Izzy Cheung

izzycheung37@THNews

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Deputy Site Editor for The Hockey News - Vancouver Canucks site

Joined at Dec 6, 2024

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Dylan Loucks·2d·Partner

Wild's Jake Middleton Exits Islanders Game With Upper-Body Injury

Wild defenseman Jake Middleton exited Friday's game against the New York Islanders with an upper-body injury. The play happened in the second period when Islanders forward Bo Horvat hit Middleton from behind into the boards. Horvat was given a two minute penalty and Middleton will not return to the game. Horvat felt bad as soon as the play ended and looked for help. Middleton, 29, has eight goals, 12 assists, and 20 points in 66 games this year for the Wild. The 6-foot-3 defenseman has been a very important piece to the Wild's blue-line. On the very dangerous play, Middleton was able to skate off with some assistance from the Wild's training staff. A scary play nonetheless.

Dylan Loucks·2d·Partner

(4-4-25) Wild Vs Islanders: Game Preview, Line Combinations

The Minnesota Wild (41-28-7) is on the road tonight against the New York Islanders (32-32-10) for a 6:30 game. The Islanders have lost four-straight games and are 3-4-3 in their last ten games. Minnesota has loss its last two games in overtime and is 4-4-2 in its last ten games. Filip Gustavsson will start again for the Wild tonight. He will start against Ilya Sorokin tonight. Gustavsson is 29-17-6 on this season with a 2.54 goals-against average and a .916 save percentage. He has five shutouts on the season. Sorokin is 27-23-6 on the year with a 2.79 goals-against average and a .904 save percentage with three shutouts. Jon Merrill will enter the lineup tonight for the Wild as the only change. Declan Chisholm returned from his injury against the New York Rangers but will be a scratch tonight for Merrill. Here are tonight's projected lines (subject to change). Wild Projected Lines Marcus Foligno - Marco Rossi - Matt Boldy Marcus Johansson - Freddy Gaudreau - Mats Zuccarello Gustav Nyquist - Ryan Hartman - Vinnie Hinostroza Yakov Trenin - Devin Shore - Justin Brazeau Defense: Jake Middleton - Brock Faber Jonas Brodin - Jared Spurgeon Jon Merrill - Zach Bogosian Starting Goaltender: Filip Gustavsson Scratched: Brendan Gaunce, Declan Chisholm Injured: Kirill Kaprizov (lower), Joel Eriksson Ek (lower). Islanders Projected Lines Anders Lee - Bo Horvat - Kyle Palmieri Maxim Tysplakov - JP Pageau - Simon Holmstrom Pierre Engvall - Casey Cizikas - Hudson Fasching Matt Martin - Kyle MacLean - Marc Gatcomb Defense: Adam Pelech - Ryan Pulock Alexander Romanov - Tony DeAngelo Noah Dobson - Scott Mayfield Starting Goaltender: Ilya Sorokin Scratched: Adam Boqvist, Scott Perunovich, Mike Reilly. Injured: Anthony Duclair (leave of absence), Matthew Barzal (lower), Semyon Varlamov (lower).

Dylan Loucks·16h·Partner

Wild Recall Defenseman Cameron Crotty From Iowa

The Minnesota Wild (41-29-7) hosts the Dallas Stars (50-22-4) for an afternoon game today. They made a roster move before the game. Minnesota recalled defenseman Cameron Crotty from the Iowa Wild of the American Hockey League (AHL). Crotty, 25, has ten assists and 56 penalty minutes in 62 games for Iowa. He has been serving as the Iowa Wild's team captain this year. The 6-foot-3 right-shot defender was recalled after the Wild lost Jake Middleton to a serious injury. Wild head coach John Hynes will speak before the Wild's game today and hopefully provide an update on Middleton. Declan Chisholm was scratched last game but will enter the lineup today for Middleton.

Dylan Loucks·3d·Partner

Wild's Zeev Buium Named Top-3 Hobey Baker Finalist

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) announced today the three finalists for the 2025 Hobey Baker Award. One of the Wild's top prospects Zeev Buium was announced as a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award. The Award is given annually to the top player in college hockey. Macklin Celebrini won it last year. Buium joins Ryan Leonard and Isaac Howard as the finalists for the Award. Last season, during his freshman season, Buium recorded 11 goals, 39 assists, and 50 points in 42 games. He was a Hobey Baker top-10 finalist but did not make the top-3. This season, Buium has 13 goals, 35 assists, and 48 points in 40 games this year. He has been on fire recently with three goals and eight points in this last five games. Denver advanced to the Frozen Four and will have a chance to defend their NCAA Championship again. This time in St. Louis. Once Denver's season ends, the Wild will sign their 2024 12th overall pick to an entry level contract.

Dylan Loucks·8h·Partner

After A Tough Road Trip, Wild Respond With A Big Win At Home Over Dallas

ST. PAUL - The Minnesota Wild (42-29-7) entered Sunday's game against the Dallas Stars (50-22-5), just 1-4-2 in its last seven games. They were coming off a road trip that resulted in three consecutive losses and they were playing one of the best teams in the league. It didn't seem like Sunday's game would go their way. Down 1-0 five minutes into the game seemed like the losing streak was going to continue. But, Matt Boldy was able to get the Wild on the board in the third period after he swatted at a loose puck in the slot. “Huge. Yeah, huge. You mix up a little bit of lines. He was out there with Vinnie and Hartzy, had a great shift, and he just seemed so tenacious, on the puck the whole shift," Marcus Foligno said on how big Boldy's goal was. "It was a great play to get the momentum back and the energy in the building. Then we went right back at them. He made a great play at the blue line again. Marco had a great pass, and Bolds was definitely a difference maker tonight.” Foligno scored just 2:08 later to give the Wild their first lead of the game but Dallas responded with seven minutes left in the third period after scoring a bit of a fluke goal. Thomas Harley held the zone, after the Wild killed off a huge penalty, and fired one towards the net. After a great penalty killing shift, Zach Bogosian skated around the net and to the slot. Harley's shot hit off Bogosian and found its way into the net. "When you're dialed in and you're playing well, stuff like that happens. It stinks," Boldy said on Harley's goal. "Even their first goal, I don't think you can really point the finger at anyone. It's a great shot by him, but it's kind of one of those fluky ones. And you know, you just stay with it, you keep working. Bogo just comes around the net and it hits him perfectly and goes back bar. It is what it is. So, for us to kind of just go back to work and find a way was great." But just like that the Wild and the Stars were tied at 2-2 with seven minutes left. This is the type of stuff that would maybe sink the team but the Wild did not let the fluke goal get to them. “Those are bounces we gotta live through those. We gotta fight through those," Foligno said. "Those are going to happen in this game and definitely in the playoffs and the way you react to them is what makes your group special. We just suck that one up and we could have gotten down but kill off another penalty kill and went right back at it.” With under three minutes left, Marcus Johansson tripped Jamie Benn at center ice and sent the Stars to the power play for the fifth time. The Wild were able to kill it off again and take control of the momentum. “Yeah, we’re really locked in. I don’t even know how many shots they had on those first three PKs. You know, the PK guys stepped up when they needed to," Filip Gustavsson said after the game. "Three minutes on the clock is not an easy task to do. We needed to have a kill, and everyone did it.” Jason Robertson, who got the game's first goal moments after drawing a penalty on Boldy in the first eight seconds of the game, took a tripping penalty. This sent the Wild to a 4-on-3 power play in overtime. The Wild went with Johansson, Boldy, Mats Zuccarello, and Marco Rossi to start the overtime and 45 seconds later, Rossi scored. Rossi was left alone on the back door and Zuccarello found him after a great passing play by Boldy. “I just rewatched it again. That was an unbelievable play by Zuc," Wild head coach John Hynes said. "That’s what makes him special. He knows what he’s going to do with the puck before he gets it, and he has the mind to see the play and the talent to execute it. That was a big-time play.” It was a perfect tic-tac-toe goal by the three of them and an unreal pass by Zuccarello. It was Rossi's third career overtime-winner. "I think it was an unbelievable play by Zuccy," Boldy said. "Great battle on the zone entry. They played that about as good as they possibly could. The best I've ever seen any 4-on-3 play it. Great battle won there and then to get set up. You give the puck to the best playmaker on the team and he makes no mistake." Nonetheless, it was a great response from the Wild after a tough road trip. With the win the Wild now put themselves six points ahead of the Calgary Flames for the second wild card spot with four games left. "Yeah, I thought we were great tonight. No passengers. Everyone was ready to go and that's the response you need after the week like we had," Boldy said. I think that's more of the team that we're used to and expect from each other. So, for us to go out there and play that way after kind of the struggles we've been going through, I think speaks a lot to a group."

Dylan Loucks·14h·Partner

'He Avoided Major Injury': Wild's Jake Middleton Listed As Day-To-Day

ST. PAUL - Wild's Jake Middleton got hurt on a dangerous play in the second period of the team's last game against the New York Islanders on Friday. He left the game after going head first in the boards. He was hit by Islanders forward Bo Hortvat from behind into the corner of the boards. Middleton, 29, has eight goals, 12 assists, and 20 points in 66 games this year for the Wild. The 6-foot-3 defenseman has been a very important piece to the Wild's blue-line. Wild head coach John Hynes said before the game on Sunday, that Middleton had avoided a major injury and is listed as day-to-day for now.

Dylan Loucks·13h·Partner

(4-6-25) Wild Vs Stars: Game Preview, Line Combinations

ST. PAUL - The Minnesota Wild (41-29-7) hosts the Dallas Stars (50-22-4) for an afternoon game today against a divisional rival. The Wild will be without defenseman Jake Middleton tonight but head coach John Hynes said before the game that Middleton avoided a major injury. Filip Gustavsson will start again for the Wild today. It is his 13th straight in the Wild's last 14 games. Hometown kid Jake Oettinger will start today for the Stars. He is 36-15-3 on the year with a 2.45 goals-against average and a .912 save percentage. He is 7-0-2 against the Wild in his career with a 2.13 goals-against average and a .922 save percentage. Declan Chisholm will enter the lineup tonight for Middleton. No other changes for the Wild. The Wild recalled defenseman Cameron Crotty from the AHL but he won't play. Here are tonight's projected lines (subject to change). Wild Projected Lines Marcus Foligno - Marco Rossi - Matt Boldy Marcus Johansson - Freddy Gaudreau - Mats Zuccarello Gustav Nyquist - Ryan Hartman - Vinnie Hinostroza Yakov Trenin - Devin Shore - Justin Brazeau Defense: Jonas Brodin - Brock Faber Declan Chisholm - Jared Spurgeon Jon Merrill - Zach Bogosian Starting Goaltender: Filip Gustavsson Scratched: Brendan Gaunce, Cameron Crotty Injured: Kirill Kaprizov (lower), Joel Eriksson Ek (lower), Jake Middleton (upper). Stars Projected Lines Jason Robertson - Roope Hintz - Mikko Rantanen Mason Marchment - Matt Duchene - Mikael Granlund Jamie Benn - Wyatt Johnston - Evgenii Dadonov Oscar Back - Sam Steel - Mavrik Bourque Defense: Thomas Harley - Ilya Lyubushkin Esa Lindell - Cody Ceci Lian Bichsel - Matt Dumba Starting Goaltender: Jake Oettinger Scratched: Brendan Smith, Colin Blackwell Injured: Miro Heiskanen (lower), Nils Lundkvist (upper), Tyler Seguin (lower).