Fast And Furious
The Bruins played a fast and aggressive game Thursday night. They are big and they pressure their opponents without regard to where it takes them. This is a team that doesn't sit idly by waiting for an opposing defenceman to bring the puck out from behind the net. They skate right in on their opponent to force a turnover. They never back away from a corner and they defend their goal with fury. I LIKED IT ALOT!!
That kind of play really caught the Wild off guard in the first 8 minutes of the game. Our guys were skating furiously just to keep up with the Bruins and we were flailing about in our own zone, being outshot 5-1. Jose was WICKED good in net for us and held his ground as our guys were desperately trying to find their game. Good hits by both teams and some magnificent drives by our boys got us caught up in shots on goal. The Wild took two penalties in the first period. It was scary on both of them but Jose was tuned in to that puck like he had radar for eyes. Love me some Jose! No score after the first 20 minutes. I'm wondering what happened to Mikko. I missed if he took a shot, got tripped up or hit hard. He actually left the game with both trainers following him down the tunnel but he was back after a few minutes.
Second period starts with the Wild driving right into the Bruins zone and putting a shot on goal. Mikko's looking no worse for the wear so I guess no harm, no foul? Holy Moly, the Wild are firmly entrenched in the offensive zone for the first three minutes and have outshot the Bruins 5-1. What a monster hit by Zanon on Krejci! Love me some Zanon :) My God, I'm just giddy over how the Wild are playing in the period that usually sucks the love of hockey right out of me. Phantom penalty drawn by Burns and Havlat scores right off of the faceoff! Shawn Thornton of the Bruins is saying the F word alot on his way from the penalty box to the bench. I kinda don't blame him, but I kinda don't care cuz we're up 1-0...neener, neener, neener. O'Sullivan gets his 100th assist and follows it up with a timeout in the penalty box. Wild kill off the Bruins power play as the fans start to boo the home team. Man, been there - done that, on any given night at the X. The Wild seem to feel bad so they turn over the puck in their own zone (Burns) and the Bruins tie the score on a juicy rebound that Jose had no chance of getting to. We got ourselves a game folks! End to end, up and down the ice we go into each team's offensive zone. I forget to breathe a couple of times, especially when Zanon turns the puck over right in front of Jose. And again when Tukka robbed Havlat of a point blank goal. And then when Schultz swept the puck out of the crease behind Jose. Gotta say, it's an awesome chant: "Tuukka, Tuukka, Tuukka!"
Third period starts with Mikko getting bumped off the puck driving to the net and ends up going 50 mph feet first into the Bruins net instead of the puck. He's taking a licking and he keeps on ticking tonight. Two more trips up and down the ice finds the Wild coming into the Bruins zone off of a turnover. Clutterbuck, unassisted, rips one past Tuukka and we're up 2-1! And just as quickly, the Wild turn the puck over (Burns) right in front of Jose but he swallows the puck up. Thank you, Jose. Not too much later the Bruins are ALL OVER our goalie, literally, even after Jose covers the puck by laying on it. Shoulda been a spearing call, just sayin'. I'll let Coach Dave correct me if necessary. Mikko takes a bad hooking penalty... but we kill it off, thanks mostly to Burns, Schultz and Zanon. Scandella takes a stick up high so we're on the PP and the Wild OWN the offensive zone for the first 60 seconds. Scary second 60 minutes as the Bruins take the Wild to task on their own powerplay. The Bruins continue to school the Wild - you can tell who's the bigger, faster team overall at this point in the game. Our guys don't give up for a minute though and manage several drives into the Boston zone, including Kobasew pinging the puck off the post. With 4:20 left the Wild really need to own the Bruin's zone. At 3:15 they're doing a great job of it. At 2:30 I'm chewing my cuticles. At 1:15 the Bruins pull Tuukka and now I've got the eye twitch going. Glove save by Theodore! At 1:00 minute I think we're in big trouble but the Wild come out of the zone with the puck and Madden unselfishly tosses the puck to Mikko for the empty netter. Wild up 3-1 with 32 seconds to go. Ten seconds to go and Jose stops the puck for one last faceoff in our zone. Whew! What a game! What an absolutely freaking awesome game!!
Jose with 35 saves. Could the FSN guys please interview him in the locker room with his undershirt off, please?? I digress, sorry. Clutterbuck nets his 12 goal of the season. The Wild's blueline was unbelievable tonight, despite some nasty turnovers. Havlat and Koivu scored. Bouchard created so many chances for shots on goal I couldn't keep track.
On a side note: a Russo twitter follower sent this during the second period: "Wish the crowd at Xcel would provide such energy. It's got to be one of the most quiet in the league."
Um, what the hell have the Wild given us fans to cheer about so far this season at home?? Give me a game like this one at home and I guarantee you I won't have a voice by the end of the game and neither will anyone else in the arena.
Russo's been asking his readership who they think should be the Wild's MVP for the first half of the season.
Backstrom and Theodore come to mind for me right off the bat for having kept this team in the game on any given night, after night, after night.
I'm ultimately torn between Greg Zanon and Martin Havlat though. Zanon's phenomenal defensive play and determination to be in the game at all costs must be recognized. Greg never stops on his shifts, whether he's on his skates, knocked down and still scrambling, diving across our crease or taking pucks to every inch of his body. Havlat is playing the way he did back in Chicago and has been more consistent with his play than any of his team mates. Sorry, Mikko. That's huge coming from me, having been one of Havlat's loudest critics all last season.
Who gets your vote?
No comments:
Post a Comment