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More Wild changes: Bouchard made a healthy scratch

Pierre-Marc Bouchard, Nikolai Khabibulin

Edmonton Oilers goalie Nikolai Khabibulin, of Russia, defends to no avail as Minnesota Wild’s Pierre-Marc Bouchard shoots a spin-around goal in the third period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Feb. 22, 2011 in St. Paul, Minn. The Wild won 4-1. (AP Photo/Jim Mone)

AP

The Minnesota Wild won’t just look different in net against the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday night. They’ll also see some shuffling in their forward and defensive corps, according to the Minnesota Star-Tribune.

The most interesting bit is that playmaking forward Pierre-Marc Bouchard, 28, will be a healthy scratch after failing to score a point in six straight games and registering just a goal in his last 10. (He’s been limited to two goals and one assist in 12 contests this season.)

That’s not the only alteration, however, so here’s a quick list of the changes:


  • As mentioned earlier, Josh Harding is dealing with a MS-related setback. The 28-year-old netminder opens the door for Darcy Kuemper, 22, to make his NHL debut.
  • Defenseman Marco Scandella, 22, was demoted to the AHL so Kuemper could be recalled. It’s likely he was also the odd man out because Jared Spurgeon, 23, was activated off the injured reserve after missing nine games with a bone bruise.
  • Scrappy forward Torrey Mithcell, 28, slides into the lineup with PMB in street clothes.
  • Meanwhile, 26-year-old winger Matt Kassian was placed on waivers.

It all makes for a very different-looking Wild team primed to face the Vancouver Canucks at 10 p.m. ET tonight.