Games Twenty-Eight and Twenty-Nine

The Wild fared poorly in California, and are now in the middle of their longest losing streak in team history. On Saturday, the Los Angeles Kings beat the Wild 3-1 in a game deserved to be much more lopsided. In fact, the empty net goal scored by the Kings was a goal that had been earned much earlier, thanks to the play of the two teams. The Kings came out playing hard, and the Wild couldn't do anything more than chase the puck for the full 60 minutes. Honestly, if the Wild had found a way to stage a comeback against Los Angeles and force an overtime period, it would have been an undeserved gift. In fact, the sloppy play looked like it might lead to a return for a certain player with a bad lower body.

That wasn't meant to be, as Marian Gaborik sat again on Sunday, when the Wild ended up falling to the Anaheim Ducks by a score of 4-2. Admittedly, the Wild was able to tie the game at 2, and they played with more intensity, but costly defensive mistakes, one by team captain Kim Johnsson, cost the Wild the game in the end of it.

Speaking of team captains, ever since Johnsson took over the captain's "C" from Mikko Koivu, the Wild have been disjointed. While the return of Gaborik, which could happen Wednesday, should allow Brent Burns to return to the blue line and give some rest to the defensemen who haven't been sharp, it might be in the Wild's best interest to switch up captains before January starts. The Wild started the month of December in first place in the Northwest Division. Now, they're struggling to hold a playoff position, barely within the top eight teams in the conference.

Game pluses:
- Niklas Backstrom. In the King's game, if it hadn't been for a great performance by Backstrom, the Wild wouldn't have had a chance after the first 20 minutes. The team should work on his contract extension right now.
- Cal Clutterbuck. The kid continues to provide a spark with his checks, and he's got a shot that will find the net eventually. He needs to continue getting the time on the ice.
- Eric Belanger. He scored a goal and an assist in the Anaheim game. If he continues to find an offensive touch, it'll take the pressure off of Gaborik and Koivu.

Game minuses:
- Kim Johnsson. Another game at -3. He hasn't played as a captain throughout this month, and, as a result, the entire blue line is in disarray.
- Shots. Again, the Wild keeps skating and trying to make the perfect pass to get a clear shot. When you aren't scoring a lot, you just need to throw the puck at the net, and fight for a rebound.
- Intensity. The Wild started to find some intensity against Anaheim, but had absolutely none against Los Angeles. Will a division opponent get a spark back into the team?

Next up: The Wild face the 16-11-3 Calgary Flames, with perennial Wild killers Jerome Iginla and Dion Phaneuf. Will Gaborik's presence on the ice fix the Wild's problems?