Special Teams costs Wild

As I eluded to in my series preview, I said timely special teams were going to be the key to this series. Anaheim must have been reading, because they got 2 power play goals along with a shorthanded goal to down the Minnesota Wild 3-2. Francois Beauchemin had both Duck power play goals, helping Anaheim go 2-4 on power plays in the game. Ryan Getzlaf added the back breaker, a short handed marker with just over a minute remaining in the 2nd period. Marian Gaborik and Mikko Koivu had the Wild goals.

Niklas Backstrom did what he could, stopping 22 of 25 shots. The Wild outshot the Ducks 32-25, but the Ducks capitalized on opportunities and the Wild didn't. The Wild went 0-6 on the power play and really didn't get anything set up. Beauchemin gets the Ducks on the board with 6:41 remaining in the first on the power play, blasting a slap shot past the screened Backstrom for a 1-0 Anaheim lead. Gaborik ties things up 1-1, 3:33 into the 2nd period taking a pass from, you guessed it, Pavol Demitra and Gaborik beats Bryzgalov top shelf. Beauchemin strikes again, this time, one timing a Getzlaf pass and beating Backstrom yet again on the power play. As mentioned before, the back breaker comes shorthanded, when Getzlaf makes Martin Skoula looks absolutely ridiculous, going right around him and sliding a backhand short side on Backstrom for a 3-1 lead with just over a minute remaining in the 2nd. For the first time all series long, Pierre-Marc Bouchard shows some flash, picking a loose puck up on the side boards, walks in and shoots one right off the post, keeping the defecit 2 with 10 minutes remaining. Mikko Koivu gives the Wild some hope with just under 5 minutes remaining, getting a rebound and just sliding it under the pads of the Anaheim goaltender. The key to this play is Brent Burns who picks up the puck on the side boards, takes the puck behind the net spins around and puts the puck on net and Koivu jams the rebound home. The Wild get one chance the rest of the game, when Gaborik takes the puck off a faceoff and fires a shot at the net that he definately didn't get all of, and Bryzgalov makes the save.

One Man's View
Let's see, where do I begin? Well lets start with more chipiness from the Ducks. Brent Burns and Chris Kunitz get tied up together, Burns loses his helment and Kunitz pulls Burns hair. Are you joking me you? Instead of fighting you pull his hair, good job, pat yourself on the back after you pull up your skirt. Burns gets an absolute fantastic finish to this incident, landing a wicked right on Kunitz's jaw. You had that coming.

Plain and simple right to the point, the Wild have to capitalize on their opportunities or this series will be over in 4 straight. The Ducks are too good and their power play is deadly. As we found out tonight, so is their penalty kill. 0-6 on the power play doesnt cut it.

Lemaire needs to do some lineup adjustments, in my opinion. While Boogaard brings a physical presence, he needs to consider scratching him for Adam Hall. Hall brings offense as well as a big physical forward. Also, Martin Skoula needs to be scratched. I have never and will never like him. He makes too many mistakes in his own zone, and as we saw tonight Getzlaf made him look ridiculous on the short handed goal. For being labeled an "Offensive Defenseman" he doesn't do much offensively. Maybe Petteri Nummelin can get the power play off the ground again. Only downside to Nummelin is he is extremely small and is out-muscled easily, but something needs to change.

The Wild tightened things up defensively tonight and for the most part limited the Duck's chances. They have to stay out of the box and cannot take retalitory penalties.

I'm still very optimistic about the series. I watch these two games and think, "Wow the Wild are not playing good at all," yet they have lost both games by only a goal. Regardless they are still down 2-0 in the series, but the Wild haven't played their best hockey as of yet, and when they do, the Ducks better watch out. Problem is, Game 3 is a must win for the Wild, so they better start playing their best hockey and fast. The Wild coming home can be exactly what the team needs. Get the crowd behind you, gain some momentum, win these 2 games at home then steal one in Anaheim and come back to Minnesota and finish it off. The Wild are capable of winning 4 straight, heck they won 9 straight towards the end of the season. Wouldn't suprise me, but they need to start playing better and together and they will get this done. Sunday 7pm at the X the place is going to be rockin'!! My prediction for the rest of the series is as follows; Minnesota uses the crowd and wins these 2 games at the X, using the momentum steals one in Anaheim, and finishes off the Ducks at home in game 6. It's a stretch, but I've got to be optimistic.