Game preview from Hockey Wilderness. Be sure to check out the full game thread for the Five Questions of the Game, and the full lineups.
Finally. A chance to try those new Kayem Foods hot dogs. I’ve been craving one of those things ever since I heard they were the new official hot dog of both the Lightning AND the Boston Red Sox. It took until the end of the year, but the Bolts are finally in town, and I get to have one of these wonderful hot dogs.
Wait… I’m being told that the Lightning do not bring their official hot dogs on the road with them, and I will have to suffice with the same food at the X as normal. Well now. This day was just ruined completely. Dang it.
Oh well, moving forward, right? The Wild get the Bolts today, a team already in the playoffs, and sporting some highly dangerous players. There is Stamkos, St. Louis, Lecavalier, and of course, Ohlund. Three of them will score at will, one of them will just break your leg with a two handed chop with his stick. I’ll let you sort out which is which.
Coming into this one, it is tricky to know if the Wild have a chance. One, the Bolts could be on a roll, headed into the playoffs and steamroll the much, much weaker Wild team. Or, the Bolts could limit the minutes of the big guns to protect them from a meaning game injury and rest them for the playoffs. If that is the case, the Wild may be able to contend in this one.
Other notes – Maxim Noreau and Justin Falk are up, as three players for the Wild are “questionable.” No one big, really. Just Brent Burns, Nick Schultz, and Marke Zidlicky. No big deal. If those three cannot play, the Wild will skate five rookie d-men today. Think they have a chance?