Tom Reid's Hotline

0:00You found the Minnesota Wild Podcast, presented by Acresure. The department's open in front of Superl, through on that way, Hartman Scars! Oh boy. He's ranking waiting. He scores! Ryan Hartman backed the back two gold games, and it's three, nothing in favor of the wild. Hey, you had to love that, Austin. Yeah, it's all wild, and Ryan Hartman, through two periods, they lead the Senators 3-0. Two of the three goals go to Ryan Hartman, who's got 20 and two on the season, wildly the Senators 3-0. In Ottawa, Tom Reed is there for Tom Reed's hotline. Get your questions in, 6-4-6-8-6. We'll get to those here momentarily, strange times, so much on the line for the Senators, and it's the wild that are controlling things. Yeah, I still think that Ryan Hartman is going to wind up at 40 goals, even though I'm going to ask 22, but see where that goes on that one. But it's been a good two periods by Minnesota.

1:01Now they've got to do it again for the next 20 minutes. They don't want to give the hometown an opportunity to come back into this game. All right, let's jump into these questions. We'll start with Dylan in Northfield. About this time of year, Ryan Hartman seems to heat up. He was probably one of their best players in the playoffs last year. What makes Ryan Hartman so good when spring time rolls around? He really reads the game well. There's no question about it. He's got the patience. Also, you saw that last goal with Kevin. He just had enough patience to hold the puck just momentarily. It's split second. It's all it took for him to get in a better shooting position, and he buried it on that one. But he just, he loves the game. He wants, he likes to fizzle part of the game. Sometimes he goes a little overboard. We've seen that with him before, and he has to be reminded. We don't want you in the penalty box. We want you on the ice. That's where you can score the goal. So hopefully that'll go through certainly the rest of this season into the playoffs. Touched on this, coming into the segment. But Jake and Maple Grove echoes it. It says, Tom, it's easy for him to say, sitting on his couch watching television.

2:02But of course, he has Gorg and Lapanta in the entire crew muted as he listens to Joe and Tom on his radio dial. How do you explain the senators? It was so much to play coming out. Pretty much laying an egg through the first two periods. Well, they were not engaged right from the drop of the puck. Minnesota was. If Ottawa had any steam at all in their game, Minnesota took it away from them. Just by getting that first goal, you know, that first goal coming at what? 945 of the first period. They've had two goals in the first period. They've had one goal here in the second period. Now get a hang on to that for the third and hopefully final period of this game. From the 2-1-8 area code, Brock Faber had a big block there in the middle frame. The 2-1-8 area code says, Tom, what was it like blocking a shot back in your day with the lesser equipment than food favors enjoying? No, don't worry. We felt every shot that came our way. I mean, the equipment was not very good. Obviously, when you look at the skates, the old, you know, letters, just a kangaroo leather.

3:04You know, it's the tackle berry skates, great skates. And they were. They're a good skates. But unfortunately, they offered you no protection whatsoever. And when you took a shot in the ankle, you felt it all the way through your body. From Liam, apparently nine years old in Lakeville. And he's got a good question. A wild now clenched a playoff spot with seven games left to go in the regular season. How do you think John Hines will manage his lineup? He heading into the playoffs to keep everyone healthy, but also engaged. Well, I think one of the things that he'll probably have a few of the players who need to time off. They have me have a game in the press box where they watch and they don't have to play or be down in the locker room watching it on the TV or listen to the radio. But I think for the most part, you know, he knows what this team has made up of. He knows that he's been handed some players at the trade deadline that have helped us hockey club and we're continuing to do so. And having a guy like Nick Falino, we just had it on the air. You talk about leadership quality. He and his brother both of me bring that along with a lot of other players, including the captain, Jared Spursion.

4:06Everyone is on board with each other right now. And that's so important. Great question. Liam from Drew, time by the end of today. The wild could close within four points of the stars for the second spot in the central division, which would give them home ice in the first round of the playoffs. 80 think it's possible and beat you think it's important. Well, it's really important. I mean, obviously it's going to be the Dallas stars at Minnesota. It's going to meet in the playoffs. Who's going to have home ice advantage remains to be seen. But the one thing and when you're looking at the team like Dallas, they're a good hockey club. I mean, they're not taking that away from them. But Minnesota has one more game at Dallas on April the 9th. That's coming up very quickly. That's going to go and set the stage for what's going to happen at the season's end. From let's talk a little gold tending and this one from the 612 area code time. You got Jesper Volstad today playing very good against the Ottawa Senators. But in your estimation is Philip Gustafson, the number one netminder for the wild heading into the playoffs. And do you think he's on a short leash if that in fact is the case?

5:08Yeah, I think Gustaf's going to be the number one goal there. At the same time, watching a Jesper in this hockey game, I think he's really had a very solid game. He's positioning himself. He's challenging the shooters coming in there. He's done a good job all the way through. And that's what I'm looking for. I've said before they've started this broadcast that Minnesota's netminder's they have to be better. Especially when you get in the playoffs because there's going to be a lot more intense and there's going to be a lot more structure coming from the opposition as they move forward. From Sam in St. Paul, boy, what a find it's been to have Vladimir Tarasenko on the team. Has an assist on the Brodingoal today? What has led to his resurgence? That's from Sam in St. Paul. He likes where he is. He likes the team. He likes the coaching staff. He likes his teammates. And that is so important. But you look at Tarasenko last year at 33 points on the year. Right now he is at 42 points on the year and sends still some games ago. But he knows what it's like to win the cup. He's won it. But St. Louis moved back in 2019.

6:10And he was St. Louis's first Russian-born player picked by the St. Louis Blues forever. And you look at him right now. He has been so good for Minnesota. And the fact he's got 42 points in game number 900 in his NHL career. From Connor in Stillwater, Tom, now that we're looking ahead to the playoffs, even though it's still a couple of weeks away, what edge do the wild have over the stars that could help them and get the series and get past the first round for the first time since 2015? You know, playoffs are such a game of confidence. You feel good going into it. And you don't want to disrupt that at all. You want to keep that. And I think Minnesota right now they're scoring goals and they're playing as a team. And that is so important as you hit that first game of the playoffs. All right, Tom. Thank you. Thank you. Tom Reed out there in Ottawa. He had Tom Reed's hotline. And someone's going to get a pair of tickets to an upcoming Minnesota wild home game. Just two home games left on the schedule, including Tuesday when they host the Seattle crack. And you want to go? You didn't win. You still can go wild.com slash ticket.

7:11Let's pause 10 seconds for station identification. You're listening to Wild Hockey, presented by Grand Casino. Three zero in favor of the wild. Jonas Brudin had the first one midway through the first. The next two go to Hartman, 1535 of the first, then 1531 of the seconds. Zuckarello sets both of them up. Hartman's got 22 goals on the season. Four goals in the last two games. Six in the last five. He's been on fire. So two of the wild, three zero. They lead the Ottawa Senators. The third is next from Canadian Tiger Center. You're listening to Wild Hockey, presented by Grand Casino. For an extraordinary advantage in sports, you need a game plan. For an extraordinary advantage everywhere else, all you need is Acroshure. With a high tech human approach to insurance, cybersecurity, and more,

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