Stanzel’s Sports Takeout — THE WEEKEND AHEAD.
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Vikings at Bears Sunday in Regular Season Finale
You play to win (unless you’re eliminated), but I have more and more of a thought that the Vikings may be a little more conservative Sunday. They’d need a win in Chicago and San Francisco to lose to a bad Arizona team to get the No. 2 seed. Any other result nets them the third seed and a first-round matchup with the Giants.
Would you rather play a streaking Packers or Lions team as the No. 2 seed and know you could host a second round game? Or, host the Giants, a team with a strong record that like the Vikings has been doing it with a lot of smoke and mirrors (coming from a Giants fan).
Forty percent of the Vikings’ offensive line is injured. I expect a heavy dose of Dalvin Cook but not TOO heavy, Alexander Mattison will get the ball a bunch. Just don’t get Cook, Cousins or a receiver hurt.
Speaking of the NFL, they announced late yesterday that Monday’s Bills/Bengals game will not be made up. The league is considering a neutral site AFC Championship Game, if it’s between two teams with a different number of games played.
They are also reportedly considering adding an eighth seed in BOTH the AFC and NFC. A snarky Vikings fan may tell you that’s to guarantee the Packers would be in.
Damar Hamlin, by the way, is alert and has communicated with doctors in writing in what they call a “remarkable turnaround.”
Wild’s Onslaught Continues with Win over Lightning
The Wild bested a pretty good lightning team 5-1 at home on Wednesday. It was a total team effort, three points from breakout young defenseman Calen Addison and one of the filthiest goals you’ll ever see off the stick of Kirill Kaprizov (who was named a no brainer All-Star yesterday). Most players can’t do that in practice, much less in a game.
The Wild is the hottest team west of Raleigh right now, and they’ll try to keep the momentum going in Buffalo on Saturday before hosting St. Louis Sunday (tough back-to-back there). Minnesota is five points up on fourth place Colorado and six behind first-place Dallas, one of just two teams to beat the Wild in recent memory.
Wolves Gun for Three Straight
The Wolves, left for dead a few days ago (by me, at least), tonight can win a third straight game for just the third time this season. And they’re hosting a Clippers team that’s lost three straight.
The Wolves have never been known for consistency but this year has just been maddening. They’ve put forth two straight lights out efforts after losing six straight. Wednesday at Target Center, they beat Portland (ahead of them in standings) 113-106. For those of us (me) that thought Monday’s win was helped by a D-Lo absence, he returned to the court albeit shooting just 1-for-6 for nine points.
But ANT was dynamite, pouring in 32 points. Rudy Gobert had one of his best games of the year too, with 17 points and 12 boards. While they wait to get KAT back, they’re going to keep floating in that 6th-through-11th spot in the West. Can they just find some level of consistency?
Gopher Hockey
Fresh off their dramatic 8-7 win over Sweden in the third place game at the World Junior Championships yesterday, four Gophers including first liners Logan Cooley and Jimmy Snuggerud are expected to rejoin the Gophers in time for this weekend’s home-and-home with St. Cloud State. It’s a No. 1 (or 3 based on which worthless poll you follow) versus No. 4 matchup. It’s a rare Saturday/Sunday matchup in college hockey. Sunday’s game is at Mariucci at 3.
The Gopher women hit the ice for the first time in 27 days when they host Merrimack tonight in a four-team tournament including St. Cloud State and New Hampshire. The Minnesota schools flop opponents on Saturday.
Gopher Hoops
The Gopher women had No. 3 Ohio State on the ropes last night at home before succumbing in the fourth quarter of an 83-71 loss. Minnesota led by six entering the fourth quarter but scored just 10 more points. They’re 1-3 in the Big 10.
The Gopher men host Nebraska Saturday at 11 in a game they should stand a decent chance to win their first conference game.
Gophers Lose Offensive Coordinator Again
Gophers offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca will reportedly leave the team for the second time, as he’s nearing finalization of a deal to become head coach at Rutgers (also in the Big 10). He was originally the OC under Fleck before leaving for Penn State. He was fired in Happy Valley and caught on with West Virginia before landing back with Minnesota prior this season.
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