Stanzel’s Sports Takeout — BREAKING NEWS: 3.12.25

Mar 12

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Wolves carry five-game winning streak into Denver tonight - tip-off after 9 p.m. central time.

Gopher hoops, the 12th seed, plays No. 13 Northwestern in the B10 Tournament opener today at 2:30 p.m. on Peacock. You can get in for $4 today. The winner gets Wisconsin early Thursday afternoon. Minnesota will have at least eight scholarships open next year, whether it be Ben Johnson coaching or someone else.

With a chance to take over second in the PWHL and essentially end Ottawa’s playoff hopes, the Frost lost 3-2 at Ottawa last night. They’re still very likely to get a playoff berth - six points up on Ottawa with six games left (Ottawa has two games in hand, though). The top four teams in the PWHL are all pretty evenly matched.

If I’m Tiger Woods (ruptured Achilles while training) I spend the rest of my life counting my money.

Championship week is about as good as next week to me.

Wild Ends Avs’ Six-Game Winning Streak with Shootout Win

The Wild got what they deserved - in this case a hard fought, 2-1 shootout win at The X to snap Colorado’s six-game winning streak. Filip Gustavsson was brilliant against one of the NHL’s best offensive teams, making 27 saves as the Wild moved within three points of the third-place Avs.

Mats Zuccarello scored the Wild’s lone regulation goal and also scored the deciding tally in the shootout.

There wasn’t a lot happening at Xcel Energy Center for the first half of the game, to be kind. The Wild had six shots in the game’s first 28 minutes. Matt Boldy caused a turnover inside the Avs’ zone, springing Marco Rossi and Zuccarello on a 2-on-0. Rossi quickly passed to Zuccarello, who beat Mackenzie Blackwood for his 15th goal of the season.

Gustavsson was so good, holding off the Avs and new acquisitions Brock Nelson and Charlie Coyle. His shutout was spoiled with 5:40 left in regulation. The Wild also defended better than they have in weeks.

In overtime, the Wild essentially tried to play keepaway with backwards passes and attempted to score once at the very end. Minnesota had the puck for around four minutes of the extra session.

Zuccarello led off the shootout with a goal. The Gus Bus stopped Nathan MacKinnon, the NHL’s leading scorer, and Matt Boldy scored for Minnesota putting the Avs on the brink.

Minnesota hosts the Rangers, who are just out of a playoff spot, Thursday at The X looking to improve upon a 1-1-0 start to a season-long, seven-game homestand. Four of the final five opponents on this homestand are not in playoff position. Simply must win games for the Wild without their best three skaters.

Who’s Coming, Going for the Purple?

It’s J.J. McCarthy’s team, at least for today. Sam Darnold has agreed a three-year contract worth just a shade more than $100 million with Seattle, while Daniel Jones selected Indianapolis as his destination and Nick Mullens signed with Jacksonville. That leaves McCarthy, coming off a full meniscus tear to begin his rookie season, and Brett Rypien as the only QB’s on the roster. Aaron Rodgers is practically begging the Vikings (when the Giants are your other option…).

Vikings fans were unsurprisingly impatient to begin free agency Monday, but Kwesi has gotten the goods. Of course two of them are coming off injury-plagued seasons - Will Fries got $88 million over five years to shore up the offensive line despite missing the final 13 weeks in 2024. Two-time Pro Bowl pass rusher Jonathan Jones got $60 million over three years; at least he came back from injury to help the Commanders late in the season. The Vikings also signed center Ryan Kelly for two years; this has been the team’s biggest issue the last two seasons, depth of any sort at center. Eagles CB Isaiah Rodgers comes to Minnesota to play in the same defensive backfield as Byron Murphy, Jr., who the Vikings have re-signed.

The Vikings also gained a third-round pick yesterday, a compensatory pick for the Falcons’ tampering with Kirk Cousins (lot of good that did them). Currently, that’s the Vikings’ only draft pick between the first and fifth rounds.

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