Game Four: Wild 1, Lightning 0 (SO)

The game Saturday night reminded us why the game of hockey isn't played on paper. It also reminded us that sometimes, the best team doesn't get the bounces. After being outplayed for 60 minutes by Tampa Bay, Minnesota finally applied sustained pressure in the overtime period before sneaking away with the win in a shootout.

Defensively, both teams played strongly, as Tampa overcame penalty trouble with a very impressive penalty kill. Offensively, the Lightning had the edge, pouring more (and better) shots at Niklas Backstrom than the Wild were able to toss at Mike Smith. In fact, the only Wild line that seemed to be able to generate anything going offensively was the Brunette-Koivu-Miettinen line. Some of the best chances of the game for Minnesota came with Smith was caught out of his net, but the Wild weren't able to put the puck into the net. As for the best chances by the lightning, they were stopped by some tremendous saves by Backstrom, and some impressive blocks by both Nick Schultz and Eric Belanger.

When it came time for the shootout, it was obvious that Backstrom had practiced it in the off-season. Not sporting a great shootout record, he was able to stop all three Lightning shots (including a little help by Lecavelier just missing the post), while the only two Wild shooters who got the chance were Mikko Koivu and Antti Miettinen. Koivu attempted a different shot than his standard, which allowed Miettinen to take a page from his fellow Finn's book. The backhand roofer lit the lamp, and allowed the Wild to skate away with the 1-0 shootout victory, and improved their record to an impressive 4-0.

Good points from the game:
- Defense. All around, the Wild played a tight defensive game. Checking was physical, pucks were stopped everywhere, and Backstrom was given clear views of the net. Plus, keeping the penalty kill at a perfect 100% for the season is always golden.
- Shootout. We don't necessarily want to see a lot of these this year, but if the Wild can produce on the shootout the way they did Saturday, we might rest easier. No shock that the Wild's shooters were set at Koivu, Miettinen, and Brunette.
- Eric Belanger. He was the only Wild player not part of the top line that got a couple of decent looks at the net. Diving in front of those two pucks late in the third period saved the game for the Wild.

Negatives from the game:
- Power play. True, the Lightning found a way to tighten up their weak penalty kill, possibly because of coach Wes Walz's familiarity with the Wild power play. And true, the Wild had two very short chances. But the team wasn't really able to muster many shots on net, and should have been able to end the game sooner.
- Offense. Plain and simple, the team couldn't find a groove, offensively. They were badly outshot, and a good number of their attempts came from bad angles on the ice.
- Creating their own luck. The Wild admittedly had luck on defense, but none in the offensive zone. When a wandering goalie leaves the net open, and the puck is bouncing around, someone should have stepped up. And yet, when the Wild were in position, they tended to miss the net, or fan on the puck. Maybe some time off before the next game will get the team back on track.

Next up: Thursday night, against the 4-0-1 Buffalo Sabres, who have a game against the Boston Bruins on Tuesday night.