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.

2009-10 Game Seventeen: Wild 5, Maple Leafs 2

The way the season started, who could have expected that the Minnesota Wild would finish their game against the Toronto Maple Leafs by having won their fourth game in the last five? The Wild seems to be responding to the system coach Todd Richards has been trying to instill, and the positives are starting to roll their way. The team still has a long road ahead of it, but the positives are starting to show.

Of course, the Wild didn't make it as easy as the score showed, almost collapsing at the end of the game. With the score sitting at 4-2, the Wild took two quick penalties, and the Maple Leafs had an empty net, giving them, for all intents and purposes, a 6-on-3 power play. But leave it to a goaltender looking for his 100th win to keep the puck out of the net, and leave it to the oldest member of the team to get the puck to travel into the empty net to help secure the victory.

Game pluses:
- Mikko Koivu. Yes, Koivu had one of the late penalties (the always irritating delay of game call), but he also put together a three-point night behind a goal and two assists.
- Marek Zidlicky. Zidlicky has been quietly stepping up and improving his game all season, and he had another good one against the Leafs. He also notched a two-point game of his own.
- Niklas Backstrom. The tail end of the game, facing a 6-on-3, Backstrom did what he's done for his previous 99 wins, and he shut the door in cool, calm fashion. Any other goalie, and the Wild might have been looking at overtime.

Game minuses:
- Brent Burns. Burns keeps trying to do too much with the puck, even though he's acknowledged that simplifying his game makes him a better player. His puck mishandling almost lead to a Toronto short-handed goal.
- Third period. The Wild had a 4-1 lead, and they settled back into a bit of a trapping defense. Minnesota had trouble getting the puck out of their end of the ice, and even more trouble sustaining it.
- Late penalties. After being pinned in their zone most of the final 20 minutes, the Wild's penalties at the end of the game made things more interesting than they should have been. Backstrom kept the game firmly in Minnesota's grasp, but they shouldn't have been forced to kill off a 6-on-3 power play.

Next up: The Wild are undefeated this season against the Eastern Conference, and they hope to keep that going Thursday against the Tampa Bay Lightning.