Another Wild game, another victory. The fans of the state of hockey have been treated to some exciting victories recently. And I was lucky enough to be present for two of their latest wins.
It started when they ended their four-game skid last week with a win against the Calgary Flames. For an encore? They pulled off the greatest comeback in their history, and one of their greatest regular-season games ever, with a 6-5 shootout win Saturday night against NHL-powerhouse Chicago.
"Sid the Kid" is in the house
Some might expect a bit of a letdown after such a great comeback, but the Wild brought their A-game Monday night when the defending Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins came to town. It was a spirited and well-played game that ended in a 4-3 Wild victory, bringing their winning streak to three games.
The boys were wearing their dark-green jerseys, and they looked good, in more ways than one. They put on quite a show for the more than 19 thousand fans that packed the Xcel Energy Center.
There must have been a few bandwagons dropping off Pittsburgh fans, because I saw more than a few Sidney Crosby No. 87-jerseys walking around the concourses. And "Sid the Kid" did not disappoint them with his performance on the ice. Not wasting any time, he put the Pens on top less than two minutes into the game. He added another goal later in the game as well.
Latendresse is clutch again
Undoubtedly the No. 1 star that was shining brightly all night for the Wild was no surprise: Guillaume Latendresse. He had a career-high four-point night with the game-winning goal and three assists. He has done very well in Minnesota after being acquired from Montreal
It was an evenly-paced game, with neither team really running away with things. However, the men in stripes did get a little jeering from the fans due to some uneven penalty-calling. Cal Clutterbuck, the Wild's heavy hitter, took a few hits and a shot to the back of the neck in between the benches without any arms being raised.
Hittin' dirty
It took an ugly hit (later called "dirty" by coach Todd Richards) delivered by Sergei Gonchar to Clutterbuck that got the referee's attention. Gonchar jumped him from behind with a big shot to the head. Our tough guy was alright, but as a result, Gonchar received a five-minute major penalty for interference. That's pretty unheard of; it's the first time I've seen a five-minute major called for something other than fighting. Unfortunately, the Wild weren't able to capitalize.
That all took place in the third period, and from then on, the crowd let Gonchar have it with a chorus of "boos" each time he touched the puck. So far, it doesn't look like the NHL will punish Gonchar further with a fine and/or susupension, but they do review all incidents of this nature.
Niklas Backstrom bounced back well from being pulled the previous game against Chicago. He has a great track record against the Pens, and it showed Monday. He made 35 saves, and one spectacular one late in the third that was an absolute game-saver. It was an outstanding glove save that brought many fans, including myself, to their feet in appreciation.
The Wild look to keep their mini-streak alive this evening with a home game against a tough division rival, the Vancouver Canucks. Minnesota is 0-3 this year against the tough rival. But while the Wild are riding high, the Canucks have lost a few and are struggling on special teams. As usual, it should be a fun and physical game.
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