MVN: Most Valuable Network

Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego was a popular game-show created in the 1990's designed to teach kids about geography, if put into Minnesota Wild terms the name of the show probably would be Where in the World is Pierre-Marc Bouchard and the Wild offense?  'Butch' as Pierre-Marc Bouchard is known by Wild coaches and teammates has been largely invisible and a considerable reason for the team's offensive woes.  Bouchard was the Wild's 2nd leading scorer last year and has a meager 2 goals and 5 points in 14 games.  What is particularly disturbing about Bouchard's statistics is that he only has registered 19 shots, which sort of goes against the theory that he simply could be going through a slump.  It is not a scoring slump if you're not taking your chances to score, in fact it is a sign of a lack of initiative and intensity which comes as an extra let down when you consider the team stepped up to the plate to sign the diminutive forward to a 5-year contract.  Minnesota's lack of offense has been well documented as the Wild's 27 goals it has scored since Oct. 16th are the fewest in the NHL over that timespan.  When you have your most gifted offensive player on the shelf with an injury and your 2nd leading scorer from last year playing rather passively and that is why you have a milquetoast offense. 

Wild fans may read this and say, who cares?  We're still 11-5-1 and near the top of the Northwest Division.  This is true, yet it is naive to believe the team can continue to win at this rate with one of the worst offensive attacks in the league.  While these statistics are of no surprise to the Minnesota Wild the team is still getting terrific effort from its captain and leading scorer Mikko Koivu who is making a strong case to making his job of wearing the "C" a permanent position for him.  Consistent effort and great goaltending have been Minnesota's hallmarks this season, and the State of Hockey will need another solid game if it hopes to earn two points against St. Louis.  Will Minnesota find enough offense to get a win?

Minnesota had great energy to start the game, moving their feet well that drew an early penalty.  On the delayed penalty kill as Keith Tkachuk, Minnesota pulled the goaltender for an extra attacker the Wild came very close to lighting the lamp on a nice centering feed by Eric Belanger to a waiting Owen Nolan but the Blues' Chris Mason came up with the stop for the whistle.  On the power play the Wild moved the puck very well around the perimeter but struggled to create quality chances as St. Louis kept good active sticks and when Minnesota was able to move into shooting position the Blues were there to block the shot.  The Wild would get a bit of a gift from the official when the officials called Barret Jackman for a very marginal hook on James Sheppard.  On the team's 2nd power play of the night the Wild passed the puck very well setting up Marc-Andre Bergeron and Marek Zidlicky for blasts from the point but few shots were reaching Chris Mason despite operating almost the full two-minutes in the Blues' zone.  Minnesota continued creating sustained offensive pressure but despite the puck possession in the offensive zone it still was unable to put many shots on net to force Chris Mason to make saves.   The Blues were being patient, waiting to create offense when it could catch the Wild on a line change and a blast from the point by former Minnesota State: Mankato Maverick Steve Wagner that went of the boards and youngster Steve Regier couldn't get his stick on the loose puck as the net more or less was open as Niklas Backstrom was out of position.  Minnesota had a great little shift from its 4th line of Derek Boogaard, Benoit Pouliot and Cal Clutterbuck, where the Boogaard was able to forecheck effectively stealing the puck from Wagner but unfortunately it did not lead to a scoring chance.  Minnesota was guilty of being a bit too picky offensively, often times waiting and passing up chances to take shots on goal and hoping for a 'perfect' play to develop while St. Louis was content not to chase Wild forwards opting to intercept centering passes.  The Wild would get another power play, when Madison, Wisconsin-native Brad Winchester was called for roughing.  On the power play the Wild were very lacidaisicial with its passing and that almost came back to haunt it as former Edmonton Oiler Eric Brewer would tip the puck past the Wild point man and he'd race down the ice for a break away but the puck would roll on him just before he could get a shot on Niklas Backstrom.  You could sense a level of impatience and frustration from the 18,568 as the Wild appeared to have a lack of urgency with the man advantage as the best chance they could muster was a wrist shot from Owen Nolan that never made it on goal, which was symbolic of the whole period for Minnesota.  The Wild would skated into the 2nd, with the game still scoreless despite outshooting the Blues 11 to 4.

Minnesota started the 2nd period with good jump in its skates and created a quality scoring chance off the rush as Andrew Brunette pulled the trigger that Mason would knock down and freeze for an early whistle.  Minnesota and St. Louis were flying around the ice, and this opened up the ice and James Sheppard would give a small pass to a charging Stephane Veilleux and he'd wrist a shot that beat Mason stick side to put the Wild up 1-0.  As fast as the Wild took the lead the Blues would respond right back less than a minute after Veilleux's tally and a weak shot Keith Tkachuk created a rebound and St. Louis' Brad Boyes was waiting near the front of the crease to stuff home the loose puck to tie the game 1-1.  Minnesota tried to respond quickly on a nice little set up by Pierre-Marc Bouchard as he raced in with the puck beneath the goal line before setting up Marek Zidlicky for a one-timer that Mason knocked down.  The Wild caught the Blues sleeping a bit on an ice stretch pass which gave Brent Burns a breakaway and he'd race towards the St. Louis goal and he would lift a backhander that caught the crossbar.  After the Burns' failed breakaway chance the game would slow down, and both teams would try to work the puck down low and St. Louis had a nice little chance by their rookie Steve Regier who managed to find some space in the slot but his backhand chance ended up right in the circular Wild crest of goaltender Niklas Backstrom for a save.  Minnesota would try to work the puck down low and Lee Stempniak got his stick up into the face of Owen Nolan earning him a 2-minute sit in the penalty box for high sticking.  On the power play the Wild thought they had retaken the lead off a Marc-Andre Bergeron blast that struck the post and somehow was shoveled wide of the net despite the goal light going on.  On the replay Blues' goaltender Chris Mason managed to reach back and push the puck to the side before it crossed the goal line.  The game would again open up a bit and St. Louis had a great chance off a nice little play by David Perron to Stempniak who would rip a one-timer that Backstrom held onto as Perron looked for a loose puck.  Minnesota would earn its first power play when Erik Reitz tripped up David Perron who tried to act 'hurt' until he saw that a penalty was called and the Blues would have its first power play of the game.  On the St. Louis power play the Wild did a good job at keeping the Blues to perimeter, and as they created their first quality shot on the man-advantage a one-timer for Brad Boyes a small frakas would ensue afterwards between Eric Brewer and a host of Wild defenders.  Just as it seemed as if the Wild were going to get out of the Blues power play unscathed, Brad Boyes would take an ice little pass from Eric Brewer along the boards and he'd cut towards the slot and beat Backstrom with a wicked wrist shot high glove side to give St. Louis a 2-1 lead.  The Blues would swarm into the Wild zone and had Minnesota's 4th line chasing and almost added to their lead as Niklas Backstrom was caught without his stick but he'd somehow come up with the save.  Minnesota tried to press for the tying goal, but struggled to create any sort of quality shots and the Blues did a great job of depriving the Wild of time and space.  The Wild were able to create some good offensive pressure late, but you could see the team was frustrated as Mikko Koivu put his shoulder down to bury Roman Polak with a good check before pushing the puck towards Brunette who tried to set up a scoring chance near the crease to no avail.  You could hear a few boo's as the period would end with the Wild trailing 2-1 going into the 3rd.

The 3rd period would start with the Wild's lines juggled as Mikko Koivu, Antti Miettinen and Pierre-Marc Bouchard but the Blues clearly going to force Minnesota to beat them by having to take the puck the full length of the ice to do it as St. Louis would repeatedly dump the puck into Minnesota end.  It was very effective against the offensively anemic Wild who struggled to win the battles for the puck along the boards; and eventually this would lead to frustration and Derek Boogaard would end up with a minor for boarding when he hit Cam Paddock from behind.  The Blues power play moved the puck very well for a great set up for Brad Boyes but his hot just narrowly missed the Wild net.  St. Louis' quick passing had the Wild penalty killers scrambling and unable to get their sticks in the passing and shooting lanes.  Minnesota's penalty kill would escape giving up any further damage but the Wild had little or no momentum going for them even though around 14 minutes were left in regulation.  The Blues were not taking any risks as they had 4 players waiting for the Wild on their blueline every time Minnesota tried to come up the ice.  Minnesota would finally create some havoc offensively as Koivu, Bouchard and Miettinen swarmed around the net for a quality chance in the slot by Koivu that Mason managed to block aside.  The Wild would have another great chance on a terrific rush up hte ice by James Sheppard who showed great stickhandling ability as he walked around a few Blues defenders for a close-in chance on Mason but he was unable to get much of a shot on Mason before he fell to the ice.  Minnesota continued to carry the play but St. Louis did a nice job of never allowing the Wild to have uncontested shots on goal, as well as breaking up passing lanes with good active sticks.  The Blues were also dropping down and blocking shots paying the physical price to keep pucks from reaching Chris Mason.  Owen Nolan got Wild fans out of their seats on a great forechecking effort that resulted in a nice little chance for James Sheppard but Mason got his body in front of the puck to keep it out of the Blues' net.  With an element of anxiety, the Wild tried their best to rally the team for the equalizer.  Minnesota had a hardworking shift from Brunette, Sheppard and Nolan that yielded a few shots but the Blues were dropping down and blocking shots and the Wild were not able to get a puck behind Mason.  The Wild continued to apply pressure and former Blaine Bengal David Backes was given a 5-minute major for boarding along with a game misconduct for a brutal hit from behindo on Brent Burns.  This would give Minnesota a golden power play opportunity with just 1:12 left in the regulation.  Minnesota had a great chance early in the man advantage as Zidlicky unloaded a slapper that yielded a nice pad save but no one was there to take advantage of it and the Blues were able to get the clear.  The Wild would pull Niklas Backstrom making it a 6-on-4 power play with the extra attacker and Minnesota had a grand chance as Andrew Brunette fed Koivu in the slot but his snap shot went wide of the mark and a flurry would ensue and Mason would hold on as Koivu tried to stuff it home.  With just 7 seconds left, the Wild had one last chance to tally the equalizer and Zidlicky's point shot was deflected by Owen Nolan but Mason was able to hang onto the bouncing puck.  Minnesota had one last try but it would go high and wide of the target and it was a frustrating ending to a season seemingly more frustrating with every game as the Wild fall 2-1 to the Blues. 

Niklas Backstrom was ok this evening making 24 saves on the night but at times he appeared to be fighting the puck a bit.  A great example of this is he appeared to have dropped down a bit early on Boyes' 2nd goal of the night and on the first goal he left his skates very early to stop Tkachuk that left him out of position to really control the rebound on the 1st goal.  Yet, its hard to knock Backstrom's effort too much since he did give the Wild every chance to earn a victory tonight. 

Offensively the Wild again let their goaltender down, and is without question the team's Achillies heel.  Minnesota must be able to create more sustained offensive pressure beyond just a few point shots (which are very low percentage chances) and whatever line Mikko Koivu plays on.  One experiment that might as well end is having Brent Burns play forward.  Burns really has not added much at all in the way of offense playing up front.  While he is a player with great skating ability and athleticism he has not been the offensive catalyst for the team that Wild Head Coach Jacques Lemaire had hoped.  Burns is much more effective adding offense from the blueline than he is playing down low beneath the goal line and having the Ajax, Ontario skating around a bit lost isn't helping matters.  Either way, this team needs to turn it around quick because it could find itself at the bottom of the Western Conference in a hurry if they don't figure out a way to score more goals.  Perhaps this is a time where the the Team President / General Manager Doug Risebrough can make a move to shake things up; either way the team's fortunes can not look much more bleak than they do right now.      

Wild Notes:

~ The Wild roster tonight was as follows: Mikko Koivu, Owen Nolan, Eric Belanger, Antti Miettinen, Andrew Brunette, Stephane Veilleux, James Sheppard, Benoit Pouliot, Pierre-Marc Bouchard, Cal Clutterbuck, Derek Boogaard, Brent Burns, Kim Johnsson, Marek Zidlicky, Marc-Andre Bergeron, Nick Schultz, Martin Skoula and Erik Reitz.  Josh Harding backed up Niklas Backstrom.  Colton Gillies and Craig Weller were the healthy scratches and Marian Gaborik was out of the lineup with a 'lower body injury.' 

~ The 3 Stars of the Game as selected by Let's Play Hockey were:1st Star Brad Boyes, 2nd Star Niklas Backstrom, 3rd Star Owen Nolan

~ In WCHA men's hockey action on Friday, the #1 ranked Minnesota Golden Gophers traveled to Denver and throttled the Pioneers 5-2 on the power of two goals by freshman phenom Jordan Schroeder.  The North Dakota Fighting Sioux and University of Minnesota: Duluth battled to a 2-2 tie.  It was not such an even contest in St. Cloud, as the Wisconsin Badgers were slammed by the Huskies 6-2, on the power of two goals by Garret Roe.  Minnesota State: Mankato came back to win 3-2 in overtime over Michigan Tech.  Lastly, Alaska-Anchorage continues to ambush teams as they defeated the more highly touted Colorado College Tigers 4-2 in a late-evening tilt. 

Wild Prospect Report:

D - Tyler Cuma - Ottawa 67's (OHL) - 14GP  1G 4A = 5pts  -3  14 PIM's

Tyler Cuma's statistics may not jump off of the page, but he's having a solid season on a team having a rough year.  The 67's are currently in 2nd place but just barely above .500 with a 12-11-0-2 record.  Cuma, the Wild's 1st round selection (23rd Overall) this summer continues to play the steady, stay-at-home game that endeared so much to Wild scouts prompting the team to trade up to pick him.  Battling through some injuries, Cuma has been the 67's best blueliner and the one Ottawa Head Coach Brian Kilrea looks to stabilize his team night after night.