Eventually, both trends will have to turn. The Wild will eventually win a game on the road, and, alternately, they will eventually lose a game at home. Here's hoping that they win a home game in regulation first, as Minnesota keeps proving that leaving before the end of the third period means missing the outcome. Take a couple of returning players, some home ice, and a Carolina team that's been struggling as well, and you've got the recipe for another Minnesota Wild home-ice overtime victory.
It didn't necessarily start out looking like the boys in green were going to pull this one off, giving up a goal in the first period while shorthanded, largely due to an inability to clear the puck. However, the Wild didn't give up, and they tied the game before the first intermission. In the second, they took a lead, but gave it back thanks to another puck handling miscue. Then the stage was set for overtime, as both teams played tight defensively through the third period. Cal Clutterbuck, who was supposed to be out until December due to his ankle injury, ended up being in perfect position to put the puck into the net in overtime, keeping the Wild perfect at home.
Game pluses:
- Cal Clutterbuck. How about this? Clutterbuck returns two weeks after sustaining an ankle injury that was supposed to keep him out of the line-up for months, plays his physical game, and gets a fantastic goal while being tackled in overtime.
- Niklas Backstrom. Once again, the Wild's star goalie stood tall in the net, making some unbelievable saves, including stifling a fantastic Carolina breakaway.
- Greg Zanon. When Backstrom couldn't make the save, Zanon seemed to find a way to block the shot. Zanon keeps placing himself in front of the puck, and saved a goal himself.
Game minuses:
- Antti Miettinen. Miettinen looks like he's trying to do too much with the puck, and his giveaway at the Carolina blue-line in the second period lead to the game-tying goal. It was a poor decision at that moment, and it had the potential to send the Wild into a nosedive.
- 5-on-5. At one point in the game, the Wild only had shots while on the power play. While they did start turning the tide, they need to get offense at all times, not just with the man advantage.
- Mikko Koivu. Overall, Koivu played a standard game, creating chances and working some magic with the puck. But how many times did he find himself thrown out of the faceoff circle? While the officials may have been a little sensitive, Koivu needs to keep himself involved in the draws.
Next up: The Wild are flying high again, but, unfortunately for them, they have to go back on the road. Can Martin Havlat find his game in his first game against the Chicago Blackhawks? Or will the Wild be distracted by the return of Marian Gaborik later this week?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment