The Wild demonstrated some unexpected resilience after surrendering the first two goals in a 4-3 come-from-behind victory over Toronto on Thursday. The Senators are banged up and struggling as injuries have weakened their squad. Minnesota and Ottawa had a high scoring affair when the two clubs met earlier in the season and I am guessing the Wild coaching staff would like to avoid a run and gun track meet with the Senators if at all possible.
Minnesota wades into its 4-game road trip hoping to build some momentum before the All Star Break. This has the makings of a classic trap game and the Wild nearly got caught the last time they played if Craig Anderson wasn’t so awful. He’s not in the Senators lineup right now, so can Minnesota earn a season series sweep this afternoon?
1st Period Thoughts: The Senators clearly wanted to go on the attack right from the opening faceoff. Ottawa would generate the first quality chance as Matt Duchene used his speed to race by Jonas Brodin as he took the puck to the crease that Devan Dubnyk stopped as Brodin and Duchene crashed into the crease. Minnesota seemed to be a bit sleepy at the start. The Wild would start to gain their legs as they started to cycle the puck down low. Yet, in a frustrating way the Wild would cycle the puck down low to then set up shots from the point but no one seemed willing to screen the goalie. Brady Tkachuk would be denied from close range by a nice leg pad stop by Dubnyk. Moments later Chris Tierney would be stopped on a nice chance from in close after a nice set up by Zack Smith. The Wild looked like a team just going through the motions and appeared to think shots from the point was going to get it done. The home crowd seemed almost as disinterested as the Wild appeared to be. The Wild would get a total gift of a power play on perhaps one of the weakest hooking calls I’ve ever seen on Matt Duchene. On the power play the Wild seemed content to post themselves along the perimeter. Minnesota would send a few shots from the point that didn’t threaten the Senators all that much. Later in the man advantage, Dubnyk would nearly cough up the puck behind his goal to a roving Mark Stone and the Wild never really were able to get set up in the offensive zone and throw away a great opportunity. To add insult to injury, the Senators would score right as the power play got killed off as Duchene was hooked by Brodin who then dangled around Dubnyk who skated way out to confront him for an easy empty net goal. 1-0 Senators. Pathetic effort by the Wild. They are fortunate only to be down by one going into the 1st intermission. The only silver lining to this period, we’re playing Ottawa which if the Wild work even a little might give us some great chances to score and even up this game. But right now no one on the team seems willing to put in more than a token effort. Jason Zucker, Mikael Granlund, Eric Staal line seemed to just want to float around the ice. There is no challenge through the neutral zone, allowing Ottawa to enter the Wild zone with speed? You’re only playing with fire letting any team do that, let alone Ottawa.
2nd Period Thoughts: The Wild would take a more direct approach as they’d strike early off the rush as Jared Spurgeon entered the Ottawa end with speed and with a clear lane to work with he’d take the puck to the crease where he dangled a puck by Nilsson. 1-1 game. Minnesota would draw a Senators’ penalty as Jason Zucker was hauled down. On the power play, the Wild were again content to spend most of it on the perimeter. Even when they passed the puck into the slot, Eric Staal didn’t seem to know what to do and he’d fumble it away and another chance on the power play came up empty. The Wild would then take a ‘too many men’ penalty giving Ottawa a chance to take back the lead. Ottawa’s power play worked to take shots below the faceoff dots, but luckily Dubnyk was sharp and Minnesota was able to gather up the loose pucks and they’d escape without any further damage. Towards the end of the power play, Bobby Ryan would get tagged for high sticking. On the power play the Wild looked like lost puppy. Hesitant, no real purpose and they failed to do much of anything beyond slowly chasing after the puck in the offensive zone. As the power play expired, the Senators nearly caught the Wild defense sleeping as Ryan left the penalty box. Ottawa kept moving the puck and they’d take back the lead as Ryan Dzingel would score from the slot. 2-1 Ottawa. The lazy Wild play continued as Stone found Colin White for a breakaway chance as Staal just reached at the puck which resulted in a breakaway that Dubnyk stopped. Minnesota’s lack of focus was evident in a lot of bad passes and jumbled attempts to move the puck into the offensive zone. Yet, despite the poor play the Wild would get another chance to wake up as they’d score again late in the period as Minnesota worked a puck near the Senators’ crease where Jordan Greenway sent a shot on goal that Nilsson struggled to stop and the Wild crashed the net and put it in. 2-2 game on Greenway’s rebound tally. The Wild finally seemed to realize sending funneling pucks on goal and crashing the crease was the formula for success. As almost if on cue the Wild would take the lead as Spurgeon sent a puck on goal that seemed to go off the leg of a Senators’ defender who was trying to keep Luke Kunin from the puck and in snuck through 5-hole on Nilsson. 3-2 Wild. Zucker would get a few great shooting opportunities from below the faceoff dots that Nilsson fought off as Minnesota was buzzing looking for an insurance goal late in the period. The Wild had the lead going into the 2nd intermission, but that was mostly due to Ottawa and Nilsson’s ineptitude than outstanding play by Minnesota.
3rd Period Thoughts: The Senators seemed to determined to tie it back up as they carried the pace of play early in the period. Minnesota would get away with a few hooks and holds as the Senators worked pucks in close and if not for a few fortunate Dubnyk saves the Wild appeared to be holding on for dear life to their 1-goal lead. The Wild would go to the Charlie Coyle, Kunin, Zach Parise line and they’d work the puck down low before Kunin moved out front for a quick shot that Nilsson stopped and Parise would bury the rebound to make it 4-2 Wild. The Wild were content to work pucks deep and force Ottawa to spend time defending in its own end. The Senators were getting frustrated as Ben Harpur would try to challenge Matt Hendricks to drop the gloves and the veteran wisely laughed it off instead of obliging and possibly giving Ottawa some momentum. Yet Harpur taking his chance to be a distraction for the Wild as Parise and Kunin were pushing and shoving with him while the Senators would cut the Minnesota lead to one off a point shot by Cody Ceci was redirected by Stone and by Dubnyk. 4-3 Wild. The Wild would try to go back to work by sending pucks deep and looking to create a scoring chance in close but Ottawa was backchecking more diligently being only down by 1. Dubnyk would nearly help Ottawa tie up the game as he tried to play a puck behind his goal the puck would get sort of caught underneath him and as he backed up towards his crease he’d nearly escort the puck in as Ryan Suter and Spurgeon helped stuff it underneath Dubnyk he covered it up for a whistle. The Senators would make a last push as Nilsson would come off the ice with about 70 seconds left to go. Koivu would get a phantom tripping call to give the Senators a 6-on-4 advantage with a little under 30 seconds left in the game. Ottawa would win the initial draw but ailed to hold the zone and the Senators tried to work for a last shot but Eric Fehr dropped to block the shot to give Minnesota a 4-3 victory.
Wild Notes:
~ The Wild roster was as follows: Mikko Koivu, Nino Niederreiter, Jordan Greenway, Charlie Coyle, Luke Kunin, Zach Parise, Eric Staal, Mikael Granlund, Jason Zucker, Eric Fehr, Marcus Foligno, Matt Hendricks, Ryan Suter, Jared Spurgeon, Jonas Brodin, Greg Pateryn, Nick Seeler and Ryan Murphy. Alex Stalock backed up Devan Dubnyk. J.T. Brown and Nate Prosser were the scratches.
~ The 3 Stars of the Game were: 1st Star Jared Spurgeon, 2nd Star Zach Parise, 3rd Star Matt Duchene
~ Attendance was 14,124 at Canadian Tire Centre.
Iowa Wild Report:
Iowa 3, Rockford 0
Iowa is on a crucial stretch of its season where it faces a plethora of Central Division teams, but so far (knock on wood) its made the most of it. Iowa started out on Friday night by swarming all over the Rockford zone thanks to a few power plays. Anton Forsberg was rock solid and despite facing 13 shots the game would stay knotted at 0-0. In the 2nd period, the Ice Hogs put Iowa on its heels but they couldn’t solve Kaapo Kahkonen who was a complete wall stopping all 18 shots he faced. In the 3rd period, Iowa finally broke the stalemate as Colton Beck ripped a shot from just right of the faceoff dot to make it 1-0 Wild. Iowa would add to its lead just a minute later as Will Bitten jammed home a puck near the Rockford crease to make it 2-0 Wild. Rockford tried to answer back but Kahkonen was able to shut the door and the Wild’s Justin Kloos would bury an empty netter to seal a 3-0 victory. Kahkonen earned his 5th shutout of the season, his 3rd shutout against the Ice Hogs this year, on the strength of 26 saves.
Wild Prospect Report:
D – Jacob Golden (London, OHL) ~ the Toronto-native had an assist and 3 shots on goal in the Knight’s 5-4 overtime win over Niagara on Thursday night. The former Harvard-commit added another helper and 2 shots on goal in London’s 5-4 overtime loss to Sault Ste. Marie. Golden has 2 goals, 9 points, 4 PIM’s and is a +3 in 33 games.
C – Alexander Khovanov (Moncton, QMJHL) ~ a less talked about aspect of Khovanov’s game is the fact he’s more than a little penalty prone as he had an assist and 4 PIM’s as well as 3 shots on goal in Moncton’s 6-5 loss to St. John on Thursday. He would add two more helpers in the Wildcat’s 4-3 overtime loss to Quebec on Friday. Khovanov has 20 goals, 47 points, 58 PIM’s and is a -3 in 37 games.
RW – Shawn Boudrias (Cape Breton, QMJHL) ~ the big power forward registered his first point with his new club as he had an assist and 3 shots on goal in the Screaming Eagles’ 5-1 win over Saint John. Boudrias has 15 goals, 31 points, 19 PIM’s and is a +8 in 33 games.
LW – Brandon Duhaime (Providence, H-East) ~ the junior forward had an assist and 4 shots on goal in the Friars’ 4-2 win over Miami (OH). Duhaime has 6 goals, 17 points, 35 PIM’s and is a +13 in 19 games.
C – Connor Dewar (Everett, WHL) ~ it certainly was not a great nice in the faceoff circle for the Pas, Manitoba-native as he went a brutal 5-for-19 on his draws but he did have an assist and 7 shots on goal in Everett’s 3-2 loss to in-state rival Tri City. Dewar has 26 goals, 49 points, 48 PIM’s and is a +15 in 35 games.
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