It's Columbus. You know, the dreggs of the NHL. This should already have the W penciled into the Wild's stat book...and yet the Wild has a history of playing down to this team. You know that head coach we fired a couple of seasons back? The one who caught on with Columbus and we all laughed? Until said coach and the Blue Jackets trounced the Wild last season not just once but twice, thereby giving said unceremoniously-dumped coach the last laugh. I never take these games for granted. That always comes back to bite me.
First Period
Starts out blandly enough. There's some good give and take on both ends of the ice but not much in the way of shots on goal. In fact, on just the 3rd shot on goal, at the 9:23 minute mark, Koivu pots a goal for the Wild. Ryan Suter, tired of everyone harshing his mellow, set up the play and it led to Brodin getting the first assist on the goal. It was pretty. The fight that former Wild player Colton Gilles got into with Darroll Powe was not. I guess you have to give the 'win' to Gilles since he ended up on top of Powe as they fell to the ice together but I wouldn't brag about it, Colton. Jonas Brodin, paired with Ryan Suter tonight looks amazing out there. He looks, legit. At such a young age for a defenceman. The rest of the period is just kinda humming along with nothing spectacular to write home about when BAM! Tom Gilbert takes a deflected shot by Koivu and wrists it past Mason for the Wild's second goal of the game. The fans are on their feet celebrating Gilbert's goal. I'm celebrating his glorious head of hockey hair. Those 80's length locks are FLOWING! The Wild end the first period on the power play and will continue on into the second with the man advantage.
Second Period
Nothing doing on the remaining Wild power play thanks to Mason shutting down a great shot by Cullen, who can't buy a goal lately. Or even a vowel. Things are getting a little tense and Columbus is looking for a fight. Suter gets cross checked but doesn't take the bait. Konopka comes off the bench for the next shift, skates over to Dorsett and tells him "Don't Ever Touch My Stuff Again" and then laughs and skates away. Jared Boll gets Clayton Stoner to go and they both get in some good punches in front of the Wild bench. The biggest thing I got out of that was seeing Harding's full on Grizzly Adams beard - Dude! At the 15 minute mark Columbus gets on the board - after not having put a single shot on goal for the period up to that point. Granlund turned the puck over twice, our defense was non-existent and Backstrom didn't know where he or the puck was. Oh there it is, behind you, in the net. Columbus is on the board. That's okay cuz Parise scored his 200th NHL goal just a few seconds later. Oops, turns out he actually gloved it in so you know, no goal. The next Wild goal will be his 200th. Wild outshoot the Jackets 15 - 3 in the second period.
Third Period
Columbus kinda have the Wild turning on their heels the first 8 minutes of the third. Wild penalties found the Jackets actually buzzing the net. On the second power play the Jackets score, leaving Backstrom look dazed and confused...not much different than how he looked in the earlier periods. Granlund gets the assist with yet another turn over leading to the Jackets goal. Gilbert deflects the puck into the crowd for yep, the third Jackets power play of the period. Wild kill it off and decide to get serious about the game. PMB scores after a beautiful breakaway drive up ice. It is only the Wild's second shot of the period but it's good enough to retake the lead. It's also Butch's 100th NHL goal...and it's a keeper unlike Parise's earlier attempt at his 200th. PMB draws a penalty on his next shift, a penalty shot to boot. He fails to score though - cuz he didn't go for the spin-o-rama. If it ain't broke...just sayin', Butch. Wild can't seem to help themselves and head to the penalty box yet again. Just over three minutes to go. Jackets are making the Wild defend their zone and the acid in my stomach is churning. This is just a way too familiar story for the Wild. Jackets pull their goalie, buzz our net with the extra man for the last minute of the game. We hold them off, barely but we did it. The W goes in the column in ink.
First Star: Pierre Marc Bouchard - for not making Parise, Koivu or Heatley net the game winner.
Second Star: I chose the Jackets feed for tonight's game and their announcers didn't disappoint. Not too much homerism, some good natured self deprecation regarding their own team and a fabulous sense of humor. My favorite quote of the game: "You need a few Zenon Konopkas on your team"
Third Star: Tie between Gilbert's Locks and Harding's Beard
Chicago's in town for Wednesday's night game.
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