Wilderness Walk: Back in the Win Column

Happy Friyay Wilderness!

The Wild are back in the win column as they beat the New York Rangers 4-1 at MSG last night! It was Minnesota’s second win in the previous 11, landing them back into a playoff spot, but they are far from digging out of the trenches of their current swoon. Newcomer, Ryan Donato posted a two-point night in his Minnesota Wild debut, assisting on Jared Spurgeon’s 12th goal of the year and Jordan Greenway’s 10th of the year, A great start for the 22-year-old sporting the green, red, and white.

The Wild are back in action again today as they head to Detroit to face off with the Red Wings at 6:30 P.M. CST.

Friyay Fun Fact: When Ryan Donato was a child, his idol was Paul Kariya and during the season his father played for the Mighty Ducks —1999-2000— Donato grew to know Kariya well. On one occasion, Kariya and Donato were horsing around in the Ducks’ locker room, and Kariya grabbed the then four-year-old, Ryan Donato and put him in a trash can. Donato immediately told his father his new favorite player was Teemu Selanne.

Taking us through the Walk this morning is Back From the Dead, by Skillet.

Wild News

Ryan Donato makes an instant impact as Wild stop the bleeding in New York – The Athletic
One day after joining Minnesota in the Charlie Coyle trade, the Harvard product wasted no time showing what he can bring to the team.

Wild breaks out of slump with 4-1 win over Rangers - StarTribune.com
Ryan Donato picked up a pair of assists in his Wild debut, as Minnesota ended a five-game losing streak.

'I'm a good player.' Wild expect Donato to bring energy to its attack - StarTribune.com
Before the team's practice at Madison Square Garden this morning, Wild General Manager Paul Fenton said the trade put players "on notice."

Parise helps Wild top Rangers, end five-game losing streak
The Minnesota Wild ended a five-game losing streak and moved into a Stanley Cup Playoff position by defeating the New York Rangers 4-1 at Madison Square Garden on Thursday.

The Charlie Coyle trade: Wild pick up needed youth and talent in Ryan Donato – The Athletic
Wednesday's trade is a step in the right direction for a Wild team looking to replenish its prospect pool.

Charlie Coyle goes to the Bruins as Minnesota grabs future assets - TheHockeyNews
Boston gets a hometown boy in one of the first major moves of deadline week. Meanwhile, Minnesota GM Paul Fenton has the chance to remake his roster in the next few days: but how far will he go?

On Frozen Pond

Tonka Skips Past Crimson - Minnesota Hockey Magazine
In late November, Minnetonka lost to Maple Grove 3-2 in overtime. But this time around it was the fifth-seeded Skippers who had the last laugh as they dominated No. 4 Maple Grove 7-4 in Thursday night’s Class 2A quarterfinal finale.

Depth Charge Sparks Hornets - Minnesota Hockey Magazine
Underclassmen jumpstart Edina in 7-0 win over East Ridge. Seeking a third straight Class AA title, Edina got off to a rocky start against East Ridge in Thursday night’s quarterfinal at Xcel Energy Center.

Warriors halt Frank's shutout streak - Minnesota Hockey Magazine
So naturally the storyline heading into the Brainerd/Little Falls Warriors and the White Bear Lake Bears quarterfinal game at the Class AA 2019 state tournament was all about goaltending. Both netminders had strong numbers and low scoring was anticipated. But it was Brainerd who cracked the code and ended up scoring a pair of first period goals five-minutes apart; ending Frank’s impressive shutout streak in a 4-0 win.

Andover's top line impresses in quarterfinal win - Minnesota Hockey Magazine
Peyton Hemp, Jamie Nelson and Gabby Krause combined for 159 points in the regular season, making them one of the best lines in the state. So, it didn’t take long for them to help Andover to a 7-1 win over the Farmington Tigers at the 2019 state tournament quarterfinal round.

Gophers Host Notre Dame for Final Big Ten Series - University of Minnesota Athletics
The Gopher Hockey program opens up a four-game home stand this weekend with its final regular-season Big Ten series of the year, hosting No. 16 Notre Dame at 3M

Notes: Fourth straight top 10 team on deck for UND - University of North Dakota Athletics
North Dakota welcomes defending-NCAA champion Minnesota Duluth to the Ralph for a key National Collegiate Hockey Conference battle.

All News Trade Deadline

Insider Trading: Impact of Sens’ trio sitting vs. Devils - TSN.ca
VIDEO - TSN Hockey Insiders Darren Dreger and Bob McKenzie joined host James Duthie to discuss the latest with the Ottawa Senators, what the Winnipeg Jets might do and whether or not the Boston Bruins are done after acquiring Charlie Coyle earlier in the week.

Hagelin traded to Capitals by Kings
Carl Hagelin was traded to the Washington Capitals by the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday for a third-round pick in the 2019 NHL Draft and a conditional sixth-round choice in the 2020 NHL Draft.

Duchene, Stone, Dzingel scratched by Senators as Trade Deadline nears
Matt Duchene, Mark Stone and Ryan Dzingel are healthy scratches for the Ottawa Senators against the New Jersey Devils at Prudential Center on Thursday (7 p.m. ET; MSG+, RDS2, TSN5, NHL.TV) with four days remaining until the 2019 NHL Trade Deadline.

Buyers, sellers leading up to NHL Trade Deadline
With the clock ticking to the 2019 NHL Trade Deadline on Feb. 25 at 3 p.m. ET, teams must decide what approach to take for the rest of the season.

NHL Rumors: Islanders, Blackhawks, Bruins, Oilers, More
In today's NHL Rumors, we look at the New York Islanders, Matt Duchene, Alex Chiasson and what Chicago might do if they aren't in the market for rentals.

How’s a traded player on the ice for a new team so quickly? NHL travel coordinators share their secrets – The Athletic
Who's really moving players at the deadline? Team services coordinators take you behind the scenes.

LeBrun Notebook: Why contenders should keep the Capitals in mind ahead of the trade deadline – The Athletic
Also, Alex Edler's future, why you can never count the Penguins out when it comes to trades and why the Habs will likely stand pat.

Keeping Skinner through deadline will be a gamble for the Sabres — but it's a risk worth taking - TheHockeyNews
The Sabres and Jeff Skinner haven't reached an extension, but Buffalo has more to gain by keeping the high-scoring winger through the deadline and trying to re-sign him.

Trade Bait: Stone’s days numbered in Ottawa - TSN.ca
Mark Stone now stands alone as the most sought-after player ahead of TradeCentre 2019.

Panthers ask Hoffman to submit no-trade list - TSN.ca
The Florida Panthers have asked Mike Hoffman to submit his 10-team no-trade list ahead of the trade deadline, TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun's reported.

25 NHL trade candidates: Who will stay, who will go? - Sportsnet.ca
With the trade deadline a little less than a month away and plenty of intriguing names being mentioned in the rumour mill, here are 25 players who could finish the season in a different jersey.

NHL Trade Rumour Live Blog: Could Winnipeg make a push for Panarin? - Sportsnet.ca
With less than a week to go until the NHL trade deadline, we're keeping a running blog to track the latest rumours from around the league.

Off the Trail

St. Louis Blues - Dallas Stars - February 21st, 2019 | NHL.com
The official National Hockey League web site includes features, news, rosters, statistics, schedules, teams, live game radio broadcasts, and video clips.

Washington Capitals - Toronto Maple Leafs - February 21st, 2019 | NHL.com
The official National Hockey League web site includes features, news, rosters, statistics, schedules, teams, live game radio broadcasts, and video clips.

Penguins-Flyers rivalry will heat up Stadium Series, Recchi says
PITTSBURGH -- Mark Recchi is ninth in Philadelphia Flyers history with 627 points (232 goals, 395 assists) in 602 games. During two stints in orange and black (1992-94, 1998-2004), he became a fan favorite while playing with the likes of Eric Lindros, John LeClair, Ron Hextall and Eric Desjardins.

Predators defeat Kings, move into first in Central Division
Roman Josi had a goal and an assist for the Nashville Predators in a 2-1 win against the Los Angeles Kings at Bridgestone Arena on Thursday.

Is this player a bust? How NHL teams decide when to cut bait – The Athletic
When does it pay to be patient with a player and when is it best to move on? NHL talent evaluators weigh in on how to walk that fine line.

By trading for Hagelin, Caps may be getting Kempny 2.0, while Kings have next to nothing to show for Pearson - TheHockeyNews
The Kings were slow to react to a changing league, and in trying to catch up to the shift from physical, grinding play to unrelenting speed and skill, they may have turned a first-round pick into nothing of any value.

Silfverberg’s extension with Ducks is a head-scratcher for more than one reason - TheHockeyNews
Days before the deadline, the Ducks and Jakob Silfverberg have reportedly come to terms on a five-year extension. But for a number of reasons — from CBA-related tagging rules to Anaheim's plans for the future — the decision to re-sign the winger is confusing.

Kucherov gets 100th point in win over Sabres - TSN.ca
TAMPA, Fla. — Nikita Kucherov became the fastest player to 100 points in a season since Mario Lemieux, and he and Steven Stamkos scored in the shootout to lift the Tampa Bay Lightning over the Buffalo Sabres 2-1 on Thursday night.

Nylander comfortable with shift back to centre - TSN.ca
ORONTO – There's been so little that has felt familiar to William Nylander this season.

Button would 'absolutely' suspend McDavid for his hit on Leddy - Video - TSN
Does Connor McDavid deserve to be suspended for his hit on Nick Leddy? Craig Button explains why the Oilers captain should face discipline.

Andreas Johnsson could be catalyst for Maple Leafs during stretch run - Sportsnet.ca
As the hours tick down towards the trade deadline, the Toronto Maple Leafs found a way to become a better version of themselves. And it didn’t even require Kyle Dubas to pick up his phone.