Stanzel’s Sports Takeout — BREAKING TAKEOUT NEWS: 3-1-23.
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The Gopher women must win to keep their season alive this afternoon when they begin Big 10 Tournament action at Target Center at 1 against Penn State. Tickets are cheap - but the online fees aren’t.
Saint Paul’s own Jessie Diggins (grew up in Afton, born in the Capital City) made U.S. history becoming the first American ever to capture a gold medal in an individual race at the FIS Nordic world championships.
Wild Beat Isles in OT, Just a Point out of First
On a day they traded for a couple guys who haven’t scored in awhile, it’s ironic the Wild mucked it up in the trenches and outlasted the Islanders 2-1 in a shootout. Oh, and the lone regulation goal scorer? Someone not named Kirill Kaprizov - in fact, it was heavyweight Ryan Reaves.
But the story was Filip Gustavsson. A national outlet asked in a column this week is there’s a goalie controversy in Minnesota. But there isn’t. The Gus Bus is clearly the No. 1, and it would take quite a downfall to see Marc-Andre Fleury replacing him. Gustavsson made 39 saves, including at least a half dozen Grade A chances in the third period and overtime.
Nine of the Wild’s last 10 games were decided by one goal - this team is built for the playoffs except for, you know, the worry about goal scoring. But they’ve leapfrogged Colorado and are just a point behind first-place Dallas, and just two out of home ice throughout the Western Conference playoffs.
Minnesota - Home of 10,000 Bottom Six Forwards
A couple aging, injury-plagued forwards with diminishing offensive skills who didn’t score a goal in February? Welcome BA\CK to the State of Hockey, Marcus Johansson, and welcome to the State of Hockey, Gustav Nyquist, you’ll fit right in.
Now, the prices weren’t steep. A third-rounder to Washington for Johansson, who spent the Covid year in Minnesota. A fifth-rounder to Columbus for Nyquist, who is out for the remainder of the regular season (you read that right), but potentially could play in the post-season. Nyquist by the way is the only NHL’er to have a Kentucky Derby winner named after him.
Still, a couple curious moves, which makes you think if someone (Jordan Greenway) is on his way out. I suppose Johansson will play with Boldy, but although he’s scored 13 goals this season - he has just three in 2023 and none since Jan. 29. The 32-year-old scored six goals in 36 games in the 2020-21 season with Minnesota, which acquired him from Buffalo in the Eric Staal trade.
Nyquist netted 10 goals in 48 games before getting injured. He’s scored 174 goals in 700 career games.
Wolves Win in LA
In front of a national TV audience (those that stayed up till after 11 central time, at least), the Wolves picked themselves up off the floor after a couple bad losses and rallied past the Clippers 108-101 late last night.
It was the Jaden McDaniels show - the guard had 20 points, with ANT chipping in 18 and Rudy Gobert 16.
The Wolves wake up to two off days in LA before they play the Lakers (what could go wrong?) They’re in eighth - two games out of fourth and 2.5 out of 13th.
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