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Patrick Reusse on the Wild's missed opportunity, Twins with more to prove and the amazing Derby May 09, 2022

Show notes

Star Tribune columnist Patrick Reusse joins host Michael Rand for a look back at the weekend in sports, which included the Wild splitting Games 3 and 4 in St. Louis to set up a critical Game 5 back at Xcel Energy Center on Tuesday. Based on the players the Blues are missing, this should be the Wild's series to take, Reusse said, even after missing an opportunity in Game 4.

Plus Reusse wants to see the Twins play better against good teams before getting too excited -- and he has seen all he cares to see of reliever Emilio Pagan.

Rich Strike's amazing Kentucky Derby run did come with one worry, while the Lynx look like they need a lot of help after an 0-2 start.

Can a Minnesota horse with The Kentucky Derby?; Lynx preview; Dave Benz out; Twins adversity May 06, 2022

Show notes

Introduction: Host Michael Rand previews the Lynx season, which starts with a big test Friday in Seattle. Can a largely veteran roster extend the Lynx's streak to 12 straight postseason appearances and compete for a championship, or will a roster squeeze and health concerns derail the season? Head coach and GM Cheryl Reeve weighs in on the challenges of building a team in this era of the WNBA.

9:00: Adversity has hit the Twins, who lost star shortstop Carlos Correa to an apparent broken finger and lost for the second consecutive night to Baltimore -- the same day they learned manager Rocco Baldelli and two players are out with COVID. Will we get a look at 2017 No. 1 pick Royce Lewis in Correa's absence?

12:00: The Star Tribune's Rachel Blount joins the show to preview Saturday's Kentucky Derby, which features not one but two Minnesota horses in the field.

26:00: Keys to Game 3 for the Wild plus a curious decision by the Wolves to part ways with play-by-play voice Dave Benz.

Wild turns tables with big win; $20 a month for Bally Sports North?; Loons goalie Dayne St. Clair May 05, 2022

Show notes

Introduction: Host Michael Rand takes note of the overwhelmingly positive 6-2 final result for the Wild on Wednesday as it evened its playoff series against St. Louis at 1-1. Kirill Kaprizov had a hat trick, Marc-Andre Fleury showed why he is a battle-tested future Hall of Famer and the team in general cashed in on chances. But St. Louis also had more shots, more hits and arguably the better of the play. And the Wild still gave up five power plays (and one goal on the man advantage). Minnesota will need to tighten up its game going forward even after this result.

9:00: Minnesota United goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair joins the show to talk about his early-season success, his Canada pride and his surprising skill outside of soccer.

22:00: Would you pay $20 a month for Bally Sports North? That will be an option soon for standalone customers. Plus the secret Vikings edge this season and another rough start from Twins pitcher Dylan Bundy.

Chip Scoggins on what to do about the Wild and D'Angelo Russell May 04, 2022

Show notes

Introduction: Host Michael Rand tries to make sure the Twins get some proper attention after they won for the 11th time in 12 games Tuesday. Ryan Jeffers was the offensive hero in the win over Baltimore with a three-run homer. The Twins are now 15-9 and four games ahead of any other team in the American League Central.

5:00: Star Tribune columnist Chip Scoggins joins Rand in the aftermath of the Wild's 4-0 loss to St. Louis in Game 1 of their playoff series Monday. It was all-too-familiar based on past Wild teams; can Minnesota stay out of the penalty box and even the series Wednesday? Plus Scoggins weighs in on the Wolves' D'Angelo Russell conundrum and hopes for a trade.

26:00: Jared Spurgeon was lucky to avoid a suspension, the Lynx made some interesting roster moves and the Grizzlies/Warriors series looks every bit as compelling as Grizzlies/Wolves was.

The same (bleeping) thing every time: Wild loses 4-0 in playoff opener May 03, 2022

Show notes

Host Michael Rand goes in deep on the Wild after Monday's damaging 4-0 loss to St. Louis in Game 1 of the playoffs.

Home ice advantage? Gone. Stupid penalties leading to the type of game the Blues wanted and directly leading to three of the four goals? Yes. Second-guessing of the goalie choice? Sure, but that wasn't the reason the Wild lost. It's going to be a day of soul-searching for Minnesota, as St. Louis is now 4-0 this year and 13-1-1 in its last 15 against the favored Wild.

Plus the Twins won for the 10th time in 11 games and a Minnesota horse is the Kentucky Derby favorite.

Patrick Reusse on a Timberwolves regression, the best Wild team ever and great news for the Twins May 02, 2022

Show notes

Star Tribune columnist Patrick Reusse joins host Michael Rand as they tie a bow on the Wolves' season and look ahead to the Wild's playoff series starting Monday night against St. Louis.

Reusse and Rand agree: The Wolves' backcourt is a concern, and if there's a way to move off of D'Angelo Russell this offseason the organization should pursue a trade. After a 46-win season and competitive playoff series, this appears to be a team on the rise, but even getting back to that point next season will be difficult.

Reusse also calls this the best Wild team in franchise history and takes note of Max Kepler's resurgence with the Twins.

Special Delivery! Wolves collapse; Vikings anger; Wild ascends Apr 30, 2022

Show notes

Host Michael Rand watched everything unfold Friday and decided there was too much going on to wait two more days to talk about it all.

First he dissects the ultimate Wolves' collapse, as Minnesota lost a double-digit fourth quarter lead for the third time in its series against Memphis in a season-ending loss Friday. The Wolves were outscored 114-58 in the fourth quarters of Games 3, 5 and 6. Now they must ask themselves how they can get better and tougher going forward -- which starts with daunting questions about big-salary players Karl-Anthony Towns and D'Angelo Russell, who disappeared in Friday's fourth quarter.

14:00: The Wild earned home ice in its playoff series vs. St. Louis with a big 4-1 in over Colorado, but it might have lost Marcus Foligno to an injury after a dirty hit. Regardless, the Wild has the depth to make a deep playoff run. Is this the year it will happen?

18:00: The Vikings made another trade within the NFC North, this time helping the Packers get a talented wide receiver after doing the same for the Lions. Will those moves come back to haunt the Vikings, or will the accumulation of top-75 draft talent by Kwesi Adofo-Mensah prove to be wise in the long run?

What were the Vikings thinking?! Plus Wolves Game 6 preview, big Wild win and Twins streak Apr 29, 2022

Show notes

Introduction: The Vikings moved back 20 spots in the first round of the NFL Draft on Thursday, adding additional picks in the process. But was it really worth it to drop from No. 12 to No. 32, where they selected Georgia safety Lewis Cine? Time will tell, but at first blush it seems like the Vikings didn't get enough value. Fans largely felt the same way, though you'll hear enthusiasm from GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah.

12:00: Star Tribune Timberwolves beat writer Chris Hine joins host Michael Rand to help set up the critical Game 6 of the playoffs Friday at Target Center. Can Minnesota fend off elimination and send the series back to Memphis for a deciding Game 7? If they are going to do it, they will need to rebound and execute better.

25:00: The Wild moved closer to gaining home ice in the first round of the playoffs with a 3-2 overtime win over Calgary. All Minnesota needs tonight is one point -- or a regulation St. Louis loss -- to clinch that edge. And the Twins won their seventh straight game, something that would be a major headline if not for other major stories.

Vikings draft WR intrigue; Joe Ryan dominates again; Sarah McLellan on the Wild Apr 28, 2022

Show notes

Introduction: Host Michael Rand digs in on the NFL Draft and finds himself increasingly intrigued by the idea of the Vikings taking a wide receiver at No. 12 overall. While they still might end up taking a corner with that pick, there are good arguments to be made for choosing a game-changing offensive skill position player instead.

8:00: Star Tribune Wild beat writer Sarah McLellan joins the show to set up the final two regular season games and what's at stake. Plus how will the Wild handle its goalie rotation in the postseason, and just how good has Kevin Fiala been in this "prove it" season?

24:00: Joe Ryan delivered another gem for the Twins on Wednesday in a 5-0 victory that took just 2 hours, 23 minutes. Starting pitching continues to be a strength for this team, a major surprise.

Again and again: Wolves lose Game 5 heartbreaker; First-place Twins win on bonkers walk-off Apr 27, 2022

Show notes

Introduction: Host Michael Rand goes deep on the Wolves' Game 5 playoff loss, which again featured an alarming lack of execution on the part of Minnesota. After leading by double-digits in the fourth quarter, the Wolves allowed Memphis to rally thanks to a bevy of offensive rebounds and some poor shot selection of its own. But this one was more about what the Grizzlies did than what the Wolves didn't do, and it definitely wasn't about the officiating, Rand says. The bottom line: Ja Morant's game-winning layup put the Wolves in a 3-2 series hole, and they have to be feeling the sting of missed opportunities.

22:00: The Wild missed a chance to gain the upper hand in the battle for home ice with a 5-3 clunker of a loss to the lowly Coyotes. But St. Louis also lost, so the Wild still has a good chance to host a first-round series.

25:00: The Twins almost gave Tuesday's game away, but then Detroit one-upped them. A crazy final sequence on the bases led to a 5-4 walk-off win. Maybe that's how the first-place Twins are going to navigate the AL Central this season.

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