2009-10 Game Seventy-Six: Wild 3, Kings 2

With their post-season fate decided, the Minnesota Wild are in a position to play spoiler to other teams in the league. They did just that against a Los Angeles Kings team that is still in playoff positioning, but falling quickly. Even with the odds stacked heavily in the favor of the visiting team, the Wild just kept bearing down and they ended up pulling out something of a nail-biter.

It didn't have to be as close as it was. The Wild had a 2-0 lead, but they coughed it up to Los Angeles, who just kept driving. Minnesota also didn't help their case as the spent too much time marching to the penalty box, thereby shortening their bench and making it tougher than it needed to be. However, the defining moment of the game had to be the full two-minute 5-on-3 power play that the Kings had, as the Wild were bottled up in their own zone, unable to even get a line change, but they still stifled every chance that Los Angeles had. Shortly after that turn of events, the Wild got a power play of their own, and they converted it into the game winner.

Game pluses:
- Greg Zanon. Already playing on a broken ankle, Greg Zanon just continues to work, and he blocked another 6 shots against the Kings, including one to a tender area. He was one of the big reasons why the Wild didn't give up a goal during either of their extended 3-on-5 stints.
- Brent Burns. Sometimes, Burns tries too hard to make things happen. Other times, he just lets the game develop around him, and his goal to put the Wild up by two is a prime example of the second. When Burns is feeling the game, amazing things seem to come naturally.
- Niklas Backstrom. It would be tough to find too much at fault with Backstrom's game. He also stepped up at the exact right moment, being the team's best penalty killer.

Game minuses:
- Discipline. The Wild should be used to the fact that calls aren't going to go their way by now. That also means that they should take extra effort to not get themselves into positions where a questionable penalty could be called. Both 5-on-3 power plays could have been avoided if the Wild had been more conscious of their own play.
- Casey Wellman. Eventually, the kid had to have a rough outing, and that game came against the Kings. Wellman is also the type of player who should do better with more ice time, and the dynamic of the game lead him to sitting on the bench quite a bit.
- Marek Zidlicky. Yes, he was questionable before the game. Yes, he gritted it out and played anyways, showing some skill. But he was also one of the more undisciplined Wild players, and he was in the penalty box during both of the 2-man power plays that the Kings secured.

Next up: The Wild will face a team that is fast, powerful, and looking to take home-ice advantage. It's also a team that let Minnesota crawl back and steal a victory after leading them by four goals, as the Wild look to take down the Chicago Blackhawks.