2009-10 Game Twenty-Eight: Wild 5, Predators 3

There's something strange that happens when the Minnesota Wild and the Nashville Predators get together. Teams known for defensive stands put together offensive flurries, and no goal is safe from the onslaught. In two games, the Wild and Predators had put 16 goals up. After three games, that total was 24.

The Wild had to survive a rough start, when they spent almost half of the first period on the penalty kill. However, Nashville only burned them once, and, surprisingly, at the end of the period, the Wild held a one-goal lead. That confidence carried them into the second period, and they had enough of a lead going into the third that their late-game mistakes didn't hurt as badly as they could have. The Wild now have a five-game winning streak, a seven-game points streak, and are surprisingly only five points back from the #8 team in the conference.

Game pluses:
- Josh Harding. True, Harding didn't keep things together in the third period, but he was strong throughout the rest of the game, shutting down Nashville's scorers with some brilliant saves.
- Martin Havlat. Havlat has been much maligned this season, but he may be finding his groove. After his second assist, he looked like a different player on the ice, making moves more reminiscent of his play last year with Chicago.
- Transition hockey. The Wild was able to apply a forecheck, and they were pouncing on Nashville turnovers, playing very opportunistic hockey.

Game minuses:
- Quick deficit. Yet again, the Wild gave up the first goal of the game, and yet again, they had to come from behind. Give them credit for composure, though, for not folding.
- Penalty march. The first period could, and probably should, have been much worse for Minnesota, as four defensemen made foolish mistakes for four quick Nashville powerplays.
- Late let down. Maybe it was the four-goal lead. Maybe it was playing back-to-back games. Either way, the Wild didn't turn in a very strong third period. The four-goal differential was almost the only thing that kept the Wild from giving the game away.

Next up: The Wild road trip continues, as they head to Phoenix to play the Coyotes. Will the Wild have better success in Arizona than the Vikings did?