saying the same thing about [Cal] Clutterbuck.
"Our players have to understand that element's going on, but they've got to push through it."
Gaborik, who typically matches against Regehr, said he is aware of Calgary's gameplan.
"They're always physical and play a very tight game. It's been always like that since the beginning," Gaborik said. "It's a big challenge. I'm not going to not go there because [Phaneuf and Regehr] go there. I'll try to stand up and get ready for the hit. I have to be strong down there, find open spots and get the puck and do whatever it takes.
"We have to play them down low to get chances because there's not going to be a lot of 2-on-1s and 3-on-2s."
To get down low, however, the Wild must be willing to go down low. That takes guts against intimidating defensemen, and it seems the Wild rarely penetrates Phaneuf and Regehr.
"They're good, but I see other teams penetrate because they're skating. So we've got to skate. We have to," coach Jacques Lemaire said. "I know their defensemen, it's a good crew, but on the other hand ... you get speed ... the guys are going to back up, and if he stands, you put the puck behind him and what is he going to look like? That's what speed does.
"I don't care the strategy they'll take. I care if we skate or we don't skate. You don't skate, you're in traffic all the time, so you might get hit. But if you're skating, you can get away."
The Wild is 1-7-3 in its past 11 games against Calgary, including 0-3-2 this season. A loss tonight essentially ends the season.
Injuries: Wild D Brent Burns and RW Pierre-Marc Bouchard (concussion), and LW Derek Boogaard (upper body) are out. The Wild recalled G Anton Khudobin, though G Niklas Backstrom is probable despite lower-body soreness.
