Game Fifty-nine: Wild 1, Kings 2 (SO)

You know that things are tight in the playoff race when a team can lose a game (admittedly after gaining one point for making it to the overtime) and still move up in the standings. That's exactly what happened when the Minnesota Wild failed yet again to put together a three-game winning streak, but still moved from eighth to seventh in the Western Conference. Of course, by the next time the Wild play, they'll probably be back on the outside looking in, but it might give them the motivation to put together a strong game.

The first thing that needs to be added to the Wild is a consistent offensive effort. The Kings stifled the Wild offense, who were only able to score a shorthanded goal thanks to a well-timed interception by Mikko Koivu. Of course, the Kings regulation goal came off of a Wild stick, so, for awhile at least, it certainly looked like 1-0 would be good enough to get Niklas Backstrom the win. That wasn't the case, and Backstrom dropped his first shootout of the season, surrendering the game winner after Drew Doughty had the puck slip off of his stick, but do so in an opportune way. Still, with the point, Minnesota now has 6 points in the last four games, and pulled themselves back into a place where they are in control of their own playoff destiny.

Game pluses:
- Antti Miettinen. Possibly auditioning for Team Finland, Miettinen scored the Wild's lone regulation goal, and then followed it by scoring their loan shootout goal.
- Mikko Koivu. Koivu buzzed the LA net a number of times, including hitting the post on the shootout, but his best play came when he stole the puck to lead to Miettinen's goal.
- Niklas Backstrom. The Wild goaltender was very good throughout the game, with a misplayed puck becoming the only Los Angeles goal. The two shots that got past him in the shootout would be difficult to stop for any goaltender.

Game minuses:
- Kim Johnsson. Maybe it was the pressure of the Finns playing well, but the Swede made one crucial mistake that allowed the game to find it's way to overtime. Making an attempt to sweep the puck under Backstrom, Johnsson instead flipped it over. Thing is, he had plenty of time to clear it out away from the net, and made a bad decision that may have ultimately cost the Wild a point.
- Shots. The Wild were taking shots, but didn't take a lot. Of course, it doesn't help when your shots are getting blocked or bouncing off of posts. The selection of shots just wasn't there.
- Passes. All night long, the Wild were throwing passes just out of reach of their teammates. If they had been able to put together passes like they usually do, this game would probably have had a very different outcome, especially with the way the Kings played back on their heels for the first two periods.

Next up: The Wild tries to take hold of their playoff destiny while also embracing the trials of the road. Starting a long month of road games, the Wild find themselves in Canada Friday night, to take on the division leading Calgary Flames.

Games Fifty-seven and Fifty-eight

The Minnesota Wild continues to keep things in the Western Conference interesting. A week ago, they were fresh off of squandering a 3-0 lead against the Ottawa Senators. They followed that game by holding momentum over the Calgary Flames long enough to take a lead, but then gave it back long enough for the division leaders to squeak out an overtime victory. It certainly looked like nothing was going to go the Wild's way, and weekend games against the Detroit Red Wings and the Chicago Blackhawks couldn't possibly help.

Or could they? Maybe the Wild play better when they've got their backs against the wall, and are scrambling to even have a ghost of a chance towards landing in the playoffs. Saturday night, they again got a three point night from Owen Nolan, but this time they made it stick as they outworked the Red Wings to the tune of a 5-2 victory. In every area of the ice, the Wild outworked Detroit, and they didn't relent, even scoring a rare empty-net goal after the Wings pulled Jimmy Howard for an extra attacker.

How do you follow a game like the Wild had against Detroit? Well, apparently, you head to Chicago, only have a hope because your back-up goalie is doing things that look impossible, and get goals from two guys not expected to contribute a ton offensively en route to a 2-1 victory. The Blackhawks haven't lost often at the United Center this season, but Minnesota has left Chicago's home with a victory in each visit.

Game pluses:
- Owen Nolan. Two goals and a beautiful feed to a streaking Pierre-Marc Bouchard allowed Nolan to prove that a 37-year-old skater can still teach the kids a thing or two. His goals gave him the Wild team lead.
- Martin Skoula. The Wild's most reliable defenseman this season (and yes, it still feels weird to say that) added a goal and an assist to his score sheet, with opportune placement and intelligent decision making.
- Josh Harding. He doesn't get many starts, and he doesn't get a lot of goal support when he is between the pipes, but Harding may be coming into his own. He absolutely stifled Chicago, and gave the Wild a chance to find their legs and get back into the game. He made many highlight reel stops, but the most impressive was a glove save that barely kept the puck from crossing the goal line.

Game minuses:
- Marek Zidlicky. Again, Zidlicky found himself out of position and making bad decisions. With Kurtis Foster returning soon, could Zidlicky find himself scratched from games for awhile?
- Limiting the shots. The Wild kept the Red Wings from getting a ton of great chances, but didn't manage the same thing against the Chicago Blackhawks. At one point in the second period, the Wild were being outshot 25-6, and it was only because Josh Harding was doing the impossible that the Wild had a hope.
- Penalties. True, the best penalty kill in the league stifled both Detroit and Chicago. But that's no reason to keep testing it. The Wild took far too many penalties over the last two games, and a number of them very bad ones.

Next up: The Wild look to get a three-game winning streak going with a game tomorrow night against the visiting Los Angeles Kings, who are five points back from the Wild for the 8th and final playoff spot in the West.

Game Fifty-Six: Wild 2, Flames 3 (OT)

Once again, the Minnesota Wild found a way to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. Sadly, there's no joke there, as the Wild finally had found a stride against the Calgary Flames, and sat back long enough to let Calgary sneak back into the game, tie the score, and eventually win it in overtime.

It was a game of weird bounces, but every game against Calgary tends to be that way. Plain and simple, though, even though the Wild had all the momentum going their way from a point about 15 minutes into the first through a point about 15 minutes through the second, they didn't do much with it. They got a 2-1 lead, and then sat without putting enough pressure on the Flames. After Calgary tied the game in the second, the Wild couldn't mount any offense, as they got stifled. It's also the point in the season where the Flames can be happy with getting at least one point, but the Wild desperately need two. Need proof? Look at the standings, and see where the Wild sit with regards to the teams that are playoff bound at present. Now, look at how the Wild has been playing as of late. Doesn't look like a team that even wants to find themselves in the postseason.

Game pluses:
- Dan Fritsche. His shorthanded goal was started by his check against Rene Bourque. Even if Calgary's complaint about a slew foot is correct, Fritsche's play was strong. It'd be a shame if his first Wild goal came after an illegal play.
- Colton Gillies. The rookie showed what can be done by throwing the puck towards the net and following the play, as he notced his second goal of his career.
- Cal Clutterbuck. Clutterbuck played his physical game, and even drew the penalty that lead to the Wild's only (ineffective) power play.

Game minuses:
- Marek Zidlicky. Calgary's first goal came after a horrendous defensive play by Zidlicky, and it wasn't the only one. He seems to be more focused on trying to add offense than on playing his position.
- Niklas Backstrom. Backstrom was not sharp against the Flames. Too often out of position, or giving up juicy rebounds, Backstrom only made it to overtime because the Flames took a relatively low number of fairly safe shots.
- Deflated. The Wild had all of the momentum through most of the second period. They kept the Flames from getting a shot for almost fifteen minutes. Then Calgary ties the game, the Wild turtle, and they only manage one shot in the third period. There needs to be a sense of urgency, especially when you're trying to push to get back into playoff positioning, and the Wild haven't had any urgency in weeks.

Next up: It certainly isn't going to get any easier, as the weekend features the Wild facing off against the Detroit Red Wings (currently 2nd in the conference) on Saturday, and then visiting the Chicago Blackhawks (currently 4th in the conference) on Sunday. It's not too late to make some heroics, but it's definitely getting there.

Game Fifty-Five: Wild 3, Senators 5

There's just not much that can be said about Saturday's Minnesota Wild performance. About the only thing that does stand out is that, if December was when the Wild critically injured their playoff aspirations, Saturday is the game that they put them on life support. After outplaying the Senators for twenty minutes, the Wild suffered an historic collapse, and now find themselves on the outside, looking in, with a large chunk of road games looming. Given that the team has floundered even at home, it doesn't look good.

Game pluses:
- Owen Nolan. The grizzled vet scored two goals, and looked like he might be able to make the hat trick happen, even while much of the rest of the Wild floundered.
- Mikko Koivu. He didn't score a goal, but he also didn't pack it in, and continued trying to make chances to change the Wild's luck.
- First period. Plain and simple, the Wild were the better team for the first twenty minutes, and it didn't look like Ottawa knew what it was doing. That first intermission changed everything.

Game minuses:
- Power play. Sure, the first power play resulted in a goal. But the next two resulted in the Wild giving up shorthanded scores. Those two goals really deflated the Wild.
- Niklas Backstrom. The All-Star goaltender was not sharp in net. No wonder he got chased after the second period.
- Defensemen. Especially on the power play, the Wild defense was porous, and making misguided plays.

Next up: The Wild have off until Thursday, when they face the Northwest leading Calgary Flames. Will they have a turnaround, or is the team starting a spiral to the bottom?

Game Fifty-four: Wild 2, Red Wings 4

If the Minnesota Wild make it to the playoffs, they better hope that they don't run into the Detroit Red Wings. While the first meeting between the teams resulted in a shootout, the second was more typical, as Detroit skated circles around the Wild, en route to a 4-2 victory.

Minnesota spent the entire game chasing the puck and making bad decisions defensively. Too many times, the Wild defense closed down completely around one player, opening another for an easy shot. This lack of discipline really hurt Minnesota, especially against a team that takes so many shots. After a first period where both teams scored one goal, the Wild could have taken some momentum, especially with how badly they were being outshot. Instead, the Red Wings just put themselves into another gear, and blew past the Wild. There's a reason that Detroit is a perennial Stanley Cup contender, and the Wild were there to witness it.

Game pluses:
- Mikko Koivu. Again, the Finnish star tried to put the team on his back. His shorthanded goal was incredibly impressive, and almost sparked the Wild to try to make a comeback.
- Josh Harding. Sure, he gave up four goals, but he did it by facing over 40 shots. The only real bad goal he gave up was on the wrap-around attempt.
- Penalty kill. If there's one thing the Wild can take away from the game as a positive, it's that they shut down the top power play in the league. Too bad they couldn't do the same even-strength.

Game minuses:
- Defense. The Wild chased the puck, couldn't clear their own zone, and just looked lost against the fluid Red Wings.
- Cal Clutterbuck. The kid extended his NHL lead in hits, but he made a few too many bad passes. At least he scrambled back to try and correct his mistakes.
- Brent Burns. He scored the Wild's first goal, but proceeded to spend the rest of the game out of position, not being sure who to cover, and trying to do too much with his stick while not moving his legs.

Next up: The Wild return home to face the 20-25-8 Ottawa Senators.

Game Fifty-Three: Wild 3, Avalanche 2

Hockey is generally a game of skill, where the team that skates better and makes smarter plays comes out on top. Sometimes, though, it all comes down to some luck and being in the right place at the right time. After spending most of the game trying to lose, the Minnesota Wild find a way to win with a little over a minute left on the clock, defeating the Colorado Avalanche in a big divisional game.

The Wild started the game relatively well, and a beautiful play set up by Owen Nolan gave the Wild a 1-0 lead. It didn't last through the period, though, as Ryan Smyth knocked home the puck after a weird bounce, tying the score at 1. After trading another couple of goals in the third period, the Wild had a goal waved off after Cal Clutterbuck obviously kicked the puck into the net, setting up the late game heroics by Andrew Brunette and Antti Miettinen.

Game pluses:
- Owen Nolan. The 37-year-old set up the Wild's first goal with a veteran play, and scored the team's second goal with a wicked deflection. Who says that the old guys can't play?
- Antti Miettinen. He was regularly in the right place, and had a few opportunities earlier in the game. By burying the puck late in the period, he only forced the Wild to defend it's own net for another 71 seconds to secure the win.
- Andrew Brunette. Maybe it's the result of playing against his former team. Brunette's strong play on the puck resulted in the late goal, and his feed to Miettinen was picture perfect.

Game minuses:
- Discipline. The Wild don't generally take a lot of penalties, but they gave up seven power play chances to Colorado. It was almost inevitable that the Avalanche would score on at least one of those.
- Protecting the crease. Once again, Niklas Backstrom spent the game with opposing players invading his crease, and not a lot of help came from the defense. Smyth's first goal, and Backstrom's high sticking penalty, were both results of this. Obviously Backstrom is getting frustrated about the lack of support, as the penalty showed.
- Derek Boogaard. Normally, Boogaard doesn't take bad penalties. Against the Avalanche, he took three penalties (two at the same time) that shouldn't have been taken. His hooking/cross-checking double minor in the third period set up Colorado's tying goal. Don't expect to see him on the ice against the Red Wings.

Next up: The Wild need to play a better game tonight than they did last night, as they face off against the 36-11-7 Detroit Red Wings.

Games Fifty-one and Fifty-two

How many times have the Minnesota Wild tried to place the onus for winning completely on the shoulders of Mikko Koivu? How often have they decided that the only guy who needs to play a physical game is Cal Clutterbuck? And how many times, in the span of two games, can those yield such different results.

On Friday night, the Wild started out with a fast pace, flying from end to end of the ice. The problem with that? The Wild aren't a fast-paced team, especially when they leave their transition game in the locker room. Also, when the team starts skating that much, they tend to start looking for pretty, highlight goals, instead of throwing the puck at the net and looking for something gritty (alright, truth, that's most of the team's goals anyways, but it's more glaring when the make four passes in the offensive zone to take no shots). The big turning point in the game came during a long 5-on-3 power play that the Wild couldn't convert. A short time later, Nashville scored, and never looked back, sealing the 2-0 victory.

Thankfully, Sunday brought the Edmonton Oilers to town, and the Wild were looking to get past their loss. Where Nashville had gotten in Niklas Backstrom's face all game, the Oilers were determined to just drive him to the ice. Partly due to that, and partly due to ineffective clearing of the defensive zone, the Wild found themselves tied with the Oilers, 2-2, and then had to hold on while Pierre-Marc Bouchard took his second bad penalty of the game with less than a minute remaining. After overtime produced nothing, it came down to a shootout, and the only player to score was the eighth skater, some guy named Mikko Koivu, giving the Wild a 3-2 win.

Game pluses:
- Antti Miettinen. His shorthanded goal that gave the Wild a 2-1 lead was picture perfect, and he worked hard in the offensive zone.
- Mikko Koivu. After Nashville shut him down, the Finn stepped up and provided the exclamation point in a tight game against Edmonton.
- Cal Clutterbuck. He had his first minus game in almost twenty attempts on Friday, but more than made up for it on Sunday. He is also largely responsible for drawing penalties that give the Wild a power-play opportunity.

Game minuses:
- Power play. The Wild spent too much time passing the puck, and not enough shooting. When you only get one shot during a long 5-on-3, something has to change.
- Protecting the crease. Both Nashville and Edmonton set up office in front of Niklas Backstrom. The Wild defenders seemed incapable of helping their goaltender get more space, which may have also contributed to the number of times Edmonton crashed hard into him.
- Too pretty. The Wild often look for a highlight-reel goal. And yet, other teams have figured it out, and are getting in the way of the third (or fourth) pass. The team needs to start shooting at the net, especially if they want to have a meaningful playoff experience.

Next up: The Wild don't play again until Wednesday, when they face the 25-27-1 Colorado Avalanche, who have a game Tuesday against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Games Forty-Eight, Forty-Nine, and Fifty

The Minnesota Wild may be figuring out just how to be consistent. Of course, all season, they've been consistently up and down, taking easier games "off" and getting beat shortly after pulling off a victory that nobody thought they'd be able to claim. After pounding on the Toronto Maple Leafs, the next result, against the Edmonton Oilers, was not unexpected.

The Wild got trounced by the Oilers 3-1. Don't let the score fool you into thinking that the game was closer than it was. The Wild was simply outplayed in every area, and it wasn't until the third period that they even tried to get an offense going. Of course, by that point, Niklas Backstrom had already been chased out of the game, and the Wild was staring at a 3-0 deficit. With a trip to Vancouver the next night, things definitely didn't look good for the Wild and their playoffs hopes.

Well, surprise surprise, the Wild showed up for the game against Vancouver, and took an early lead. They let the Canucks claw their way back in a few times, especially in the final minute of play, with Brent Burns in the penalty box for a foolish penalty. And yet, even though the Canucks forced overtime, the Wild were able to claim the victory, and then rest for a few days before returning home to a tough game.

On Wednesday night, that tough game came calling, and the Wild played a complete game, much like they did against Vancouver, except they left their defensive lapses in the locker room. Minnesota was able to pound the Anaheim Ducks 3-0, after playing well in all areas of the ice.

Pluses:
- James Sheppard. Against Edmonton, Sheppard kept fighting, and was rewarded with the Wild's only goal.
- Marc-Andre Bergeron. Visiting the Canucks, Bergeron scored twice, including the OT game winner.
- Cal Clutterbuck. Clutterbuck didn't score against the Ducks, but he did draw a penalty that lead to the early lead, and played physically all night long, sparking the Wild.

Minuses:
- Let down. When you beat an Original Six team 6-1, a let down is almost inevitable. Double that when you're playing a team you blew out previously. And yet, the Wild folded completely against the Oilers.
- Brent Burns. He's starting to make some of the plays that we are used to, but, after a call sent Cal Clutterbuck to the locker room, Burns moved back up to forward, and lost sight of what he's supposed to be doing. Without his foolish dive and trip, Minnesota probably would have one without the extra frame.
- Marc-Andre Bergeron. Maybe it was the pressure of playing the Ducks after scoring two goals, but Bergeron seemed shaky on defense, and gave the puck away a few too many times.

Next up: The Wild take on the 24-24-3 Nashville Predators tonight. The Wild are 1-1 against Nashville this season.