Stanzel’s Sports Takeout — BREAKING NEWS: 4.11.25

Apr 11

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DU loses at Frozen Four. Zeev Buium will be a great NHL player but don’t expect him to be Brock Faber right away. He could win the Hobey Baker today and make his NHL debut tomorrow in Vancouver.

MLS pondering a switch to a fall/spring schedule, which would not be good in Minnesota climate. Loons play at a winless Toronto team on Saturday with sights on the top spot in MLS.

I kind of forget Jon Rahm exists. Happy Masters weekend.

Wolves’ 52-Point Third Quarter Lifts Them Over Memphis

The Wolves will have to play better defense in the post-season, but if they play offensively the way they did last night in Memphis, they’re going to do some damage.

Minnesota put up an eye-poppig 52 points in the third quarter en route to a 141-125 win over Memphis. The Wolves still didn’t get past the Grizz in the standingsj, but with two games left against - Brooklyn tonight and Utah Sunday, both at home, they could still avoid the play-in. Here’s a complete analysis from Hardwood ParoxySM on Substack. The Bucks’ loss Tuesday is going to haunt the Wolves.

4 Nuggets

5 Cllppers –

6 Warriors -1

7 Grizzlies -1

8 Wolves -1

Last night against the Grizzlies, ANT took things over during a Wolves’ 17-0 run and finished with 44 points. Julius Randle had 31 points, 10 rebounds and five assists - it’s amazing what a playmaker he is after playing hero ball the entire first half of the year.

Wild 8-7 Win Puts Wild on Playoff Precipice

If you, like me, bought tickets a few rows over Marc-Andre Fleury’s right shoulder expecting a third period salute in a blowout of his final home game, you had something else coming. But the Wild’s celebration at center ice - with Fleury skating from the other end - was no less boisterous after Kirill Kaprizov capped off one of the craziest games in Wild history, an 8-7 overtime win over San Jose.

The Wild can qualify for the playoffs by beating Calgary tonight on the road. Even if not, it would be hard not to make the playoffs from this position with three games left (they’re five ahead of Calgary). Minnesota is also tied with St. Louis for the next-to-last playoff spot, so the first-round playoff opponent is very much in question right now.

You have to feel for Flower. The team wasn’t very good in front of him, and you have to think if it wasn’t his final home games, John Hynes may have pulled him. Joel Eriksson Ek’s natural hat trick (he scored four goals in all) gave Minnesota a 7-4 lead early in the third. But Macklin Celebrini, last year’s No. 1 pick, is a darn good player. The Sharks are the worst team in the NHL but they work hard.

You’ve got to feel better seeing how Kaprizov and JEEK performed in their first game back, showing literally no rust. Is it good enough to beat Winnipeg or Vegas in round one (it won’t be Dallas)? Remains to be seen.

Royals Take Three of Four from Twins

The Twins lost three of four to the Royals to drop to 4-9, with what suddenly is an important early season series with the first-place Tigers (7-5). Detroit has the second-best run differential in the AL.

The Royals took the series finale 3-2 yesterday, as Bailey Ober had his best start of the season ruined by a quick two runs against Cole Sands in the seventh inning.

Pablo Lopez is for sure going to miss at least one start with his hamstring injury.

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