It could have been worse for the Minnesota Wild, but not by much.

The Wild on Thursday will play their first game since last Saturday, and while it was a good opportunity to decompress from the stress of what essentially has been a series of must-win games this month, the team lost a lot of ground in the standings while sitting idle.

Minnesota will start Thursday’s 7 p.m. puck drop at Xcel Energy Center nine points out of the Western Conference’s eighth and final playoff position with just 11 regular-season games left. It could have been 10, but Vegas lost to Nashville in overtime on Tuesday night, finishing 2-0-1 since Minnesota last played.

It’s a lot to overcome. In fact, the Wild would have to make history to do it.

Since the NHL moved to an 82-game schedule in 1974-75, no team has rallied to make the postseason after being as many as seven points back with at least 70 games played.

The Wild have improved substantially since John Hynes replaced Dean Evason as coach, going 29-18-4 since Nov. 28, but have been unable to overcome a 5-10-4 start.

“They came back to practice focused,” Hynes said after an hour-long practice at TRIA Rink on Wednesday. “I think both practices were good, had good details to them, I think the pace and execution was good, so we’re not overthinking what’s there. Coming off the break, what we could control were these two days, then making sure the mindset is right going into tomorrow. Then we take it from there.”

The last two wild cards remain in play for Minnesota, but it’s a longshot in either case.

If the Wild were to win out in their last 11 games, they could finish a point ahead of Vegas if the Knights earn no more than 12 of 20 possible points — say, 5-4-2 or 6-4-0 — leaving them with a maximum 98 points. Seventh-place Los Angeles, 10 points up on Minnesota, would have to earn no more than 11 of 22 possible points.

According to the NHL, the furthest back a team has come after 64 games is the 1985-86 Hartford Whalers, who were eight points back and fifth in the old Adams Division when the top four clubs in each division qualified for the playoffs. At 70 games, they were four points out.

The Wild have a couple of things going for them. First, it appears they’ll have center Joel Eriksson Ek and Jonas Brodin back from lower-body injuries on Thursday.

“They had two full, really good real hockey practices,” Hynes said. “So, signs are pointing towards that.”

Another is scheduling. Three of the Wild’s last 11 regular-season games are against the Kings and Knights. If they stay in it, the Wild will have a big game at Los Angeles on April 18. Before that, they’ll see the Knights on Saturday at the X, then again on April 12 in Las Vegas.

“A bit of hope, I think. It’s a lot of points,” Wild goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury said. “(Vegas is) a good team, too, right? Obviously. I don’t know. We’re going to try our best, try to win, see what happens.”

This scenario not only assumes Minnesota goes 11-0-0 the rest of the way, it assumes St. Louis — three points ahead of Minnesota in ninth place — stalls out over its next 10 games, as well.

This is why coach John Hynes has suggested his players ignore the standings down the stretch. Paying attention to what you can’t control, he has said this season, wastes mental energy that could be spent on a game.

This is the approach rookie defenseman Brock Faber took during the team’s four-day layoff. What other teams do, he said, won’t help the Wild “unless we win our games.”

Faber and his teammates know only one thing is certain.

“If we want to make the playoffs, we’ve got to win a lot of games coming up here,” he said.

LONG ODDS

The Wild are nine points out of a playoff spot with 71 games under their belts. Since the NHL moved to an 82-game schedule in 1974-75, only one team has rallied from as many as seven points down to make the postseason. Here are teams that made up the most ground:

Team             Season      GP      Pts.
Washington   2007-08      70       -7
Colorado       2018-19      71       -6
Washington  2007-08      70        -6
Islanders      1993-94      74        -6

Source: NHLstats

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Sarah Kuta | (TNS) TravelPulse

Thinking of cruising around French Polynesia with Windstar Cruises? Now, you can add on a stay at Marlon Brando’s private island after your sailing.

Windstar Cruises is launching a new offering in partnership with Pacific Beachcomber, a company that operates seven hotels in French Polynesia. One of those properties is The Brando, a private island eco-resort on the atoll of Tetiaroa with 35 private villas, white sand beaches and a 5-mile-wide lagoon.

Through the collaboration, Windstar guests can now book a two-night stay at The Brando after sailing aboard the Star Breeze, which recently replaced Wind Spirit and doubled the small-ship line’s capacity in the region.

The luxury post-cruise add-on will be available for booking starting May 1. It’s only open to guests staying in Star Breeze’s top suites: the owner’s suites, as well as the Broadmoor and Sea Island suites.

After sailing around French Polynesia with Windstar, guests will disembark the ship in Papeete. Then, they’ll board a small plane for the 20-minute flight to The Brando. While there, they’ll enjoy daily excursions, spa treatments, beach equipment and more. Then, they’ll be flown back to Papeete. Rates start at $6,900 per person based on double occupancy.

“This collaboration not only further enhances our commitment to providing unparalleled luxury and most romantic experiences for our guests in French Polynesia, but also allows us to extend the Windstar experience seamlessly from sea to land, providing our guests with exceptional hospitality throughout their journey,” says Christopher Prelog, president of Windstar Cruises.

The late American actor first purchased the atoll in the 1960s. In 1999, he asked his friend Richard Bailey, chairman of Pacific Beachcomber, to help him develop the property into a resort. Together, the two men began drawing up plans for a luxurious but environmentally friendly haven.

Brando died in 2004, but his family gave Bailey permission to carry the late actor’s vision forward. In 2014, that plan finally came to fruition when The Brando opened to the public. Since then, it’s been a hot spot for celebrities, with guests ranging from Barack and Michelle Obama to Britney Spears and Leonardo DiCaprio.

Since February, Windstar has offered Pacific Beachcomber’s InterContinental Tahiti Resort & Spa in Papeete for pre- and post-cruise stays. During their sailing, Windstar guests can also book a one-night stay in an overwater bungalow at Pacific Beachcomber’s Intercontinental Bora Bora Le Moana as a shore excursion.

“We are delighted to extend a warm invitation to Windstar Cruises’ guests to discover our secluded island havens, including The Brando, an eco-resort unlike any other nestled in the heart of French Polynesia,” says Bailey. “Together, we aim to deeply immerse our guests in the vibrant Polynesian culture and the untouched splendor of our natural surroundings.”

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©2024 Northstar Travel Media, LLC. Visit at travelpulse.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Brentt Michalek, city administrator in Park Falls, Wis., has been hired to be city administrator in Hudson, Wis.

Michalek, 52, will start June 3.

Brentt Michalek (Courtesy photo)

Michalek said he was excited to help the Hudson City Council achieve its goals. “The city has a lot of immediate activities happening with the pressures of the urbanizing area,” he said. “I work at the will of the council.”

Michalek said he plans to help the council set a strategic plan for the city as soon as he starts on the job. “I think that will help the city look toward the future a good 10 to 20 years and see where they want to go,” he said. “It gives direction and priority to the city’s spending and things like that.”

Michalek has been city administrator of Park Falls, about three hours northeast of Hudson, since 2019. He also has been a member of the Chequamegon School Board since 2021; his term expires in April.

“I was asked to run for school board three years ago,” he said. “It was a discussion I had with my board and our city attorney, who drafted an opinion. The council unanimously approved on the condition that on issues where the city and school board would be in negotiations, I could not partake in school board activities.”

Grew up in Green Bay

Prior to taking the job in Park Falls, Michalek worked as the permitting manager for Network Real Estate in Green Bay, Wis., and director of conservation, planning and zoning for Sauk County, Wis. He also served as director of planning, zoning and construction resources for Emmet County, Mich.

Michalek, who grew up in Green Bay, has a master’s degree in environmental science and policy from the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay and a bachelor’s degree in regional analysis (urban and regional economic theory) planning, with a minor in mathematics, from the same school. He also has achieved all but dissertation status toward his doctorate in geography from University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee; his thesis was on the urbanizing of land and its effect on groundwater, he said.

Michalek and his wife, Sara, have two children: Lauren, 16, and Derek, 13.

More than 35 candidates applied to be city administrator. The four other finalists were:

Kristina Handt, interim city administrator in Forest Lake and former city administrator in Lake Elmo and Scandia and former village administrator of Village of Luck, Wis.
Renae Fry, former city administrator in North Branch, and former administrative coordinator in Sauk County, Wis.
Ryan Heise, city manager in Saugatuck, Mich., and former village administrator in Egg Harbor and former director of operations in Lakewood Ranch
William McCabe, city administrator in St. Augusta, Minn., and former city administrator of St. Charles, Minn., and former city administrator of Red Lake Falls.

Former city administrator Aaron Reeves left in November to be deputy director of public works in Boulder County, Colo. Reeves had served as city administrator since September 2019.

Mike Johnson, who serves as assistant city administrator and community development director, has been serving as interim administrator since Reeve’s departure.

Is he spelling his name right?

Now, what’s the deal with the spelling of Michalek’s first name, Brentt?

“I think it’s the correct way to spell it,” he said. “It was my parents’ choice. … My mother just liked the way it balanced out. She always thought it should have two ‘t’s.

“It happens all the time that people leave the ‘t’ off. When I respond, I just accidentally leave out the last letter of their name.”

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So, you’re driving through some hilly, jungly roads for a while, sometimes zig-zagging at slow speeds, because you’re not a maniac, when you come to a dead end. There’s a wallet-sized parking lot where you finally, with some maneuvering, get your two cents’ in, and you’re a bit frustrated with that — grumble, grumble. And then you reach the Pololū overlook.

Wow.

The view from the Pololū lookout, up on the north end of the Big Island of Hawaii, is a sweeping vista, and every step down its steep trail introduces you to an entire family of exceptional views.

But first, let’s talk about green. There’s green, and then there’s Hawaii green, a riot of greenesses. The great greens seen all over the island greet you on the Pololū trail too; they make you want to bring some lava home to start your own garden.

The rugged Pololu Trail on the Big Island of Hawaii offers stunning view after stunning view. (Courtesy Alice Bourget)

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Take multiple stops along the trail down to inhale those blissful beach vistas — and those emerald foliage views and those swaying-palm views. Though the trek down is but a half-mile, on days when the trail is slick, you might catch yourself gasping and grabbing green limbs to steady the way.

The acute angle of the Pololū land was shaped by the Kohala volcano, which cut a series of valleys into the high cliffs, Pololū Valley among them. Get to the valley floor — you won’t hurry, because it’s steep —and there’s a peaceful, mini-forest walk to the rocky beach, as lovely at ground level as it is high above. Pololū has a black-sand beach, but we arrived after a series of storms, so the shore was swept and then strewn with rocks and fallen trees, good to sit on and gaze at the inviting, albeit rough, ocean.

The trail down to the rocky beach of the Pololu Valley is about a half mile down. It feels much longer on the way back up. (Courtesy Alice Bourget)

Truly ambitious (read “crazed”) strollers might continue hiking up into the mountains — there are trails — and up and down to the other Kohala valleys beyond, but we’d hiked Pololū before and knew that though it was a half-mile down, it was, magically, 30 miles up. (Popular remarks heard on the way up from fellow hikers: “Ooof,” “Wow!” and “Man!” The hike is called the Awini trail, which looks suspiciously like “whiny.”)

Going down, you risk becoming Humpty-Dumpty. Going up, you’re The Little Engine That Could. But it bears repeating: Any exertion at Pololū is worth it. The sea-eating cliffs, the dramatic beach vistas, the hillside greens — it’s a meal for the senses.

Speaking of meals, you might have sparked your appetite zipping down and up Pololū. Now’s the time to ask what’s for lunch. Head back on Highway 270 to Hawi, the small town you passed through on the way to those views. Hawi (pronounced “ha-vee”) might be the quintessential Hawaiian small town. Years ago, my girlfriend Alice and I house-sat there for seven weeks and delighted in its warmth and appeal. Unfortunately, the pandemic hit some local businesses hard, but lucky for all, Bamboo survived and still thrives.

A century ago, Bamboo housed sugar cane plantation workers on the Big Island of Hawaii. Today, it’s a restaurant. (Courtesy Tom Bentley)

Bamboo the restaurant was once Bamboo the hotel, housing sugar-cane plantation workers more than 100 years ago. Then it changed clothes and was a dry-goods and grocer, and finally, a restaurant.

Bamboo wears its history well—walk in, and you’ll be bathed in color. There’s a near-theatrical feeling to the place, but it’s not forced. There is art everywhere and a profusion of bright hues. If the paintings, wall hangings and flamboyant, ceiling-hung umbrellas aren’t enough for your eyes, pop up to the gallery above and browse the work of local artists, from serving platters carved from local woods to striking ocean-themed paintings. There’s a gift shop at restaurant level too.

Bamboo may have begun life as a Hawaiian hotel a century ago, but these days its colorful restaurant makes tasty mai tais and other island fare. (Courtesy Alice Bourget)

Dazzling as all these artworks are, your principal mission is food. Well, perhaps drink too, since Bamboo makes hardy mai tais available for the thirsty. Our table of four lunched a bunch, one with a Hawaiian barbecue pork sandwich, another with grilled fresh ahi on organic greens. Alice and I both said “aloha” to the Aloha Vietnam sandwich, which planted that day’s ahi catch on Hawaiian sweet bread, joined with sweet and sour Asian coleslaw, fine fries and a Thai sweet chili aioli both sweet and savory.

Everything is served with a side of good cheer from the servers to restaurant owner Joan Channon, who stopped by the table to wish us well. Or maybe to get a bite of my great sandwich — I was protective. We all shared some white chocolate passion fruit cheesecake and dark chocolate mousse torte. I’d like to say we shared because we are noble and bountiful, but we were also glowingly full from the main courses, and dessert lit the final candle of goodness.

Do cruise the main drag of Hawi, which has lots of other small shops and businesses. If you’re there on a Saturday, they have a fun farmers market with farm goods, prepared foods and local crafts. And if you have a sweet tooth that won’t quit after Bamboo, they sell local Tropical Dreams ice cream in the shop across from the restaurant, which is OK … if by “OK” you mean fabulous.

By the way, if you still hunger for another hike and lunch on the beautiful Big Island, consider the Kilauea Iki trail in Volcanoes National Park. It’s a 3.3-mile walk, first on an overlook trail through those astonishing, almost primeval Hawaii greens, then down to the otherworldly crater for a hike across the blasted and crumpled lavascape, and then back up through the overgrowth.

Magical. Eat lunch at the historic Volcano House and consider yourself blessed.

If you go

Pololū Overlook and Beach Trail:  About 8 miles past Hawi in North Kohala, look for the end of Highway 270. The road dead-ends at the overlook, which has a very small parking lot, sometimes overseen by rangers and volunteers, who often have to help drivers turn around. There are also roadside parking spots that you can pull into before you hit the lot.

Bamboo Restaurant: Open for lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday and for dinner from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday-Saturday at 55-3415 Akoni Pule Highway in Hawi; www.bamboorestauranthawaii.com.