Wild forward Martin Havlat has played better than his numbers
Coach Todd Richards sidled up to forward Martin Havlat at the Wild's morning skate Saturday and offered an oral pat on the back.
Although Havlat is making $5 million this season and had totaled just one assist in Minnesota's first three games, Wild personnel seemed unfazed by his numbers.
"Where he's at this year compared to where he was at last year, he's light-years ahead," Richards said of the brief morning chat, when he told Havlat to not get frustrated because he has created so many scoring chances, especially in a 2-1 shootout loss to Carolina a week ago in Finland.
Late in the second period of that one, Havlat ripped a one-timer from between the hashmarks that Hurricanes goalie Cam Ward somehow got a piece of, deflecting the puck off the pipe. Later, Ward came out to force Havlat wide on a third-period breakaway, and near the end of a scoreless overtime, Havlat's shot on a partial breakaway hit the right post and ricocheted behind Ward and out the left side of the net.
Havlat was even able to joke about it Saturday morning.
"Hopefully," he said, "they're going to put soccer nets out tonight. Hopefully, it's going to help."
Matt Cullen has centered Havlat on the Wild's No. 2 line and said the winger "could have 10 points easily if the puck was going in for either of us, but the important thing to keep in mind is that you're creating chances. Sometimes the goalie makes a big save or you hit a pipe, but that's just how hockey works. To me, he's playing very well and making a lot happen. It's fun for me to play with a guy like him."
Richards said Havlat's zero goals through the early games is not a problem because the line of Cullen, Havlat and either Cal Clutterbuck or Guillaume Latendresse "has been generating opportunities. And that's what you want. You want the end result, but it's about the process."
Havlat, who came up with two assists in his team's 3-2 loss to Columbus Saturday night, said he feels good and recognizes it's his job to find the spot where the goalie isn't. On the shot that knocked off the post, for example, he said, "I've got to go high."
Briefly: Former Wild forward Casey Wellman scored the overtime winner in the Houston Aeros' 2-1 AHL win over Oklahoma City on Friday night.
Longtime NHL ref Kerry Fraser will sign copies of his book "The Final Call" at the Xcel Energy Center Hockey Lodge before Tuesday night's Wild game against Vancouver.
