Perspective, its something you gain from experience. Its something veteran players can provide a team; especially when a team is dealing with adversity. The Wild are a pretty young team, with a roster full of players with very little playoff experience. A few players have been in the post-season a fair amount over the course of their NHL careers. One of them is Matt Cooke. Cooke told Minneapolis Star Tribune‘s Wild beat writer Michael Russo,
“Series are long, series take their toll. The key to winning a series is to learn your lessons from the previous game, but you can’t carry the emotions of a win or loss into the next game. You deal with it and move on.” ~ Matt Cooke
That’s sage advice from a player who has 98 playoff games in his 15-year NHL career. The Wild will have to take that approach after squandering a 2-goal lead going into the 3rd period to lose Game 1 of their series against Colorado 5-4 in overtime. Cooke also recounted the Wild’s victory over his former club, Vancouver back in 2003 when he told Russo, “we were up 3 games to one, but the Wild came back and won the series.”
I am sure that fact is also not lost on Avalanche Head Coach Patrick Roy whose club also once had a 3-1 series lead on the Wild back in 2003 only to see them rally back for a surprising 4-3 series upset. That doesn’t mean Roy is going to just want to play it safe, and he demonstrated his boldness by pulling his goaltender with just over 3 minutes left to play even though his club was down by just a goal. The Wild nearly made him pay the price as a clearing attempt came within 3 inches of making Roy a goat. Yet the gamble paid off as the Avalanche were able to use the extra attacker to keep Minnesota bottled up in its own end before Paul Stastny tied the game. So can Minnesota prove it put the disappointment of Game 1 behind them or will Colorado make them re-live that feeling of disappointment all over again?
1st Period Thoughts: The Avalanche would take a penalty early as Cody McLeod took a run at Jonas Brodin long after he had passed the puck giving the Wild the 1st power play of the game. On the man advantage, the Wild had tremendous puck movement and they were not wasting any time in directing pucks on goal. It started with a shot from the point by Ryan Suter that was blocked aside by Semyon Varlamov. Minnesota continued to pepper Varlamov with high quality chances and the Avalanche penalty killers did a nice job of sweeping dangerous pucks away. The Wild were not being too fancy with the puck as they tried to jam home a shot in the blue paint as Zach Parise took a short pass from Mikko Koivu and then tried to muscle it home. The 2nd power play unit would go out and they too were able to pepper Varlamov with chances as Nino Niederreiter and Matt Moulson were stoned by the Avalanche goalie. After escaping the Wild power play unscathed, Minnesota would take the lead as Koivu made a nice diagonal pass that would glance off the skate of Charlie Coyle and in before he knocked the net off of its moorings. The play was ruled a Wild goal and the play would be reviewed. On the replay, Coyle was clearly trying to stop as the puck struck his skate and crossed the goal line before the net came off its pegs and it was ruled a good goal, 1-0 Wild. Yet the good feelings for the Wild would be short lived as Nathan MacKinnon would turn on the jets and blow past Jared Spurgeon who fell as he tried to turn with the speedy rookie just in time to watch the former Halifax Mooshead star snipe a snap shot by Ilya Bryzgalov blocker side to tie the game. 1-1 now. The Wild would go back on the attack and Jan Hejda would send a puck up into the stands for a delay of game penalty. With the Wild on their 2nd power play, the directness that personified the first power play was missing on this opportunity. The Wild’s power play tried to be more calculating as they passed the puck around, waiting for an open shooting lane that would not materialize. The Avalanche were content to let Minnesota pass the puck around the perimeter. Finally the Wild power play would make their attempt as Jason Pominville sent a pass into the high slot that was redirected on goal by Parise that was swept aside by Varlamov. The 2nd unit would get some time but being a little soft on the puck and Colorado was able to clear the zone and kill off the remainder of the man advantage. The Wild continued to control the pace of play for the rest of the period, as they were able to work the puck deep and then try to create offensively as Colorado seemed to have trouble with Minnesota’s play down low along the boards. The Avalanche would have a golden opportunity in the closing minutes of the period as MacKinnon set up O’Reilly for a quick shot that was stopped by Bryzgalov and then the rebound was picked up by Paul Stastny but Bryzgalov was able to come up with a save on the doorstep. Colorado started to get its forecheck working and this resulted in more pressure in the Wild end as Ryan O’Reilly took a shot from the boards that was knocked down by Bryzgalov and then he had to make a save on Jamie McGinn‘s tap of the puck out of mid-air to keep the game knotted at 1-goal apiece. The Wild looked tired and desperate as the Avalanche started to really pour it on. The Wild had to perhaps feel a little lucky that it was not trailing going into the 1st intermission. The burst of the Avalanche is something to keep an eye on and the Wild just find a way to be physical to neutralize that speed. Standing and waiting is only a recipe to get burned.
2nd Period Thoughts: The Avalanche would want to raise the tempo of the period right away, which is what worked so well for them in the 2nd half of the 1st period. Minnesota seemed interested in slowing the pace of play down, by working the puck deep. Colorado took every opportunity to create offensive off the rush and MacKinnon would set up Gabriel Landeskog for a quick snap shot from the high slot that beat Bryzgalov and the Avalanche had a 2-1 lead. The Wild tried to counter attack with a modified 3rd line of Matt Cooke, Erik Haula and Matt Moulson. Cooke would enter the Colorado zone with speed and drop a pass back to Moulson who tried to thread a shot through a screen but it didn’t make it but undaunted he’d pick up the puck and get off a quick backhand that was steered aside by Varlamov as the home crowd cheered “Varly, Varly.” Minnesota continued to attack and showing great persistence as they weathered heavy checks as paid the price to make the little plays. This sacrifice would be repaid with some good scoring chances as quick shot by Koivu would create a big rebound that would be sent back to the point where Ryan Suter let loose a wrist shot that drew a big rebound and Parise swept it up and fired a fast wrist shot that was stopped by Varlamov. After a tremendous battle along the boards by Nino Niederreiter the Wild would work it back out to the point where Spurgeon stepped into a slap shot but as Niederreiter tried to attack the net and he’d bump into the Avalanche goalie to earn a goaltender interference penalty. On the power play, the Wild did a good job throughout 3/4ths of the Colorado power play to keep much from reaching Bryzgalov. Yet as the penalty was about to expire, and Minnesota’s penalty killers tired, the Avalanche’s MacKinnon turned on the jets and flew by Spurgeon again, dropped a pass back to Stastny made a behind the back pass to a wide open Landeskog for an easy tap in goal, 3-1 Colorado. Even though the goal was more about poor defensive coverage and tired team, Bryzgalov was swapped out in favor of Darcy Kuemper. Jared Spurgeon had zero idea what to do on that 4-on-2 as he let Spurgeon buzz by him and then just spun around the zone doing nothing at all as Landeskog scored. With the Avalanche clearly in control of the game, they’d sit back a bit as the Wild were probably content to skate into the 3rd being down by only two goals. Kuemper had to make a few saves as the scrappiness started to materialize a bit more. Brodziak would punch former North Dakota Fighting Sioux star Brad Malone in the side of the head for a Colorado power play. On the power play the Avalanche were more patient and Minnesota was content to just wait in the defensive zone and try to prevent Colorado from having any open shots on goal. Despite a series of missed opportunities to clear the zone the Wild were able to get the big kill. The Wild would then go back on the attack late in the 2nd period as the 2nd line of Pominville, Moulson and Granlund would swarm all over the Avalanche zone but even though they had great pressure, Varlamov was able to make the saves to preserve their 3-1 lead going into the 2nd intermission.
3rd Period Thoughts: The Avalanche smartly wanted to keep the game at a high tempo, and Minnesota finally started to take chances to put bodies on the speedy Colorado attackers. Ryan Suter would give a good hip check to Landeskog that also wiped out MacKinnon and both Avalanche forwards got up slowly as they cursed Suter for what they felt was a dirty hit. Minnesota would get a bit of a gift as Zach Parise had his wrist raked by a gentle hook by Jan Hejda but it was enough to give the Wild a power play. On the man advantage the Wild were taking more chances to direct shots on goal, but Avalanche defenders were giving Varlamov a clear look at Minnesota shooters and he was able to make saves and not give up any rebounds in the process. Minnesota is going to have to be tougher and battle harder near that blue paint if they want to get back into this game. As soon as the Wild power play expired, the Avalanche would go on the attack and P.A. Parenteau had a good shot from the slot that Kuemper knocked down and then he sprawled to cover it up. Give the Wild credit, they started to raise their intensity as the modified top line of Granlund, Pominville and Parise swarmed in the Avalanche zone as Parise pulled the trigger a few times from in close but Varlamov was able to keep Minnesota at bey. The Avalanche were quick to try to counter attack against the aggressive Wild but Kuemper was a rock, making nice saves off the rush and recovering quickly to stonewall rebound chances. The Wild just didn’t seem to have a lot of gas left in the tank the last half of the 3rd and Colorado was more than able to stay with Minnesota’s forwards to contest its shooting attempts. When Minnesota needed to power through body checks it just didn’t have the energy to do so and thus the Avalanche were able to win most of the battles for the puck along the wall and they were able to get the puck out of the zone with relative ease. The Wild kept attacking as Coyle would work the puck in deep and then he’d pass it down to Moulson who passed it out front to Koivu who got off a quick shot that was denied by the leg pad of Varlamov. Minnesota would pull Kuemper with about 2 minutes left to play. Then a strange sequence would occur as the Avalanche appeared to score an empty netter but Parenteau was ruled to be offsides, yet after he scored Suter would go after Jamie McGinn. No goal, but Suter was in the box which Wild Head Coach Mike Yeo protested to no avail. The Wild would put Kuemper back between the pipes and even though they were on the kill Minnesota would keep attacking and they’d score shorthanded as Mikko Koivu threaded a diagonal pass to the slot where it was redirected by Varlamov by Marco Scandella to cut the Colorado lead to one, 3-2. Down by a goal with about 1:20 left to play, the Wild would pull Kuemper again in search of the equalizer but they just couldn’t get it done and Stastny would bury the empty netter to seal a 4-2 Colorado victory who now had a 2-0 series lead.
Much will probably be made about the play of Ilya Bryzgalov as he gave up 3 goals on 14 shots before getting pulled in the 2nd period. Yet I wouldn’t put it on all on the goaltender as he cannot shoulder all of the blame for his defense being caught so flat footed as Nathan MacKinnon continually blew by Wild defenders with ease all night long. The only goal I’d really hang on Bryzgalov was the first one, but beyond that I thought the goals he gave up would’ve been given up by any goaltender. Yet the questions will persist, especially after the strong play by Darcy Kuemper in relief of Bryzgalov. Kuemper looked calm, and sharp as he made a number of quality saves as Minnesota was desperately trying to claw its way back into the game. Defensively I thought this was another night where the softness of defenseman Jared Spurgeon and Jonas Brodin was again a factor. Spurgeon has struggled mightily with the Avalanche’s speed and he was exposed repeatedly for not being able to keep up with MacKinnon and Landeskog. The penalty kill almost escaped unscathed if it hadn’t been for Stastny ‘s empty netter.
Offensively the Wild didn’t have as much punch tonight. The legs were just not there; and as the game went on you could tell Minnesota was tired. The Wild were not able to work their way through the checks as often and some of the opportunities they buried in Game 1 did not fall for them in Game 2. I think Semyon Varlamov has been just ok. He was a little better tonight, but the Wild had their quality chances and still got some goals behind him. Pominville has been kept off the scoreboard so far the first two games and the Wild need to him to start putting up some points soon or this one could end in a sweep. Zach Parise and Mikko Koivu had some great chances as Mike Yeo shuffled the lines tonight. Coyle keeps playing with confidence and good strength and speed. The power play didn’t find the back of the net, but I thought for the most part it created quality chances. Another thing the Wild did not get tonight that it got in Game 1, it did not create any real offensive pressure from its 3rd and 4th lines and that put more pressure on the Wild’s top 6 to threaten Colorado this evening.
I don’t think the Wild looked as though game 1 was on their mind, but the team certainly went on its heels immediately after MacKinnon’s goal. That goal marked a turning point in the game where Colorado realized it could just use its speed to keep Minnesota hesitant and they created their best chances off the rush. Down the stretch, Colorado was able to push Wild forwards out from the area around the crease. That can’t happen if the Wild want to win. Minnesota must develop a junkyard dog mentality and will themselves some goals and create some traffic in front of Varlamov. I think for Minnesota’s more meek defenseman, they have to play tougher and be more willing to take a hit instead of playing scared. I think right now its more about what the Wild are doing than what Colorado is doing and they’re going to have to put it behind them and do all they can to be better in Game 3.
Wild Notes:
~ The Wild roster tonight is as follows: Mikko Koivu, Charlie Coyle, Zach Parise, Jason Pominville, Matt Moulson, Mikael Granlund, Matt Cooke, Nino Niederreiter, Erik Haula, Cody McCormick, Stephane Veilleux, Kyle Brodziak, Ryan Suter, Jared Spurgeon, Jonas Brodin, Marco Scandella, Nate Prosser and Clayton Stoner. Darcy Kuemper shared duties between the pipes with Ilya Bryzgalov. Keith Ballard, John Curry, Justin Fontaine, Dany Heatley, and Jonathon Blum were the healthy scratches. Mike Rupp is serving game 3 of his 4-game suspension.
~ The 3 Stars of the Game were: 1st Star Nathan MacKinnon, 2nd Star Semyon Varlamov, 3rd Star Gabriel Landeskog
~ Attendance was 18,402 at Pepsi Center.
Iowa Wild Report:
Recent Score: Iowa 3, Oklahoma City 4 OT
Another solid effort, but another frustrating loss for the Wild’s AHL affiliate. The Barons would get things rolling with a goal about 12 minutes into the game as Austin Fyten tapped home a rebound after an Andrew Miller shot on goal. Oklahoma City would add to its lead just a few minutes later as David Musil hammered a slap shot from the point that beat a well-screened Johan Gustafsson to make it 2-0 going into the 1st intermission. Iowa would regroup in the 2nd period and they’d start peppering Richard Bachman with shots and with persistence their effort would be rewarded as Tyler Graovac took a pass from Brad Winchester and he’d snipe a shot top corner over Bachman’s shoulder to cut the Barons’ lead in half, 2-1. Then just 45 seconds after that Graovac buried his 2nd goal of the night off a nice pass by Kurtis Gabriel to tie the game at 2 goals apiece. Early in the 2nd period, Gabriel would bang home a rebound off a Graovac shot to give the Wild its first lead of the game. Unfortunately, it would not hold up as the desperate Barons, needing every point it could get to qualify for the playoffs would pour it on down the stretch. Roman Horak would tie it up with just over 2 minutes to play and the game would go to overtime. In overtime the Wild pressed hard for the extra point even though they’re not going to the post-season but the Barons would earn the victory as C.J. Stretch would skate in and light the lamp off a turnover in the neutral zone and Iowa would fall 4-3. Gustafsson had 23 saves in the loss.
Wild Prospect Report:
RW – Zack Mitchell (Guelph, OHL) ~ The Storm would jump out to 2-0 series lead against the Erie Otters after two victories on Thursday and Friday night. On the Thursday, it was dangerously close game as the Storm held on for a 5-4 win. Mitchell did his part, chipping in an assist in the victory. Then the Caledon, Ontario-native followed up that effort with an even bigger night as the Storm routed the Otters 7-2 on Friday. Mitchell had 2 goals, and an assist as well as being a +3 on the evening. The Alternate Captain continues to have a strong playoffs for Guelph having contributed 7 goals, 12 assists and 8 PIM’s as well as being a +13 in 12 playoff games this spring.
F – Avery Peterson (Sioux City, USHL) ~ The 6’2″ power forward took his game to the USHL after the conclusion of his senior hockey season with the Grand Rapids Thunderhawks. The prep star is making an impact with the Musketeers as he chipped in a goal and an assist in their 4-3 loss to Omaha on Friday night. Peterson has 3 goals, 5 points and is a +2 in 3 playoff games thus far.
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