Game Seventy-seven: Wild 1, Canucks 2 (OT)

The light at the end of the tunnel is getting dim for the Minnesota Wild. After doing just about everything right against the Vancouver Canucks, and getting help from the Columbus Blue Jackets, the Wild still found themselves on the losing end of a close game. Henrik Sedin scored the game winner in overtime to break the Wild, and make it almost impossible for Minnesota to get a postseason berth. At the same time, the Sedin goal vaulted Vancouver into first place in the Northwest Division.

It's been said before, but if Marian Gaborik is healthy the whole season, it's Minnesota fighting with Calgary for the division crown. Gaborik is a player that changes the game singlehandedly, as he was able to prove yet again. Not only does he have the Wild's best shot, but his presence creates space for other players. Even given that, Gaborik wasn't on the ice at the beginning of overtime, which may have been an indication that Vancouver was being handed the game. This after the Wild had kept the Canucks from getting a shot on net for the entire third period. Plain and simple, though, the Wild need to win if they want to keep playing hockey this season, and they can't take any consolation from getting only one point in a game where they dominated the other team from start to finish. With games remaining against Calgary, Detroit, Dallas, Columbus, and Nashville, the road isn't going to get any easier.

Game pluses:
- Andrew Brunette. Brunette started the play that created Gaborik's goal with some good forechecking, and good puck smarts. He also was able to set up near the goal mouth and came teasingly close to scoring more than once.
- James Sheppard. Sheppard may finally be coming into his own, which will bode well for the Wild for next season. The young center really stepped up his game when Mikko Koivu went down with a knee injury, and, against the Canucks, he was all over the ice.
- Defense. Holding any team without a shot on goal for an entire period is no easy feat. The Wild made it look simple, with good positioning throughout much of the game, finally doing to Vancouver what so many other teams have done to them.

Game minuses:
- Kim Johnsson. Maybe Johnsson broke a mirror or something before the start of the season, but he hasn't been the player that the Wild have grown used to over past seasons. Both Canucks goals came off of Johnsson (the Pavol Demitra goal was bounced off of his knee, and the Sedin goal was tipped by his stick). The problem? This isn't the first time this season that Johnsson's done that.
- Special teams. While the officiating was spotty (two very big missed calls at the end of the first period), it really wouldn't have helped the Wild to get more time on the power play. With the man advantage, the Wild looked disjointed, unable to figure out how to move the puck. A sharp contrast to the way that they handled the puck when playing even strength. As for the Demitra goal? It came during a collapse while the Wild were killing off a penalty of their own.
- Jacques Lemaire. The only coach the Wild have ever had has made it clear that he's always willing to shuffle his lines, looking for the best match-ups possible, and trying to give his team the best chance to win. Given that, why was his best player on the bench during the start of the intermission, while the Wild had a 4-on-3 power play? Lemaire stood by the guys he's used all season, which is admirable, but #10 is a player who thrives on open ice.

Next up: The Wild play host to the other team trying to win the Northwest Division when the Calgary Flames come to town on Friday night. By the end of the weekend (Minnesota plays at Detroit on Sunday), the Wild will know if they can start planning vacations yet, or if they still have meaningful hockey to play.