Stanzel’s Sports Takeout — BREAKING NEWS: 3.18.26
Disappointing but not overly surprising end to the World Baseball Classic, with Venezuela outlasting the U.S. 3-2. There was a lot of excitement about this tournament. You know my opinion. It’s still an exhibition. When you have MLB GM’s calling the Venezuela manager and administration begging them not to use their pitcher in the Final because they pitched the night before…This is far from a “best-on-best” tournament, especially when the manager is not an actual manager in real life but a broadcaster…
Imagine two months ago if I told you Bob Motzko would outlast Brad Frost as a Gopher hockey coach. The latter didn’t have his contract renewed yesterday, which surprised many, but should not have been surprising to The Takeout subscribers. People point out his record, yes, perennial contender every year, and an unbelievable person. But when there are three or four teams each year that can realistically win a national championship, and you haven’t won one in 10 years, a change is probable. The odds-on favorite to replace Frosty, if she wants it, is Ohio State’s Nadine Muzzerall, who played for Frost’s Gophers. But will she leave the Buckeyes? She’s built that program into a power house that Minnesota hasn’t been able to compete with the last half a decade. If she comes back to Minnesota, will her team follow her to the portal?
WNBA and players reach verbal agreement overnight on new CBA, and the season will start on time.
Wild Snaps Skid with OT Win in Chicago
As usual, the Chicago Blackhawks were the antidote for a struggling Wild team.
Minnesota moved to 18-0-1 in the last 19 meetings with the Blackhawks, beating them 4-3 in overtime at United Center last night in a game that wasn’t as easy as it looked to be early.
The Wild, which had lost three straight including two to last-place teams, will take the win any way they can get it. They built a 3-1 lead in the first period, allowed a tying goal late before Mats Zuccarello won it in overtime.
Marcus Johansson shook off a couple months long slump with a goal and two assists, and hometown kid Ryan Hartman and Vladimir Tarasenko also scored. Tarasenko took an injured Joel Eriksson Ek’s spot on the top power play unit.
The teams meet again Thursday at Grand Casino Arena. The Wild drew within four points of Dallas, which finally lost, for second overall. The Stars have two games in hand and 15 to play.
With Ant Out 1-2 Weeks, Wolves Right Ship Against Suns
The reason you can’t screw around and cough up winnable games in the NBA is, you never know what kind of injury hell is around the corner.
Anthony Edwards’ nagging knee injury will keep him out 1-2 weeks. But a resurgent Julius Randle (32 points, seven rebounds) led the Wolves to a 116-104 win over the Suns at home last night. A loss would’ve brought the Suns within a game of Minnesota for the sixth and final non play-in spot. Instead, the Wolves are in a three-way tie for fourth.
Ayo Dosunmo stepped into Ant’s starting role and unsurprisingly contributed 19 points. What a deal to get him from Chicago for basically nothing. Bones Hyland had 22 off the bench. Wasn’t all good; Donte DiVincenzo continued his struggles going 0-for-8 from the field and 0-for-6 from 3-point range. Hyland will get more minutes if this continues. Nineteen reobounds from Rudy Gobert.
Minnesota hosts 20-48 Utah tonight in a game they simply can’t have a letdown.
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