2009-10 Game Twenty-One: Wild 2, Coyotes 3

Don't feel bad if you didn't realize that the Minnesota Wild played a game against the Phoenix Coyotes last night. The Wild didn't seem to remember, either, for most of the game.

The slow starts to games are absolutely killing the team. When Minnesota is able to fire on all cylinders, they can be a deadly team, scoring seemingly at will, and with a fierce forecheck to keep opponents bottled up in their own zone. When they don't start skating until the second period (or later, as was the case against Phoenix), it doesn't matter how powerful of a team they can be, because they've already crippled themselves. The Wild didn't get started until they were already down by a goal, and all Phoenix had to do was answer when the Wild scored, and answer they did, including getting the game winner 19 seconds after a tying goal. The Wild need some more accountability, and they need to put forward a better effort. The new system was meant to bring a more upbeat style of hockey to the state, but all it's done thus far is removed the knowledge of the basics from a team that's completely floundering.

Game pluses:
- Antti Miettinen. Miettinen played a strong game, even during an overall lackluster first period. When he scored the tying goal, it was reward for hard work.
- Andrew Brunette. There are few players as good working against the back wall as Brunette, and he showed it again last night. Notching his own goal gave the Wild a spark of life.
- Mikko Koivu. Rounding out the only Wild line that put an effort into things, Koivu had some chances of his own, but had to satisfy himself with assisting on both goals.

Game minuses:
- Lapses. The Wild score, and suddenly the other team gets a beautiful chance. It's been happening all season, but last night featured one of the worst examples on the game-winning goal. After Miettinen's goal, the Wild slept on their feet as the Coyotes entered the zone, took a soft shot that created a big rebound, and then easily scooped up the rebound for another soft shot, sliding the puck past a dazed goaltender. It was a complete collapse on the Wild's part, and is inexcusable.
- Battles. Aside from Andrew Brunette, the Wild couldn't seem to win a single puck battle. To be fair, though, throughout the first 30 minutes or so, they weren't even trying.
- Officiating. It wasn't just the phantom slashing call made just because a stick broke. The officiating was awful all game long, and, if the Wild had played with more passion, it could have easily lead to the game getting out of control as the players policed themselves.

Next up: The Wild started out their homestand on an awful note, but hope to recover when they play host to the New York Islanders.