This was an article by Mike Russo in the Minneapolis Star Tribune from late Saturday night. Since I was away from my computer for most of the day yesterday until gametime, I didn't have time to blog it. But I still wanted to, because there's some really good stuff in it. Big thanks to loyal reader/follower, Berni, for sending me this link. I knew I'd seen the article late Saturday night, but Sunday evening when trying to remember where, I couldn't for the life of me think. She found it for me again before I went crazy. Thanks, Berni!!
Of course last night was disappointing, but let's focus on the positives! What a great week Theo had!!! And things will look up again. We believe!!
Niklas Backstrom will be shut down for at least a few days to rest an injured left hip.
By MICHAEL RUSSO, Star Tribune
Last update: January 8, 2011 - 11:57 PM
PITTSBURGH — The Jose Theodore signing right before the season continues to look better and better.
Wild goalie Niklas Backstrom will be shut down for at least a few days to get his injured left hip looked at by a Vail, Colo., specialist. It's the same hip that was surgically repaired after the 2008-09 season.
On the day that was revealed, Theodore nonchalantly went out and won his fourth consecutive game with a 26-save shutout over the Penguins in Saturday's 4-0 victory.
After Josh Harding tore the anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments in his right knee in the first period of his first exhibition game this season, the Wild lucked out that Theodore still was unsigned.
"I mean, Theo's won over 250 games in this league, and you stumble into that? It was good fortune for us," General Manager Chuck Fletcher said. "He's a good teammate, he works hard every day in practice and his demeanor is great. He's been through a lot in his career. He's really brought a real stabilizing influence to our team."
Theodore was shocked it took so long to get signed. He is a former Hart and Vezina Trophy winner, one who went 30-7-7 last season for Washington, 20-0-2 in his last 22. His last time as a free agent, "I was signed in five minutes."
He put that all behind him and is now 8-5-2 for the Wild. He is 17-1-3 in his past 21 decisions against the Penguins and 19-4-3 overall.
"This is my best building in the league. First game here and a shutout," Theodore quipped of Pittsburgh's new arena.
Backstrom will fly to Vail to be examined by the same surgeon, Marc Philippon, who repaired his torn labrum two years ago.
Asked if he's worried it's the same thing, Backstrom said, "I hope it's not. You never know. It's not good, but it's not that bad either. I played with it last time. You can do it probably for a month or two. But you don't want to do it for four, five, six months."
Fletcher said: "We don't think it's anything serious at this point. Right now, Theo can run with it."
Backstrom said he hurt his hip New Year's Eve against Nashville and aggravated it in Wednesday's practice at Harvard.
"For a goalie, that 3-against-0 was not the best drill," Backstrom said, laughing. "I have to be smarter out there, too."
Can the Wild pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeease be moved to the lEastern Conference?
ReplyDelete(yes, I am aware my favourite teams are there... but they're like 3 of 5 actually competitive teams in the conferece... everyone else is a little bit of a joke)
Haha! No doubt.
ReplyDeleteThanks again for tracking this article down for me. I was going crazy trying to remember where I'd seen it. I meant to thank you up there, so I will do that now...