Games Sixty and Sixty-one: 0 for Alberta

The Minnesota Wild started their current 6-game road trip firmly believing that they needed to win at least half of the games to have a viable shot at the playoffs. Friday and Saturday were not good ways to start. Even worse, the Wild seemed to look right past the Calgary Flames, focusing on their Saturday night game against the Edmonton Oilers, and it showed as the Flames trounced them 4-1. Neither team was able to mount anything in the first period, but, during the first shift of the second, the Flames jumped out to a 2-0 lead, and never looked back. But, for anyone that's followed the Wild over their history, losing in Calgary wasn't much of a surprise. Edmonton's rink often gives the Wild a better chance.

That better chance was shut down by former Wild goaltender Dwayne Roloson, who was especially strong during a third period where he faced 18 shots. Those 18 shots, by the way, were more than the Wild took during the entire game against Calgary, and it showed the desperation that Minnesota needed for the past month and a half. Unfortunately, Josh Harding wasn't able to replicate his performance against Chicago, and the Wild once again proved that they have difficulty getting the puck in the net, and they lost 3-2, falling out of the playoff picture.

The Wild has one more game before the trade deadline, and it seems fair that the Wild should be looking at this week as an opportunity to try to start the (much needed) rebuilding process. Mikko Koivu, if he continues to show the talent he's shown over the last couple of years, could very well be the centerpiece that the team is built around. Just think what the Wild could accomplish by giving Koivu a bonafide scorer, and adding a second offensive line.

Game pluses:
- Mikko Koivu. No, Koivu didn't have a good game against Calgary, but he was able to bounce back, and did a lot of the heavy lifting against Edmonton. Unfortunately, it was another game where too much pressure was put on him, and not enough players helped carry the weight.
- Cal Clutterbuck. Another player that bounced back from a rough game (especially those miscues that lead to the 2-0 Calgary lead), Clutterbuck could be another piece to the Wild's future puzzle.
- Desperation. Honestly, the Wild has needed to play desperate for a while now, but they finally showed it against Edmonton. Instead of playing a defensive trap the entire way through, they were applying offensive pressure, and taking shots without waiting for the highlight-reel pass. Unfortunately, when Minnesota stepped up, so did Dwayne Roloson.

Game minuses:
- Defensemen. Brent Burns. Marek Zidlicky. Marc-Andre Bergeron. Those three names immediately pop out, but none of the Wild defense were sharp. Zidlicky and Bergeron still don't really fit with Minnesota. The only up side? Kurtis Foster may be back on the ice soon.
- Tough guys. Derek Boogaard took a foolish penalty with his late hit at the end of the game against Calgary. He paid for it by getting hit with a 5-game suspension. The Wild respond by placing Craig Weller, their only other enforcer-type, on waivers. Clutterbuck may hit everything that moves, but he just doesn't have the size needed to really fulfill that tough role.
- Officiating. There were plenty of other problems on the Alberta ice for the Wild, but one thing that helped tilt the games was the officiating crew, who worked both of them. Best example? A late hit that almost took Andrew Brunette out of the game was left uncalled, which immediately led to Edmonton tying the game at 1. The Wild couldn't catch a break, and, when they seemed like they were about to, they were slowed down by a questionable penalty.

Next up: The Wild plays their last game before the trade deadline by visiting the Vancouver Canucks. The Wild also need to right the ship quickly, or it won't matter what moves they make by Wednesday.