Stanzel’s Sports Takeout — BREAKING NEWS: 1.26.26
Watched a lot of football this weekend. The Vikings need a QB to play on this stage.
Yet another week where sports should be a distraction (and are, to some) but to me, they feel hollow and don’t matter much. It shouldn’t have to be this way in Minnesota.
Good to see the Frost hold a moment of silence for Alex Pretti. The Frost won 6-2 over New York in its penultimate game before the Olympics. Taylor Heise and Kendall Coyne-Schofield scored 12 seconds apart in the first period. The Frost, second in the PWHL, hits the season’s official midway point Wednesday by hosting last-place Vancouver.
Sam Darnold and the Seahawks are in the Super Bowl (and a likely winner, in my opinion) in a season the Vikings simply needed an average quarterback to advance to the post-season. Garrett Bradbury will be a Super Bowl center just a year after the Vikings went another direction.
Only one more Monday before The Olympics.
Wolves Lose Fifth Straight in Postponed Game
The Wolves looked like their minds were elsewhere, and you can’t really blame them. The problem of course is that they also played similarly the prior four games.
The Warrios blew out the Wolves 111-85 in Minnesota’s biggest loss of the season Sunday at Target Center, in a game postponed from Saturday. The teams play again tonight in Minneapolis as the reeling Wolves try to avoid a sixth straight loss.
Minnesota turned the ball over 25 times - eight by Anthony Edwards.
Let’s face it, the Wolves aren’t going anywhere in April, May or June without a true point guard in the rotation, or more bench help. Naz Reid is really the only offensive threat off the bench, and he’s not automatic (see, ZERO points in 25 minutes against the Dubs). The problem of course is the Wolves have limited personnel to dangle. They’re not tearing down the walls of the Wolves’ offices to take Rob Dillingham off their hands.
Panthers Outlast Wild in OT
No NHL team has played more overtime games than the Wild, who fell 4-3 to the defending champion Panthers on Saturday to end Hockey Day Minnesota with a rare loss.
The Wild is 10-10 after regulation. They’re built to win in overtime for sure, but those high reward stars can also be high risk. Matt Boldy, who returned after missing four games with an injury, turned the puck over resulting in Todd Marchand’s game-winner.
Minnesota is still without Jonas Brodin (long term) and Zach Bogosian, but for the first time I can remember, the WIld is at full strength up front.
The Wild hosts Chicago on Tuesday.
Gopher Hockey
The Olympics are coming at an awful time for the Gopher women, who continued a powerhouse month by outscoring No. 14 St. Cloud State 13-2 in a weekend sweep. Since the holiday break, the Gophers are 8-0 and have embarrassed their opponents to the tune of 62-14. But the No. 3-ranked Gophers will be without Abbey Murphy and Nelli Laitinen for the rest of the regular season, with No. 1 Wisconsin and No. 2 Ohio State two of the next three weekends. The gold medal game is set for Feb. 19 - barring something monumental, the Gophers will be without Murphy and likely Laitinen until the first round of the WCHA Tournament.
The Gopher men were swept at No. 1 Michigan State, as their losing streak hit six games and their winless streak extended to eight games. In fairness to the 8-16-1 Gophers, the six-game losing streak has come against three of the nation’s top nine teams. They host Wisconsin this weekend in a possible first-round Big 10 Tournament preview.
Gopher Hoops
The Gophers put a scare into unbeaten Nebraska on Saturday, taking a six-point lead at halftime before the Cornhuskers improved to 20-0 with a 76-57 win. Minnesota was outscored 46-21 in the second half. The Gophers have lost five straight and visit Wisconsin on Wednesday.
No jet lag for the Gopher women, who returned from their West Coast trip to drum Wisconsin 88-53 at The Barn yesterday. It marked the Gophers’ biggest win ever against Bucky. They travel to Penn State on Wednesday.
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