Wilderness Walk: Impulse Control

Remember #LaughatOtt? It was the massive Twitter hashtag movement developed during the 2015 playoffs by our very own The Noogie. The incident that brought it about was St. Louis Blues clown player Steve Ott giving into his exasperation and attempting to draw out Minnesota Wild defenseman Matt Dumba by faking as if he was going to strike Dumba with his stick. It was a dumb thing to do, especially as Dumba was comfortably seated on the bench, guaranteeing that Ott would face suspension and a fine if he had gone through with his half-baked impulse. Dumba’s response was perfect: he laughed at Ott.

Now the shoe is on the other foot. At the end of the second period, Dumba squirted Joel Armia with his water bottle as the Jets winger skated past the Wild bench. That little stunt cost him a two-minute minor for unsportsmanlike conduct and a $5,000 fine. It also perfectly encapsulates what this team is like right now. They are making dumb mistakes, showing a lack of discipline, and choosing to show emotion at all the wrong times.

Wild News

MN Wild defenseman Matt Dumba fined for squirting water bottle at Jets player
MN Wild defenseman Matt Dumba squirted Jets winger Joel Armia with his water bottle as both teams headed to this locker room. Dumba was assessed a two-minute minor for unsportsmanlike conduct and was also fined $5,000, the maximum allowable under the league's Collective Bargaining Agreement.

Wild lucky to have scheduled day off after debacle in Winnipeg
While coach MN Wild Bruce Boudreau has opted for different tactics after woeful efforts in the past, make no mistake: his team will be working hard when it returns to work during Wednesday's practice at the Xcel Energy Center.

On Frozen Pond

Taylor Crosby, Sidney’s sister, finds her niche in net | Toronto Star
The 21-year-old sister of Sidney Crosby has found a happy place in hockey as a goalie at St. Cloud State University in Minnesota

Morris Earns Third Consecutive B1G First Star :: Notre Dame Ice Hockey :: UND.COM :: The Official Site of ND Athletics
The Official Athletic Site of the University of Notre Dame - For the third consecutive week, Notre Dame goaltender Cale Morris has been named the Big Ten's First Star of the Week.

Tending the Fields

Prospect Need To Know: Juolevi finds footing in FInland, Necas primed for WJC | The Hockey News
Our weekly glance at NHL prospects who are making noise around the hockey world. Olli Juolevi has picked up his pace after a slow summer, while Martin Necas continues to cruise.

Off the Trail

31 Thoughts: Eberle, Hall and how the media really affects NHLers
Does media criticism affect NHL player performance? Former Oilers Jordan Eberle and Taylor Hall say yes. That and more in the latest 31 Thoughts.

Down Goes Brown: The 20 stages of realizing your NHL team is terrible - Sportsnet.ca
If you're a fan of an early-season disappointment, it can be a confusing time. So today, we present the 20 stages of coming to terms with your new reality.

The NHL scoring race is being dominated by duos — here are the five best | The Hockey News
Forget Batman and Robin. These five dynamic duos have been lighting up the league this season.

NHL rookie race opens up after DeBrincat’s hat trick, Connor’s three-point night | The Hockey News
Mathew Barzal, Brock Boeser and Clayton Keller are still your rookie points leaders, but the rest of the freshman class isn't going away quietly.

Career Seasons Leading to First Place for Golden Knights
Go ahead and pinch yourselves now, the Vegas Golden Knights are atop the Pacific Division standings after the first quarter of the season.

Devils Surprise, Lead the Way at the Quarter-Season Mark
No matter how the rest of this season plays out, for the first time in a long time, it’s nothing but optimism in New Jersey.

Kevin Bieksa is really honing that superman punch | The Hockey News
The Anaheim Ducks defenseman has unleashed an MMA-style punch twice this year for devastating results. Is this the evolution of fighting in hockey?

2003 NHL Draft: Did the 2005 Lockout Help Make This Draft Class Great?
When it comes to the annual NHL Entry Draft, few draft years are held in such high esteem as the class of 2003 NHL draft class. What made it great?

IIHF expresses growing concern over Russia's Olympic hockey status - Sportsnet.ca
The words themselves didn’t so much tell you how uncertain the International Ice Hockey Federation is feeling about the upcoming Pyeongchang Olympics. It’s the fact they felt the need to say them at all.