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Damar Hamlin Update

The sports world came to a halt around 8 p.m. last night when Buffalo Bill Damar Hamlin made a tackle, stood up to go back to the huddle and just fell backwards. Out cold. He was down on the field for some 14 minutes, and needed CPR. He was rushed to a hospital.

From the Bills, around 1 a.m.: Damar Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest following a hit in our game versus the Bengals. His heartbeat was restored on the field and he was transferred to the UC Medical Center for further testing and treatment. He is currently sedated and listed in critical condition.

Inexplicably, the NFL waited a full hour before officially postponing the game. Yeah, details to work out. But there was no way you could ask those players to return to the field last night.

Wolves Stun Nuggets

Just when you were about to give up on the Wolves…they reel you back in with that type of performance. Losers of six straight, the Wolves stopped infighitng and found the appropriate effort level, beating a good Denver Nuggets team (and their assistant coach Ryan Saunders) 124-111 at home.

Maybe it was D “Contract Year” Lo being out with an illness. ANT had no chance but to go off for a 29-point, 10-rebound, five-assist performance. Jaden McDaniels and Kyle Anderson (!) combined for 40 points. Remarkably, the Wolves earned this win without much of anything from Rudy Gobert in the middle (a popular theme this season). The sought after big man had eight points and was in foul trouble.

The Wolves have some questions, clearly. They’re currently not even in the play-in tournament, but they began play yesterday four games out of sixth (guaranteed playoff spot) but also only 5.5 games from last in the West. Will KAT return anytime soon? Will D-Lo just be a distraction? Who’s actually leading this team?

Unfortunately this game means nothing if they don’t come out Wednesday against Portland at Target Center with the type of urgency they played with last night, and not the prior six games.

Vikings Blown Out in Lambeau

Things happen fast in the National Football League. Fresh off watching the Eagles lose at home to the Saints on Sunday, the Vikings took the field knowing they still had a chance for the No. 1 seed in the NFC. Three painful hours later, the Vikings aren’t even assured the second seed after a 41-17 thrashing at Lambeau Field that wasn’t even as close as a 24-point defeat would indicate.

The Vikings were outmanned in every facet of the game. Already without starting center Garrett Garrett Bradbury, Minnesota lost backup Austin Schlottman early in the game to a fractured fibula. So with home field throughout the NFC playoffs potentially on the line, the Vikings used Chris Reed - who’d never before played center for a single snap in the NFL - to hike the ball to Kirk Cousins. The results were disastrous. Two delay of game penalties, and the offense was just not in rhythm all day. Cousins threw two interceptions, although his tight end T.J. Hockenson did him no favors. After his best game as a pro, “Hock” showed many holes in his game Sunday.

Not only are they without a center now, another offensive lineman Brian O’Neill left with a leg injury that puts his future in doubt the rest of the season.

The offense wasn’t the only problem, of course, when you give up 41 points. What will stick with me is a 3rd-and-8, when the Vikings had just 10 players on the field, and the Packers went nine yards for a first down.

Just inexcusable areas all around for a playoff team in Week 17.

So what’s the lowdown in Week 18, heading into Soldier Field for a game in which the Vikings only opened up the week favored by one point against the lowly Bears (it’s up to four, now)?

The Vikings currently hold the No. 3 seed and would face my hometown New York Giants in every scenario EXCEPT one. If San Francisco loses against Arizona AND the Vikings beat the Bears, Minnesota would inherit the second seed and play any number of other teams. That could include the Packers, who just need to win and they’ll be in as the No. 7 seed. I’m hoping they play the Giants in hopes they’ll hire me again to do stats for their radio broadcast.

Now here’s a case of the NFL again selling out to the almighty dollar and its Sunday Night Football TV partner, NBC. Rather than put games that matter at the same time, they’re doing things like putting the Packers in prime time for ratings. So, their opponent, the Lions, will know already if they’re in or not. If they’re not, they’re more likely to roll over and die and let Aaron Rodgers sneak in as the seven seed. Similarly, the Vikings play earlier than the 49ers. Now, the Niners are a 14-point favorite against the Cardinals. But, Minnesota will have to play its starters and risk even more injuries in a game that ultimately may not matter to them.

Per Peter Bukowski of Locked on Packers, the Vikings could beat the Bears by 40 and STILL be the worst 12-or-more-win team ever when it comes to point differential.

Wild Rolling into 2023

The Wild didn’t want to see 2022 end, going 8-2-0 in their last 10 including a stout 5-2 shellacking of the Blues on New Year’s Eve.

Minnesota is chock full of healthy bodies - finally - with Ryan Hartman returning this past week after a lengthy absence. He was rusty early as could be expected but scored a pair of goals Saturday in St. Louis. Marcus Foligno was in and out of the lineup but he’s back and the “GREEF” line just gives the opponents’ top lines fits.

The goaltender situation is pretty much a platoon right now (no goalie controversy here, but saving some of MAF for later in the season is a great idea). And, Filip Gustavsson ranks sixth in the league in GAA and tied for eighth in save pct. as of today.

The Wild will get a stiff test to begin 2023, hosting Tampa Bay on Wednesday. The Lightning is 23-11-1 - more points than the Wild but still a whopping 15 points behind first-place Boston in the Atlantic Division.

U.S. and Canada to Play in World Junior Semifinals

The best hockey tournament in all the land, the Under-20 World Junior Championships, is down to the final four in maritime Canada. Both the U.S. and Canada suffered an early loss in the round robin format, but they’ve steamrolled the competition since and will meet in a semifinal on Wednesday.

The Americans routed Germany 11-1 in the quarterfinals yesterday and Canada beat Slovakia 4-3 in overtime, behind the best teenage hockey player in all the land, Connor Bedard.

The other star of the game, maybe the tournament? Slovakian goaltender Adam Gajan, a future UMD Bulldog. He made 52 saves against Canada.

Can’t wait for the Blackhawks to win the Draft Lottery for Bedard.

Sweden plays the Czech Republic in the first semifinal. The final is Thursday.

Gopher Hockey

The Gopher men came out of the holiday break sneaking by Bemidji State 2-1. They’re without two players on their top line - Jimmy Snuggerud and Logan Cooley are with Team USA. One would imagine they wouldn’t play Friday, but maybe Saturday, as the Gophers play a home-and-home with NCHC rival St. Cloud State this weekend.

Will the Gophers and Huskies continue their rivalry? At least one prominent St. Cloud State fan account says no.

I’m excited for a fun weekend at Ridder Arena, where the Gopher women host the East/West showcase. For the last three years, you haven’t gotten a lot of opportunities to see non WCHA teams especially East Coast teams. The Gophers and St. Cloud will each play Merrimack and New Hampshire Friday and Saturday.

Gopher Hoops

The Gophers hope to avoid an 0-3 conference start when they visit No. 14 Wisconsin tonight. Minnesota hasn’t played in 12 days, as Alcorn State had travel issues and couldn’t make it to Minneapolis. Tip off is 8 p.m. on BTN.

The No. 3 women’s team in the country comes to Williams Arena this Thursday as the Gophers host Ohio State. Minnesota is 1-2 in the Big Ten including a 107-85 loss to ranked Maryland last week.

Gopher FB Beats Syracuse in Pinstripe Bowl

The utter irony of an awful grass playing surface in a bowl game sponsored by a lawn mower company. The Gophers grinded out a 28-20 win over Syracuse in the Pinstriple Bowl last week - we’ll save the sponsor the embarrassment.

The Orangemen dominated the stats but not the scoreboard. The Gophers lost Ethan Kaliakmanis to an injury in the first half. After setting three new school records, all world running back Mo Ibrahim didn’t take a snap in the second half other than the final one. Can you imagine if he’d have gotten hurt due to those field conditions?

Kudos for “senior” Tanner Morgan, who hadn’t played in two months, for returning from injury and leading the Gophers to the win.

P.J. Fleck’s crew finishes the season 9-4. A very tough schedule awaits them in 2023.

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Stanzel’s Sports Takeout — BREAKING TAKEOUT NEWS (1-3-23).