Minnesota Wild

Kim Johnsson named December captain for Minnesota Wild

admin — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 20:08:00 GMT

Mikko Koivu has been spectacular for the Minnesota Wild this season, so it was a tough decision to name a new captain for December.

"It was really hard because Mikko really played well during the month," coach Jacques Lemaire said. "He's been solid for us, playing a lot of minutes in all situations.

"But we felt Johnny, it was a good time for him to get the "C" because of everything he's done."

That would be Kim Johnnson, the veteran defenseman who was named captain for the first time as an NHL player today.

"I think (Koivu) is going to have it a couple more times," Johnsson said.

But this has been coming for Johnsson, a regular alternate who has been, in his own end, just as good as Koivu. He is third among defensemen in points (1-7—8) and leads the team in ice time (24:55 per game).

On October 14, Johnsson played his 600th NHL game.

"I'm just going to try to do the same stuff as I've been doing out there," he said. "That's all I can do."

"He works as hard in practice as he does his game," Lemaire said. "He's upgraded his game big time this year, and we hope he keeps playing as well as he's playing."

Lemaire also said center Eric Belanger would play tonight against Colorado after missing Saturday's 6-2 victory at Nashville because of a leg injury. That left the Wild with three healthy centers for the Predators.

Lemaire said he doesn't want to do that again.

"Playing three centers?" he said. "When you play with three centers and get one in the box, you only get two left." That's a reference to consecutive penalties taken by Benoit Pouliot in the third period Saturday. Lemaire was laughing about it today, but not on Saturday.

"Now it's funny," he said, "but you should have seen me behind the Minnesota Wild bench."

Wild Dominate - Wojtek Wolski and Paul Stastny push Wild to the edge

admin — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 04:08:00 GMT

Next Minnesota Wild Game - April 19 at Colorado Buy Tickets

Wojtek and Stastny scored 79 seconds apart early in the third period to give Theodore and the patient Avs a 3-2 victory on Thursday and a 3-2 series lead, after weathering a relentless effort by the Wild.

Minnesota outshot Colorado 32-14 over the first two periods. But following an interference penalty by Sean Hill, with 5 seconds left on the power play, Wolski sent the puck through goalie Niklas Backstrom’s pads for a 2-1 lead with 14:54 remaining.

Then came the knockout blow by Stastny, the regular-season goals leader for the Avalanche who was searching for his first score of this series. He took a smooth pass by Milan Hejduk and made a nifty pivot to lift a back-hander over Backstrom.

Game 6 is in Denver on Saturday night. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, more than 80 percent (158 of 196) of the Game 5 winners of previously tied playoff series have advanced to the next round in NHL history.

Theodore made 38 saves. He gave up a too-late slap shot goal by Brian Rolston with 2.5 seconds left and a first-period power-play goal by Pierre-Marc Bouchard.

Andrew Brunette also scored for Colorado.

Next Minnesota Wild Game - April 19 at Colorado Buy Tickets

Hustling from end to end and applying hard, clean hits, the Wild dominated the game in every facet except that pesky scoreboard.

After losing their touch and their cool in the ugly 5-1 loss at Colorado two days earlier, they came out firing and skating at a frenetic pace. They were noticeably physical, especially in the first half of the first period, but they maintained their discipline with only two penalties over the first 40 minutes. Oh, and they finally got a goal before the second intermission, too. The Avs outscored them 9-0 in the first two periods of the first four games.

Theodore made 38 saves. He gave up a too-late slap shot goal by Brian Rolston with 2.5 seconds left and a first-period power-play goal by Pierre-Marc Bouchard.

Hustling from end to end and applying hard, clean hits, the Wild dominated the game in every facet except that pesky scoreboard.

Theodore was the reason Colorado still had a chance to win in the decisive third period. He denied all kinds of shots from every angle, whether it was a toe save of still-scoreless Marian Gaborik’s wrister from just outside the crease, or a glove squeeze of another windup and sizzling slapper by Rolston.

Bouchard snagged a pass sent by Brent Burns and blasted a shot into the back of the net so fast Theodore had barely begun to lean the other way. That was the only blemish on Theodore’s performance until the very end, and that was hardly his fault.

Brunette scored his third goal in as many games on a wide-open shot that knocked the water bottle off the top of the crossbar. Defenseman Kim Johnsson was turned around trying to corral a loose puck, giving Brunette an opening in front of Burns.

Next Minnesota Wild Game - April 19 at Colorado Buy Tickets

Preview: Colorado Avalanche at Minnesota Wild

admin — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 02:48:00 GMT

Wild Celeb Pictures - January 2007

Peter Forsberg, Adam Foote and Joe Sakic have won two Stanley Cup titles with Colorado. The Avalanche are hoping the trio can lead them to another one this season.

The Avalanche make their return to the playoffs Wednesday after a one-year hiatus when they visit the Northwest Division champion Minnesota Wild.

Forsberg, Foote and Sakic helped guide the Avalanche (44-31-7) to Stanley Cups in 1996 and 2001. Forsberg and Foote left the team following the 2004-05 lockout, but have returned after Colorado missed the playoffs for the first time in 12 years last season.

Foote was acquired in a Feb. 26 trade with Columbus, while Forsberg signed with the Avalanche on Feb. 25 and made his season debut March 4 - the first night the three played together since May 4, 2004.

You need experience and you can only get experience by playing,” Sakic said. “Both those guys are going to help out. At the deadline we got Ruslan (Salei), and he played in the (Stanley Cup) finals, as well. We have a lot of experience in here and everyone needs to pick it up.”

The Avalanche couldn’t ask for more experience than they get with Sakic and Forsberg. Sakic ranks first among active players with 82 playoff goals and 178 points (eighth and 11th all-time, respectively), while Forsberg is third among active players with 63 postseason goals and second with 172 points (23rd and 15th all-time).

“I think he upgrades our overall skill level, helps our power play, direct plays, patience with the puck, relieving pressure as good as anyone in the game,” coach Joel Quenneville said of Forsberg. “The improvement in overall skill and our team ability to score is enhanced. He’s one of those players that can really influence the outcome of games. We’ve noticed that when he’s been in.”

Sakic, who missed 38 games following hernia surgery, finished this season with 13 goals and 27 assists. Foote had a goal and 15 assists in 2007-08 - though he picked up just one assist in 12 games with Colorado - while Forsberg, who’s been bothered by balky legs and a strained groin, had a goal and 13 assists in nine games.

The Avalanche went 5-0-1 in their final six games, including a 4-3 shootout win over Minnesota (44-28-10) on Sunday. Forsberg had three assists in that contest as Colorado improved to 3-4-1 against the Wild this season and clinched the No. 6 spot in the playoffs.

Sakic scored his 205th career power-play goal, passing Wayne Gretzky for 12th on the all-time list.

“It’s good to know we can beat those guys,” Colorado’s Ian Laperriere said. “You don’t know what can happen at the end. It’s better to be sixth instead of seventh.”

The Avalanche, however, were 0-3-1 in Minnesota this season, extending their losing streak there to five games.

The Wild are in the playoffs for the second straight season. After losing in the first round last year to a more physical Anaheim club that went on to win the Stanley Cup, Minnesota has added rugged forwards Todd Fedoruk and Chris Simon.

“You’ve got to be ready for seven games in every round, so the more you hit, the more you finish checks, the more that adds up,” said Simon, who has been suspended eight times in 15 years and missed a total of 55 games over the last two seasons for separate incidents. “It’s like putting money in the bank. It pays off in the end, wearing guys down.”

Laperriere and Marian Gaborik, who set team records with 42 goals and 83 points this season, exchanged punches and drew five-minute fighting majors in overtime Sunday. Gaborik had never been in an NHL fight before.

“The playoff will be a notch higher,” Laperriere said. “Teams and players that haven’t been physical all season will be physical. They will bring their physical play in the playoffs, because if they want to win that’s the way they need to play. Our guys will be physical, and that the way playoffs are.”

Minnesota, which went 4-0-1 in its last five games, will be hoping for a big series from Niklas Backstrom, who won a franchise-record 33 games this season. Backstrom was 1-4-0 with a 2.22 goals-against average in last year’s playoffs, but is 18-2-6 with a 1.60 GAA in 28 career regular-season games in March and April.

The Wild and Avalanche are meeting for the second time in the playoffs. Minnesota rallied from a 3-1 deficit in 2003 to beat Colorado in seven games in a first-round series.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com

Wild Celeb Pictures - January 2007

Vikings post five-game winning streak to creep closer to playoff spot

wildfan — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 05:38:00 GMT

Wild Celeb Pictures - January 2007

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. - This, arguably, is the biggest cliche in sports: one game at a time.

The Minnesota Vikings don't care if this comes across as dull because their commitment - overstated or not - to such a focused approach is working.

Five straight victories have pushed the Vikings (8-6) close to a playoff appearance that was so improbable a few weeks ago. They're currently in control of the NFC's last wild-card spot.

Playoffs? That's right. Playoffs.

"I didn't understand that last word," coach Brad Childress deadpanned in response to a related question after Monday night's win over Chicago. "I wouldn't know that."

Beating the defending conference-champion Bears had as much to do with the injury-depleted and offence-starved opponent as it did with Minnesota's own performance.

Yes, but it counted the same.

"It's really been a day-at-a-time philosophy," Childress said. "I know that's trite, but that's really how we've looked at it."

That began in earnest following the 34-0 defeat at Green Bay on Nov. 11, when the Vikings fell to 3-6. The ensuing victories have been equally pretty and ugly, several of them at least partial functions of a slumping foe. That's how you go places in the NFL, though, by taking care of the teams that are clearly supposed to be beaten.

"We realize that we're a better football team than what showed up in Lambeau a month ago or so," guard Steve Hutchinson said after Monday's game. "Our motto from there on out was, 'Don't worry about the record. Don't worry about the rest of the season."'

Cornerback Antoine Winfield, who left Monday's game in the second quarter after he came down wrong on his left shoulder after breaking up a pass, was diagnosed with a strained pectoral muscle after an MRI test on Tuesday. Wide receiver Sidney Rice has a sprained ankle.

Though their status this week is uncertain, the prognosis was a bit of a relief.

"I don't have any preconceived notions, because both of them will drive hard to get back to be able to play at the end," Childress said.

Wild Celeb Pictures - September 2007

Players had their regular day off Tuesday and were unavailable for comment. There is less time to recover before Sunday night's game with Washington. It's a big one, too, with the Redskins and Saints trailing the Vikings by one game in the NFC race.

Minnesota can clinch a playoff spot with a win and a loss or a tie by New Orleans, which hosts Philadelphia, but a defeat against Washington would put the Vikings in a difficult spot entering the final weekend. This is precisely why Childress has preached this one-at-a-time mentality.

"Coach is always talking about hunting somebody and being hunted," wide receiver Bobby Wade said. "As of right now, we are the team being hunted. We have got to take that kind of approach and really focus."

As Childress pointed out, Minnesota and Chicago had the same record at eight points over their first 11 games: 1-1, 1-2, 1-3, 2-3, 2-4, 3-5, 4-6, and 5-6. Since then, the Vikings have not lost, while the Bears have not won.

One big difference is the play of their quarterbacks. Tarvaris Jackson threw three interceptions on Monday, and two of them were ill-advised throws caused by shaky footwork and a strong rush. Those were the kind of mistakes he made all the time in the first half of the season.

Jackson has looked like a totally different player over the last month, though. His poise and ability to complete important passes has been right there with Adrian Peterson and the turnover-causing, run-stuffing defence as reasons for Minnesota's success during the streak. Jackson is 8-2 as a starter.

Kyle Orton, on the other hand, was not close to what the Bears needed to win. The Vikings were in his face a lot, and the secondary was flying all over the field to make tackles. They didn't give up a play longer than 19 yards.

"We are a very resilient group, and I think this shows the true character of the team," defensive end Kenechi Udeze said.

Wild Celeb Pictures - December 2007

Minnesota Wild Updates - December 10

wildfan — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 00:26:00 GMT

Nell McAndrew - Bikini Photoshoot

Ducks must become penalty dodgers
SportingNews.com - 7 hours ago
The Blue Jackets, meanwhile, are looking to rebound from Saturday's 2-1 loss to Minnesota as they continue a five-game homestand. ...

So what if Crawford said 'pay the price'?
Vancouver Province, Canada - 13 hours ago
Don't know what we're going to do for excitement now that Sidney Crosby has left town and the next Minnesota Wild game is still six weeks away, ...

Wild Tickets

Tom Powers: Minnesota Wild flush with plumbers
Pioneer Press, MN - Dec 9, 2007
It's not like the Wild to miss out on a marketing opportunity. But they've dropped the ball on this one. Somebody explain to me why the holiday gift shops ...

Red Wings gualie Dominik Hasek flips Minnesota Wild's Marian Gaborik
Pioneer Press, MN - Dec 9, 2007
BY JOHN SHIPLEY DETROIT - If you haven't seen Marian Gaborik's somersault over Dominik Hasek yet, turn on sportscenter or check out youtube. ...

The Minnesota Wild are taking SI's 'Hockeytown' status seriously
MLive.com, MI - Dec 7, 2007
December 6, Wild.com: Sports Illustrated, the nationally recognized and critically acclaimed magazine of record for sport in America for more than a ...

Grace Park Photo Gallery

Recap: Minnesota Vikings 27, San Francisco 49ers 7

wildfan — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 00:18:00 GMT

Wild Celeb Pictures - March 2007

Monday, Dec 17 Chicago 8:30 pm Buy Tickets ESPN
Sunday, Dec 23 Washington 1:00 pm Buy Tickets FOX
Sunday, Dec 30 at Denver 4:15 pm Buy Tickets FOX

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- After the 49ers schemed all week against Adrian Peterson, their plan to stop the NFL's leading rusher worked splendidly -- and that was the extent of San Francisco's successes in another big win for the resurgent Minnesota Vikings.

Though, to be fair, nobody could have planned for a game that began with a 311-pound man returning an interception for a touchdown on the very first play.... More

Vikings-49ers Snapshot
Lionsfans.com - Dec 9, 2007
By Scout.com Get the game essentials, series standing, keys to the game and fast facts as the Vikings get set for the 49ers. 43rd meeting. ...

Killion: 49ers down to third-string quarterback
San Jose Mercury News, USA - 6 hours ago
In the midst of the 49ers' abysmal 27-7 loss to the Vikings, Fox broadcaster JC Pearson made a major announcement. Pearson said: "I had a chance to talk to ...

Man falls over railing, pronounced dead at scene during game - NFL
ESPN - 4 hours ago
SAN FRANCISCO -- A fan attending the Minnesota Vikings-San Francisco 49ers game at Monster Park died when he fell at least 20 feet from an upper concourse ...

Peterson's production limited, but Vikings rout 49ers
Sports Network - 20 hours ago
The Vikings' opening drive of the game ate up six minutes of the clock before stalling at the 49ers' 30-yard line. Ryan Longwell's 48-yard field goal made ...

Monday, Dec 17 Chicago 8:30 pm Buy Tickets ESPN
Sunday, Dec 23 Washington 1:00 pm Buy Tickets FOX
Sunday, Dec 30 at Denver 4:15 pm Buy Tickets FOX

The Lions are cheap shot artists! Minnesota Vikings 42, Detroit Lions 10

wildfan — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 15:00:00 GMT

Wild Celeb Pictures - March 2007

Minnesota Vikings Schedule
Sunday, Dec 9 at San Francisco 4:05 pm Buy Tickets FOX
Monday, Dec 17 Chicago 8:30 pm Buy Tickets ESPN
Sunday, Dec 23 Washington 1:00 pm Buy Tickets FOX
Sunday, Dec 30 at Denver 4:15 pm Buy Tickets FOX

Yeah I said it! The Lions suck and are cheap shot artists!

Superstar Adrian Peterson was a little hesitant on the first couple plays of the game wearing a brace on his right knee and playing for the first time in a couple weeks. Once the big guy took a few shots from the soft Lions, some of which were definitely cheap, Peterson was off and running and so were the Minnesota Vikings, 42-10.

The star rookie rushed for 116 yards and two touchdowns in less than three quarters of work and quarterback Tarvaris Jackson looked awesome and lead the Vikings over the *** Lions.

"I got choked up a couple times, so it kind of pushed my buttons," Peterson said.

Our Offensive Rookie of the Year is back in a big way, but the Vikings suddenly appear much more than a one-man show and just in time for the playoffs!

In the last three weeks, Tarvaris has shown poise, an accurate arm and command of the offense, and Sunday was his best game so far - he was 18-of-24 for 204 yards and two touchdowns, and the Vikings scored touchdowna on their first six possessions to win their third in a row and fourth in the last five games.

The roll has the Vikings back in the thick of the NFC playoff picture, thanks in large part to a November sucking sound by the Lions (6-6) that has an all-too familiar feel for their long-suffering fans.

Jon Kitna threw for 260 yards and one touchdown for the Lions, who have lost four in a row to waste a 6-2 start. The Lions rushed for just 23 yards on seven attempts against the league's top-ranked run defense, committed three personal fouls and were ***-slapped and manhandled at the line of scrimmage.

"It's a team that's gotten tentative," said Lions coach Rod Marinelli, who blamed himself for the loss. "Today, especially, we looked lethargic. The fundamentals aren't being executed the way I wanted. ... And that's on coaching."

Wild Celeb Pictures - March 2007

Adrian Peterson returned after missing two games with a torn lateral collateral ligament in his right knee. He looked to be just a step slower than his usual blazing self -- but that was still two steps faster than the *** Lions' defense.

He first dominated with a 28-yard run on the first possession to set up a touchdown run by Chester Taylor, then added a 16-yard scoring run to help the Vikings to a 14-3 lead.

The Lions came right back and scored on a 2-yard pass from Kitna to Casey FitzSimmons, but rookie Aundrae Allison returned the ensuing kickoff 103 yards for a touchdown to highlight a 28-point second quarter. Jackson threw touchdown passes to Bobby Wade and Sidney Rice, and the Vikings led 35-10 at halftime.

Peterson finished off the Lions on the first drive of the second half. He burst through a gigantic hole and then made safety Kenoy Kennedy look like a school girl with a superstar move on his way to a 13-yard touchdown. Taylor added 70 yards on the ground and the Vikings rushed for 216 yards.

The team started 2-5 and took quite a hit in a 34-0 loss at Green Bay a month ago but just like their biggest offensive stud, the Vikings are back bigger and badder than ever.

The Vikes move into a tie for the final wild-card spot in the NFC, with games remaining at San Francisco, home against Chicago and Washington, and at Denver. But they may not have to worry about Detroit for that much longer. Receiver Roy Williams left in the first half with a knee injury, and the Lions are in serious trouble.

Vikings Safety Dwight Smith was benched for the start of the game for disciplinary reasons and coach Childress declined to elaborate.

Wild Celeb Pictures - March 2007

Preview: Detroit Lions (6-5) at Minnesota Vikings (5-6)

wildfan — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 03:47:00 GMT

Wild Celeb Pictures - April 2007

Minnesota Vikings Schedule
Sunday, Dec 2 Detroit 1:00 pm Buy Tickets FOX
Sunday, Dec 9 at San Francisco 4:05 pm Buy Tickets FOX
Monday, Dec 17 Chicago 8:30 pm Buy Tickets ESPN
Sunday, Dec 23 Washington 1:00 pm Buy Tickets FOX
Sunday, Dec 30 at Denver 4:15 pm Buy Tickets FOX

The Minnesota Vikings are part of the tight NFC wild-card race, and now they are about to get back the league's leading rusher, Adrian Peterson after winning their last 2 games without him.

The Lions did really well against Peterson the first time they saw him but the Lions probably won't be happy to see the big man back on the field Sunday as they try to win in the Metrodome for the first time in 10 years.

Peterson should be returning after missing two games with a torn lateral collateral ligament in his right knee. Still leading the NFL with 1,081 yards rushing, Peterson will be playing his first game at the Metrodome since rushing for an NFL-record 296 yards and scoring three touchdowns in a win over San Diego on November 4.

Childress said Peterson would likely split carries with veteran Chester Taylor, whose solid production the last two weeks have helped Minnesota to wins over the Oakland Raiders and New York Giants. Chester Taylor ran for 241 yards and four touchdowns in those games.

The Detroit Lions did a good job spoiling Peterson's first NFL start on Sept. 16, holding him to 66 yards on 20 carries in a 20-17 overtime victory.

Wild Celeb Pictures - April 2007

That win was part of a surprising 6-2 start for the Lions, seeking to end an eight-year playoff drought. They were one game behind Green Bay for the NFC North lead halfway through the season, but things have quickly gone south.

Detroit dropped its 3 straight game with a loss to the Packers on Thanksgiving, falling 4 games back of first-place Green Bay.

"We've hit three bumps in the road and after all the smoke cleared, we're still in the playoff race and in a good position," Dominic Raiola said.

The Lions are in sole possession of the NFC's final wild-card spot, but 6 teams are 1 game back - Washington, Philadelphia and Arizona - all own tiebreakers over Detroit. The Lions final five opponents are 35-20 - the toughest remaining schedule among the 12 NFC teams that are at least 5-6.

The Lions have won 5 of 21 games in December since 2002, and they open the calendar's final month in the Metrodome, where they have lost 9 straight games since a 14-13 victory on Dec. 14, 1997.

Minnesota is one of those teams that is a game back of Detroit, but will lose the tiebreaker with the Lions and destroy any playoff hopes if they dont win Sunday.

Last Sunday, The Vikings intercepted New York's Eli Manning 4 times, and set a single-game record by returning 3 of them for touchdowns. The Vikings had 3 interceptions in the loss to Detroit in September.

Jon Kitna threw one of those interceptions, and when he left after being hit hard, backup J.T. O'Sullivan threw the other two interceptions. In three career games against Minnesota, Kitna has thrown three touchdowns to seven interceptions.

Jon Kitna has thrown for 897 yards during the three-game skid, but does have 4 TD passes compared to six interceptions and has been sacked 11 times.

Kevin Jones rushed for 93 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries last week after running for just 21 yards and a TD on 15 attempts in his previous two games combined. Jones didn't play against the Vikings in Week 2 because of a foot injury.

The Vikings lead the league in rushing defense (74.8 yards per game), and is allowing an average of 53.8 rushing yards in its last four games at home in the Metrodome.

Preview: Oakland Raiders (2-7) at Minnesota Vikings (3-6)

wildfan — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 19:47:00 GMT

Heidi Montag Bikini Pictures

Minnesota Vikings Schedule
Sunday, Nov 18 Oakland 1:00 pm Buy Tickets CBS
Sunday, Nov 25 at NY Giants 1:00 pm Buy Tickets FOX
Sunday, Dec 2 Detroit 1:00 pm Buy Tickets FOX
Sunday, Dec 9 at San Francisco 4:05 pm Buy Tickets FOX
Monday, Dec 17 Chicago 8:30 pm Buy Tickets ESPN
Sunday, Dec 23 Washington 1:00 pm Buy Tickets FOX
Sunday, Dec 30 at Denver 4:15 pm Buy Tickets FOX

Preview: Oakland Raiders (2-7) at Minnesota Wild (3-6)

The Minnesota Vikings didn't fare too well when Adrian Peterson was shut down and knocked out of last week's game. They'll have to find a way to play much better Sunday without their star rookie running back taking the field at all.

With Peterson missing at least one game due to a torn lateral collateral ligament in his knee, the Vikings (3-6) look to get back on track when they host the Oakland Raiders (2-7), who will have Daunte Culpepper starting at quarterback in his first game against his former team.

Peterson came into last week's game at Green Bay looking for an encore performance after rushing for an NFL-record 296 yards against San Diego the previous week. The NFL's leading rusher, however, had a very rough day against the Packers, running for a season-low 45 yards on 11 carries before departing from Minnesota's 34-0 loss after getting hurt in the third quarter.

The injury is not deemed serious enough to require surgery or jeopardize Peterson's season, but the rookie first thought his year might be over.

Gemma Atkinson Bikini pics

"That pain was horrible. I don't know if you've ever experienced pain where you don't want anybody to touch you. Just be still for a few minutes until it calms down. That's the kind of pain it was," said Peterson, who's run for 1,081 yards this season. "Not really knowing what to expect because it was my knee. I was just praying, 'God please, don't let it be anything serious.'"

Vikings coach Brad Childress ruled Peterson out for Sunday, but wouldn't put a timetable on his recovery beyond that.

"I was very relieved. It could've been a lot worse," Peterson said. "I just thank God. I'll be back soon."

He won't be back this week, though, and the Vikings will need to make adjustments as they try to put last week's loss behind them. Minnesota managed just 247 total yards - 49 less than Peterson's rushing total when he powered the Vikings to a 35-17 victory over the Chargers in the previous game.

One of those adjustments will be turning to veteran running back Chester Taylor, who Peterson supplanted as the starter after rushing for 224 yards in a victory over Chicago on Oct. 14. While Taylor isn't the dynamic presence Peterson is, he's more than capable, topping 1,200 yards in his first season as a starter last year and averaging 5.0 yards a carry this season.

Taylor ran for 37 yards on just three carries last week.

"He obviously has a track record," Childress said of the 5-foot-11, 213-pound Taylor. "He's a good player as well, so just like I mention to you every week, we just expect somebody to pick up from there."

Despite the absence of Peterson, Childress has to be more comfortable with the situation at running back than with the Vikings' revolving door at quarterback. Brooks Bollinger became the third QB to start for Minnesota this season last Sunday, and went 16-for-26 for 176 yards, no touchdowns and one interception, as well as being sacked three times. Childress said Monday that he'll go with Tarvaris Jackson at quarterback against the Raiders.

Adele Silva Photo Gallery

Jackson, chosen the starter midway through training camp, did not play against the Packers as a precaution after suffering a concussion against the Chargers. He'll try to improve a Minnesota passing attack that ranks 31st in the NFL, although he's thrown two touchdowns and five interceptions in five games this season.

Oakland also is making a change at quarterback for this week, and the new starter is a familiar one to the Vikings and their home fans. Culpepper, who played his first seven seasons with Minnesota and threw for 18,598 yards and 129 touchdowns, will be back under center for the Raiders, who signed him during the offseason after he was cut by Miami.

With Josh McCown banged up and struggling the past two weeks, Oakland coach Lane Kiffin on Wednesday gave the job back to Culpepper, who has completed 56 percent of his passes for 817 yards, four touchdowns and four interceptions. Culpepper relieved McCown for the second half of Oakland's 26-24 victory over Cleveland on Sept. 23 and then accounted for five touchdowns in a 35-17 victory the following week against the Dolphins.

He lost his next three starts, though, committing six turnovers and throwing two touchdown passes, before McCown returned from a broken toe to play the past two games. The Raiders, however, managed only 193 total yards against Chicago - 80 passing - and McCown went 1-for-13 during one stretch.

Culpepper fell out of favor in Minnesota despite three Pro Bowl seasons, as Childress traded him to Miami after an ineffective and injury marred 2005 season, and later accused him of being greedy and self-centered. Culpepper also clashed with Vikings management over his contract and his insistence on rehabilitating his knee at home in Florida, rather than in Minneapolis.

Minnesota will be looking to rebound defensively against its former teammate and Oakland after allowing a season high in points to Green Bay. The Packers gained 488 total yards against the Vikings, who are giving up 361.8 per game, fourth-worst in the league.

The Vikings hope to take advantage of the favorable matchup with the Raiders, who have dropped five straight and are averaging just 17.6 points this season. The offense sputtered again last week as Oakland fell 17-6 to the Bears.

Oakland has fared well against Minnesota, winning eight of 11 meetings and two straight in the series, although the teams haven't met since 2003. The Raiders won the last matchup at the Metrodome 22-17 on Sept. 19, 1999.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com

Celebrity Photo Gallery - 2007

Long break hurts Wild - Colorado 4, Minnesota Wild 2

wildfan — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 15:57:00 GMT

Paul Stastny and Wojtek Wolski tore things up in the Colorado Avalanche's 4-2 victory over the Minnesota Wild on Sunday night. Stastny scored twice and assisted on Wolski's empty-net goal with a second left.

"I think we've built a pretty good relationship," said Wolski, "We're just both working hard."

Stastny's two goals in the second period, along with his assist, gave him 100 points in 99 career games. He is the 6th player in franchise history to reach 100 points in 100 or fewer contests. Lots of hockey history in the Stastny family - Stastny's father, Peter, needed 73 games to reach 100 points. His uncles, Marian and Anton Stastny, took 82 and 95 games, respectively, to reach the mark.

"He makes plays," said Smyth, who had a goal and an assist. "The puck doesn't die with Stastny. Collectively, we're playing well together."

Peter Budaj had a great game in the pipes, stopping 25 shots. He allowed 2 power-play goals in the second period, and then clamped down.

One of the goals deflected up into the air and Budaj couldn't locate it. Eric Belanger knocked it in for the Wild.

"I don't know why goalies never look up when the puck is in the air," Budaj said. "I tried to get back in net, the puck went off my shoulder as I went down and into the net. It was an unlucky break."

Pierre-Marc Bouchard also had a power-play goal for the Wild. Minnesota has seven power-play goals in its last three games but it's not been enough.

The Wild were off for five days before taking the ice Sunday and coach Jacques Lemaire thought the break hurt his team at the beginning.

"We didn't pass the puck well to start," he said. "Sure, we practiced well the last two days. But the opposition is not the same."

The Avalanche will be in the same position this week. The team has a long break and won't play again until Friday night in Dallas.

"I think the big thing is we have some practices to work on things and better ourselves," Smyth said. "Hopefully, we can build off the next little week here."

Joe Sakic assisted on Stastny's first goal, which came courtesy of a power play. He now has 12 assists in his last 12 games. However, Sakic only has one goal in that time frame.

Marian Gaborik missed his second straight game due to a strained groin. The Wild were without forward Stephane Veilleux, who was scratched before the game. He broke his left cheekbone when he was hit by a nasty puck in practice Saturday.

"We have to play better than we did tonight if we want to win with our injured players or without them," Lemaire said. "We have to play well with the players that we had."

Colorado coach Joel Quenneville is certainly pleased with what he's seeing out of the combo of Stastny and Wolski.

"They haven't played a lot together, but when they do get together, they seem to work well together," Quenneville said. "Paul had a real nice game."

Not that he wanted to talk about it or the fact he already had reached 100 points for his career.

"I'll look back maybe down the road," Stastny said. "I'm just excited right now that the team won and we're playing well. I feel good out there."

Another tough lose for the Wild

Minnesota Wild Home Tickets for November:

November 18 vs Colorado 6:00 pm   Buy Tickets ALT
November 21 vs Vancouver 8:00 pm   Buy Tickets CPPV, FSNO
November 23 vs Columbus 2:00 pm   Buy Tickets FSOH
November 28 vs Phoenix 8:00 pm   Buy Tickets AZTV, KSTC
November 30 vs St. Louis 8:00 pm   Buy Tickets FSMW, FSNO