THURSDAY'S STORY LINE: Minnesota's roster shuffle continues tonight in Phoenix, as Jared Spurgeon (illness) will be out of the lineup. The Wild will be forced to call up a defenseman from Houston in case Clayton Stoner (lower body) can't go. Stoner has missed 16 games and Yeo reiterated today he doesn't want to rush Stoner.
"I don't want him to go out there, play three shifts and then we lose him again for an extended period of time. We would love to have him in the lineup, but we have to make sure he is good to go," said Yeo.
If Stoner can't go, it appears defenseman Tyler Cuma will be called up and will make his NHL debut.
Cuma, 22, was Minnesota's first round pick in 2008. The defenseman tore his ACL last year and is trying to get his career back on track.
"I thought coming back into training camp, he didn't have the same jump. It looked like he lost a little bit of a step, which is normal. I have had that injury and it takes time to get it back, and I understand he has been doing a good job with that and has been doing a really good job down there," said Yeo.
If Cuma plays, he will be the 45th player to dress for the Wild this season.
The Wild will also amazingly have only 6 players in the lineup that were in the lineup the last time the Wild played in Phoenix on December 10th.
Since the victory against Phoenix in December, Minnesota has gone 8-22-7 and shuffled countless players in-and-out of the lineup.
"None of us were prepared for this, that is for sure. I don't know how you would prepare for that, we didn't see that coming, but that was a long time ago and there have been a lot of things that have gone on since then. It is what it is and it stinks. You come here and you are kind of reminded of that time. Having said that, this is what we have right now and this is what we are and let's make the most of it," said Yeo.
OTHER UPDATES: Cal Clutterbuck (Undisclosed) will be out of the lineup again tonight.
HE SAID IT: "We got plenty of things to play for here and more than anything else it is pride. I think the biggest thing for us, which we talked about yesterday, is we pride ourselves on being a team that goes out and does the little things…We have to find a way to get back to the details in our game and do the little things that you need to do to win hockey games." – Yeo on his message to his team
