2009-10 Game Eighteen: Wild 3, Lightning 4 (SO)

Two plays that dramatically changed the course of the game. One huge mistake that handed the win away. One point left behind on the ice in Tampa Bay, as the Minnesota Wild dominated the Lightning for 60 minutes, and still lost the game.

The two plays that were mentioned above? One was on the short-handed goal that put Tampa Bay on the board. Shane Hnidy was banged up in the play, thanks to a tripping non-call. Instead of an immediate whistle when Tampa touched the puck, play was allowed to continue, and the Lightning scored. Given that Brent Burns was called for a trip after getting his stick caught in a player's skates earlier in the game, and a whistle was blown right away when a Tampa player went down with an injury later in the game, this play stood out. The second play was Chuck Kobasew's goal that was waved off by the officials, because it bounced off of his glove. Because it touched the glove, it was waved off, no matter that there was no forward motion. If it had been a skate, at least the goal would have stood. If he'd bounced it off of his stomach, the Wild take their fourth goal of the game. But because it hit his glove (and barely hit his glove), the goal was disallowed.

Still the Wild should have had this game. To go from leading 3-1 to losing 4-3 in the shootout is a tough pill to swallow, but hopefully it will lead to Minnesota learning to take care of their business on the ice. Late mistakes gave Tampa enough life to claw back into the game that they had no right to be in.

Game pluses:
- Owen Nolan. How pretty was Nolan's goal, giving the Wild the 3-1 lead? The grizzled Irishman may be trying to show the kids how it's done.
- James Sheppard. Sheppard has been having a rough season, and things probably aren't turning around yet, but he made some great plays against Tampa, including the play that set up Benoit Pouliot's goal.
- Greg Zanon. Zanon is a shot-blocking machine, and he's giving the Wild something they may not have realized they were missing.

Game minuses:
- Kyle Brodziak. The biggest mistake of the game for the Wild came off of Brodziak's stick, as he somehow completely lost the puck while on a 3-on-1, leaving it behind instead of making a pass. It was a glaring example of a lack of awareness.
- Marek Zidlicky. Zidlicky has a lot of offensive upside, and he's been a more consistent defenseman this season. However, against Tampa he stopped moving his legs, and took some foolish penalties after the Lightning pulled to within 1.
- Killer instinct. The Wild just didn't have the drive to finish off the Lightning, and they paid for it in the end. They had multiple opportunities to put the game out of reach, but resorted to a "pass first" mentality, instead of peppering the net with shots.

Next up: The Wild don't have time to dwell on the loss, as they face the Washington Capitals this evening. Luckily for Minnesota, it appears as though they won't have to face Alex Ovechkin.