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Superior’s Cayden Laurvick raced in on Denfeld goalie Shawn Estey... Photo credit: John Gilbert

..Laurvick cuts left, gets Estey moving, and goes to his backhand...Photo credit: John Gilbert

...Laurvick watching his shot go in for a 2-0 lead in Superior’s 3-2 victory.Photo credit: John Gilbert

The upcoming weekend should, by tradition, belong to college football for its season-ending bowl games. However, the proliferation of sheer number of bowl games, plus the highly questionable Southeast Conference-slanted playoff championship ratings, has diminished the usual fervor for the bowls.
Oh, we’ll watch certain ones, and we’ll undoubtedly find some to enjoy — even though a half-dozen or so star players have chosen to sit out the bowl game they’ve worked so hard to earn, in order to stay healthy for the upcoming NFL draft. If I’m a GM, drafting players, I might decide against picking a great player who doesn’t want to play in what should be the biggest game of his career!

We also have the final regular-season games in the NFL, and we can continue to marvel at Case Keenum and his rise from obscure object of columnists’ scorn to triggerman for a Minnesota Vikings team that could, indeed, be heading for the Super Bowl.
But football will have to earn its stature in the midst of hockey season. The NHL  resumes play after Christmas break, and Minnesota Wild fans are understandably concerned about when — if? — their favorites will get it all together. While a number of so-called media experts declare they don’t know all that much about hockey, before opening their mouths and proving it conclusively, it amazes me how they can overlook such obvious factors that have caused first-half problems for the Wild.

For example, goaltender Devyn Dubnyk has not played anywhere near the dominant form he showed us last year, but he has been hindered by injuries. And that has given our own ex-UMD star Alex Stalock the chance to get comfortable and prove himself in the nets as Dybnyk’s more-than-able backup.
The biggest obstacle for the Wild is the fact that Zach Parise has missed the entire first half of the season. Now, nobody who has existed as a sports follower for the last 20 years should need introduction to Parise’s value. Always hard working, Parise is one of those whirling-dervish types who battles in the corners and to get in front of the net, and can operate with the best forwards in open ice.

The Wild have put together a strong team, capable of making it to the playoffs, and then making a serious run once there. But early injuries to a half-dozen players, and primarily Parise, caused a sputtering start. The simple fact is that when you line up the best 12 forwards on three lines, it is a formidible group. Starting with Mikko Koivu as No. 1 center, adding Eric Staal a year ago not only rejuvenated his career as No. 2 center but also allowed him room to become what I felt was the team’s best player. Now adding turning-41-year-old Matt Cullen as another key centerman bolstered the fourth line and gives the Wild a fantastic checking-defensive center who can take faceoffs and create offense. An array of outstanding young players can be the No. 3 center.

But if you consider Zach Parise the top winger and offensive catalyst on the team, and you remove him for half the season, there is a domino effect to juggling personnel to compensate, and his absence affects the entire offense. Koivu, for example, is a great captain and the spiritual leader of the Wild, and while his offensive contributions are considerable, eliminating a top winger can dilute the lines and it hurts Koivu, most of all. Parise is skating again and nearly ready from his persistent back problems, and when he returns, a key missing element will allow coach Bruce Boudreau to recreate the offensive team he thought he’s have from the start.

Meantime, the UMD hockey team resumes action also, this weekend at the Ledyard Classic. It’s not really a tournament, but a neat two-game nonconference set. The Bulldogs will play Yale the first night, and come back to play Dartmouth in the second game. The Bulldogs might be a bit rusty, and they will have to show off their depth by replacing five key players — all of whom are playing with the U.S. Junior National team in the world Junior Tournament in Buffalo, N..Y.

Sophomore wingers Joey Anderson and Riley Tufte made Team USA, and are joined by three freshmen defensemen in Scott Perunovich, Mikey Anderson and Dylan Samberg. Joey Anderson is captain, and Mikey is his brother. Perunovich is UMD’s top scorer. Obviously, all five have played vital roles in UMD’s lineup so far, and the Bulldogs will miss them this weekend.

“I’m not surprised that all five of them made it,” said UMD coach Scott Sandelin. “They all did well at their summer camp. Dylan and Mikey are young enough to have the same opportunity next year, too, but this is an awesome opportunity for all five of them. I’m not sure how we’ll play it. I’ll dress 12 forwards and five defensemen for sure,” but he added that he didn’t have a forward in mind who could drop back and play defense.

The juniors opened play Tuesday, and they continue Thursday and Friday, with the Friday game a highlight against Canada because it will be played outdoors, at the Buffalo Bills stadium. The preliminary round ends Sunday, so the medal round will begin early next week, as the U.S. tried to defend its championship.

One of UMD’s brightest players this season is junior Parker Mackay, who also has been in and out of the lineup with a couple of “upper body” injuries. A quick and smart winger, Mackay also has excellent hands.
“I think we’ll be OK,” said Mackay. “We’re down to five ‘D’ but they’re capable.” Asked who he would play with this weekend, Mackay said, “I’m skating with Jared [Thomas] and Avery [Peterson],” Mackay said, meaning Sandelin has reunited the line that has played so well during the first half.
After this weekend, UMD has another week off, then heads for Colorado College to resume NCHC action. 
In the absence of UMD’s teams, another highlight will be competing high school tournaments at Mars-Lakeview Arena, and at Essentia Heritage Center. Both tournaments began Wednesday, and continue Thursday with finals Friday.
The Mars-Lakeview tournament includes arch-rivals Marshall and Hermantown, plus Cloquet-Esko-Carlton, and adds other top-tier powers, such as Wayzata.
Oh yeah, the bowl games. Among the games I’d like to see are Thursday’s Alamo Bowl, between Stanford and Texas Christian; and the Holiday Bowl in San Diego, with Michigan State facing Washington State in a battle of 9-3 teams.
On Friday, the Cotton Bowl in Arlington, Texas, would be the Rose Bowl in a normal year, with Southern California facing Ohio State in a match of 11-3 teams.
Saturday’s slate is light, but good, with the Fiesta Bowl in Glendale, Arizona, featuring Washington and Penn State, a pair of 10-2 team; and the Orange Bowl in Miami has Miami (10-2) against Wisconsin (12-1).
Since January 1 is on Monday, the feature attractions are: Peach Bowl between Auburn (10-3) and Central Florida (12-0); the Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Fla., between Notre Dame (9-3) and Louisiana State (9-3); then come the big hitters of the bowl championship series, with Georgia (12-1) taking on Oklahoma (12-1); and the Rose Bowl, with Alabama (11-1) facing Clemson (12-1).

There are others, but those are my picks as the best matches on paper.