2008–09 Minnesota Wild season

The 2008–09 Minnesota Wild season began October 11, 2008. It was the Wild's ninth season in the National Hockey League (NHL).

Pre-season At the conclusion of the Pre-season, the Wild finished with a 5–2 record.

2008 Pre-season Game Log: 5–2–0 (Home: 3–0–0; Road: 2–2–0) # Date Visitor Score Home OT Decision Attendance Record Recap 1 September 24 Columbus 1–2 Minnesota Backstrom 18,064 1–0–0 2 September 26 Minnesota 3–4 Chicago Harding 18,034 1–1–0 3 September 28 Minnesota 2–1 Buffalo SO Backstrom 17,311 2–1–0 4 September 30 Chicago 2–3 Minnesota OT Backstrom 18,064 3–1–0 5 October 1 Buffalo 2–3 Minnesota Harding 18,064 4–1–0 6 October 3 Minnesota 3–5 Columbus Backstrom 11,794 4–2–0 7 October 4 Minnesota 3–0 Montreal Backstrom 21,273 5–2–0

Regular season The Wild were the most disciplined team in the League during the regular season, with just 291 power-play opportunities against. They also allowed the fewest power-play goals, with just 36.

Divisional standings

Conference standings

Schedule and results 2008–09 Game Log October: 6–2–1 (Home: 3–1–1; Road: 3–1–0) # Date Visitor Score Home OT Decision Attendance Record Pts Recap 1 October 11 Boston 3–4 Minnesota Backstrom 18,568 1–0–0 2 2 October 14 Minnesota 4–2 Atlanta Backstrom 11,843 2–0–0 4 3 October 16 Minnesota 6–2 Florida Backstrom 12,106 3–0–0 6 4 October 18 Minnesota 1–0 Tampa Bay SO Backstrom 15,191 4–0–0 8 5 October 23 Buffalo 4–3 Minnesota OT Backstrom 18,568 4–0–1 9 6 October 25 Columbus 1–2 Minnesota Backstrom 18,568 5–0–1 11 7 October 27 Chicago 2–3 Minnesota Backstrom 18,568 6–0–1 13 8 October 29 Minnesota 2–4 Dallas Backstrom 18,431 6–1–1 13 9 October 30 Montreal 2–1 Minnesota Harding 18,568 6–2–1 13 November: 8–5–0 (Home: 4–3–0; Road: 4–2–0) # Date Visitor Score Home OT Decision Attendance Record Pts Recap 10 November 1 Minnesota 3–2 Phoenix Backstrom 14,817 7–2–1 15 11 November 4 Minnesota 1–3 San Jose Backstrom 17,183 7–3–1 15 12 November 6 Minnesota 3–1 Colorado Backstrom 14,562 8–3–1 17 13 November 8 Minnesota 0–2 Vancouver Backstrom 18,630 8–4–1 17 14 November 13 Phoenix 0–4 Minnesota Backstrom 18,568 9–4–1 19 15 November 15 Columbus 2–3 Minnesota SO Backstrom 18,568 10–4–1 21 16 November 18 Minnesota 2–1 Pittsburgh SO Backstrom 16,971 11–4–1 23 17 November 20 Vancouver 3–2 Minnesota Backstrom 18,568 11–5–1 23 18 November 22 St. Louis 2–1 Minnesota Backstrom 18,568 11–6–1 23 19 November 24 Washington 3–4 Minnesota Backstrom 18,568 12–6–1 25 20 November 26 Dallas 4–3 Minnesota Backstrom 18,568 12–7–1 25 21 November 28 Tampa Bay 2–4 Minnesota Backstrom 18,568 13–7–1 27 22 November 29 Minnesota 6–2 Nashville Harding 13,990 14–7–1 29 December: 4–9–1 (Home: 4–3–1; Road: 0–6–0) # Date Visitor Score Home OT Decision Attendance Record Pts Recap 23 December 1 Colorado 6–5 Minnesota Backstrom 18,568 14–8–1 29 24 December 3 St. Louis 0–4 Minnesota Backstrom 18,568 15–8–1 31 25 December 5 Vancouver 2–1 Minnesota Backstrom 18,568 15–9–1 31 26 December 6 Minnesota 0–1 Nashville Harding 14,408 15–10–1 31 27 December 11 Minnesota 1–3 Phoenix Backstrom 13,296 15–11–1 31 28 December 13 Minnesota 1–3 Los Angeles Backstrom 14,857 15–12–1 31 29 December 14 Minnesota 2–4 Anaheim Harding 16,577 15–13–1 31 30 December 17 Calgary 3–2 Minnesota OT Backstrom 18,568 15–13–2 32 31 December 19 NY Islanders 1–4 Minnesota Backstrom 18,568 16–13–2 34 32 December 20 Minnesota 2–4 St. Louis Backstrom 19,150 16–14–2 34 33 December 23 Carolina 2–3 Minnesota Backstrom 18,568 17–14–2 36 34 December 28 Chicago 4–1 Minnesota Backstrom 18,568 17–15–2 36 35 December 29 Minnesota 1–2 Calgary Harding 19,289 17–16–2 36 36 December 31 San Jose 2–3 Minnesota OT Backstrom 18,568 18–16–2 38 January: 7–5–1 (Home: 3–2–1; Road: 4–3–0) # Date Visitor Score Home OT Decision Attendance Record Pts Recap 37 January 3 Detroit 3–2 Minnesota SO Harding 18,568 18–16–3 39 38 January 4 Minnesota 2–0 Colorado Backstrom 14,125 19–16–3 41 39 January 6 Minnesota 1–0 Boston Backstrom 16,272 20–16–3 43 40 January 8 Minnesota 1–3 Philadelphia Backstrom 19,596 20–17–3 43 41 January 10 Minnesota 2–4 Columbus Harding 16,605 20–18–3 43 42 January 13 Phoenix 3–6 Minnesota Backstrom 18,568 21–18–3 45 43 January 15 Edmonton 1–5 Minnesota Backstrom 18,568 22–18–3 47 44 January 17 Anaheim 3–0 Minnesota Backstrom 18,568 22–19–3 47 45 January 19 Minnesota 4–1 Chicago Backstrom 21,320 23–19–3 49 46 January 20 Los Angeles 5–2 Minnesota Backstrom 18,568 23–20–3 49 47 January 27 Toronto 1–6 Minnesota Backstrom 18,568 24–20–3 51 48 January 30 Minnesota 1–3 Edmonton Backstrom 16,839 24–21–3 51 49 January 31 Minnesota 4–3 Vancouver OT Backstrom 18,630 25–21–3 53 February: 5–5–2 (Home: 4–2–2; Road: 1–3–0) # Date Visitor Score Home OT Decision Attendance Record Pts Recap 50 February 4 Anaheim 0–3 Minnesota Backstrom 18,568 26–21–3 55 51 February 6 Nashville 2–0 Minnesota Backstrom 18,568 26–22–3 55 52 February 8 Edmonton 2–3 Minnesota SO Backstrom 18,568 27–22–3 57 53 February 11 Colorado 2–3 Minnesota Backstrom 18,568 28–22–3 59 54 February 12 Minnesota 2–4 Detroit Harding 20,066 28–23–3 59 55 February 14 Ottawa 5–3 Minnesota Harding 18,568 28–24–3 59 56 February 19 Calgary 3–2 Minnesota OT Backstrom 18,568 28–24–4 60 57 February 21 Detroit 2–5 Minnesota Backstrom 18,568 29–24–4 62 58 February 22 Minnesota 2–1 Chicago Harding 22,443 30–24–4 64 59 February 24 Los Angeles 2–1 Minnesota SO Backstrom 18,568 30–24–5 65 60 February 27 Minnesota 1–4 Calgary Backstrom 19,289 30–25–5 65 61 February 28 Minnesota 2–3 Edmonton Harding 16,839 30–26–5 65 March: 6–6–4 (Home: 2–0–2; Road: 4–6–2) # Date Visitor Score Home OT Decision Attendance Record Pts Recap 62 March 3 Minnesota 2–4 Vancouver Backstrom 18,630 30–27–5 65 63 March 5 Minnesota 4–3 San Jose OT Backstrom 17,496 31–27–5 67 64 March 7 Minnesota 3–4 Los Angeles Harding 18,118 31–28–5 67 65 March 8 Minnesota 3–2 Anaheim Backstrom 17,300 32–28–5 69 66 March 10 San Jose 5–4 Minnesota OT Backstrom 18,568 32–28–6 70 67 March 12 Minnesota 1–2 Colorado SO Backstrom 14,213 32–28–7 71 68 March 14 Minnesota 2–3 Dallas OT Backstrom 18,584 32–28–8 72 69 March 15 Minnesota 3–5 St. Louis Backstrom 19,150 32–29–8 72 70 March 17 Colorado 2–3 Minnesota SO Backstrom 18,568 33–29–8 74 71 March 20 Minnesota 0–4 New Jersey Backstrom 17,625 33–30–8 74 72 March 22 Edmonton 0–3 Minnesota Backstrom 18,568 34–30–8 76 73 March 24 Minnesota 1–2 NY Rangers Backstrom 18,200 34–31–8 76 74 March 25 Minnesota 6–2 NY Islanders Backstrom 13,332 35–31–8 78 75 March 28 Minnesota 2–3 Calgary Backstrom 19,289 35–32–8 78 76 March 29 Minnesota 3–2 Edmonton Backstrom 16,839 36–32–8 80 77 March 31 Vancouver 2–1 Minnesota OT Backstrom 18,568 36–32–9 81 April: 4–1–0 (Home: 3–0–0; Road: 1–1–0) # Date Visitor Score Home OT Decision Attendance Record Pts Recap 78 April 3 Calgary 0–4 Minnesota Backstrom 18,568 37–32–9 83 79 April 5 Minnesota 2–3 Detroit Backstrom 20,066 37–33–9 83 80 April 7 Dallas 1–3 Minnesota Backstrom 18,568 38–33–9 85 81 April 10 Nashville 4–8 Minnesota Backstrom 18,568 39–33–9 87 82 April 11 Minnesota 6–3 Columbus Harding 19,013 40–33–9 89 Legend:

Player statistics

Skaters

Regular season Player GP G A Pts +/− PIM 79 20 47 67 +2 66 80 22 28 50 -5 18 71 16 30 46 -5 20 59 25 20 45 +5 26 82 15 29 44 -1 32 76 12 30 42 -12 76 79 13 23 36 -5 26 72 14 18 32 +5 30 59 8 19 27 -7 45 81 2 22 24 -3 44 82 5 19 24 -14 41 17 13 10 23 +3 2 81 13 10 23 -17 40 78 11 7 18 -5 76 81 4 12 16 -12 10 79 2 9 11 -4 31 37 5 6 11 +1 18 † 34 4 5 9 -3 10 31 2 5 7 +1 12 45 2 5 7 -2 18 21 3 3 6 +3 16 10 1 5 6 +7 6 36 1 2 3 -3 47 51 0 3 3 +3 87 ‡ 31 1 1 2 -2 41 4 0 1 1 -1 2 20 0 1 1 -1 21

Goaltenders

Regular season Player GP Min W L OT GA GAA SA SV Sv% SO 71 4088 37 24 8 159 2.33 2059 1900 .923 8 19 869 3 9 1 32 2.21 453 421 .929 0

†Denotes player spent time with another team before joining Wild. Stats reflect time with Wild only. ‡Traded mid-season. Stats reflect time with Wild only.

Awards and records

Records

Milestones Regular Season Player Milestone Reached Niklas Backstrom 100th NHL Game October 11, 2008 Colton Gillies 1st NHL Game1st NHL Assist1st NHL Point October 11, 2008 Kim Johnsson 600th NHL Game October 14, 2008 Antti Miettinen 100th NHL Point October 27, 2008 Andrew Brunette 800th NHL Game November 6, 2008 Erik Reitz 1st NHL Goal1st NHL Point November 15, 2008

Transactions

Trades June 20, 2008 To Minnesota Wild 23rd pick in 2008 (Tyler Cuma) To New Jersey Devils 24th pick in 2008 (Mattias Tedenby)3rd-round pick in 2009 (Alexander Urbom) July 1, 2008 To Minnesota Wild Marek Zidlicky To Nashville Predators Ryan Jones 2nd-round pick in 2009 (Charles-Olivier Roussel) June 10, 2008 To Minnesota Wild Marc-Andre Bergeron To Anaheim Ducks 3rd-round pick in 2009 (Brandon McMillan) July 11, 2008 To Minnesota Wild Corey Locke To Montreal Canadiens Shawn Belle January 21, 2008 To Minnesota Wild Robbie Earl To Toronto Maple Leafs Ryan Hamilton January 29, 2008 To Minnesota Wild Dan Fritsche To New York Rangers Erik Reitz

Free agents Player Former team Contract Terms Antti Miettinen Dallas Stars 3 years, $7 million Owen Nolan Calgary Flames 2 years, $5.5 million Andrew Brunette Colorado Avalanche 3 years, $7 million Player New teamTodd Fedoruk Phoenix CoyotesBrian Rolston New Jersey DevilsPavol Demitra Vancouver CanucksJoel Ward Nashville Predators

Draft picks Minnesota's picks at the 2008 NHL entry draft in Ottawa, Ontario. Round # Player Position Nationality College/Junior/Club team (League) 1 23 (from Washington via New Jersey) Tyler Cuma (D) Ottawa 67's (OHL) 2 55 Marco Scandella (D) Val-d'Or Foreurs (QMJHL) 4 115 Sean Lorenz (D) U.S. National Team Development Program (NAHL) 5 145 Eero Elo (LW) Lukko (Finland Jr.)

See also 2008–09 NHL season

References