Game Thirty-Four: Wild 1, Blackhawks 4

The Minnesota Wild got an early Christmas present on December 23rd, with a game against an Eastern Conference opponent. On December 28th, it was a return to the West, and, even worse for Minnesota, the opponent was the red-hot Chicago Blackhawks. The Blackhawks entered the game on an 8-game winning streak, and hadn't lost in the month of December. Meanwhile, the Wild's been lucky to win in that same stretch of time.

This game was over well before the final minute had ticked off the clock, as well. The Blackhawks outplayed the Wild in every area of the ice, except for hits, and the Wild proceeded to spot Chicago a three-goal lead. Minnesota never really got skating well, and they were badly outshot all game long.

An interesting note, as we mentioned before, was the Wild's decision to keep Marian Gaborik out of the line-up. Either Gaby is still nursing back to health, or the Wild is shopping him around and look to move him soon. Not much else makes sense, especially for a team that now finds itself in 11th place in the conference.

Game pluses:
- Cal Clutterbuck. Physical play, open ice checks, and a beautiful breakaway goal. He brought a spark to a team that needs something to get itself going.
- Krys Kolanos. Kolanos played a physical game as well, and almost created opportunities.
- Mikko Koivu. Koivu may not have been able to help the puck find the net, but he continued scrapping for every inch of real estate he could get, and his skill alone created chances.

Game minuses:
- First goal. Again, the Minnesota Wild are not a team that comes back easily. When skating against the fast, young, and aggressive Blackhawks, the first goal alone made a mountain for Minnesota to climb.
- Defense. None of the team's defenders played well. One of the worst, at least when it came to puck control, was team captain Kim Johnsson. Any doubts that the "C" will be getting moved again in a couple of days?
- Antti Miettinen. The defense wasn't the only thing that was bad. Chicago's first goal came from right in front of Miettinen, on a puck that, depending on the camera angle, it looked like he might have accidentally tipped in. Miettinen has looked lost on the ice for more than a month.

Next up: It doesn't get any easier for Minnesota, as tonight they head to Calgary to play the 20-11-4 Calgary Flames. The Wild are only 2 points out of 8th in the Conference, but they're also only 5 points away from the bottom of the pile.