Stanzel’s Sports Takeout — BREAKING NEWS: 11.3.23

Sports That Aren't HockeyTwinsVikingsGophersWildLynxTimberwolvesPWHLLoons

Nov 3

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Vikes

The Vikings are at Atlanta on Sunday in a battle of teams whose QB’s weren’t starters last week, and may not be the following week. Taylor Heinecke makes his Falcons debut opposite Jaren Hall. Now that the Texas Rangers have won the World Series, the Minnesota Vikings are now the oldest active MLB/NBA/NFL/NHL franchise that has never won a championship.

Gophs

Gopher football is a slight 2.5 point favorite over an Illinois team they should beat, and need to beat, to keep pace with the top spot in the Big 10 West. Kickoff is 2:30 p.m. in Dinkytown.

Gopher men’s hockey, which fell out of the top five, plays a home-and-home against UMD. Tonight’s game is at Mariucci. Gopher women play a home-and-home with Minnesota State - tonight’s game also at Ridder.

Gopher men’s hoops beat Macalaster 97-73 in a neighborhood exhibition/friendly ahead of Monday’s season opener against Bethune-Cookman. How about Scots star guard Caleb Williams pouring in 41 points against a D1 opponent?

Wild Doomed Again by Slow Start, Fall 5-3 to Jersey at Home

You’ve got to give Dean Evason credit. Always reticent to make changes and let the players figure things out themselves, he shuffled the deck after watching another lousy first 20 minutes and a two-goal deficit. But his new top two lines each took a penalty on their first shift together, leading to a crucial goal early in the second period of the Devils’ 5-3 win at Xcel Energy Center. The stumbling Wild has lost six of seven, while trailing for more time than any other NHL team this season.

The Wild did play better, once Evason shuffled the deck. Kirill Kaprizov looked energized alongside young stud counterparts Matt Boldy and Marco Rossi, who got the Wild within a goal early in the third. And Mats Zuccarello looked like 2022-23 Zuccy playing with Joel Eriksson Ek and Marcus Johansson. You have to think Deano starts Saturday’s home game against the Rangers with these combos.

But Calen Addison - who likely wouldn’t be in this lineup with a full lineup - took a penalty with 5:08 minutes left - one of three Wild penalties in the last 308 seconds of the game. The Devils scored twice. Addison and Jake Middleton have been an adventure. Jared Spurgeon skated with the team Wednesday - could he return Saturday?

The Wild’s penalty kill is abysmal - it’s given up five goals on eight chances in this two-game set against New Jersey and 12 goals on 33 opportunities this season. And with the Wild down a goal and pushing inside two minutes, Boldy took an interference penalty, and seconds later Kaprizov went to the box for a high stick. The Devils tacked on the fifth goal then.

Wolves Beat Defending Champs

In this space Wednesday, I hypothesized the Wolves would come back from Monday’s historic loss to Atlanta by beating NBA champ Denver by 30 at home. Well, it was only 21…

The Wolves built a 19-point halftime lead - the same one they blew 48 hours prior - but this time finished things out, behind 24 from Anthony Edwards and 21 from Karl-Anthony Towns. Mike Conley had himself a game at point guard too, with six assists to go along with his 17 points.

The Wolves host Utah on Saturday.

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