Home Sweet Home

No shoot-out is a great victory. If you listen to most puckheads, the shoot-out shouldn't be a part of hockey. If you listen to playoff rules, where the best professional hockey displays itself, the shootout stays invisible. Not that I want to take away from a refreshing change of pace.

Martin Havlat returned, and new acquisition Chuck Kobasew made his debut, but the real story was the debut of Mikko Koivu as the Wild's first permanent captain. Perhaps it was the home crowd, but it seems like taking his rightful place as the official leader inspired the team... to not get run over.

The first period the Wild showed their usual glimpses of dominant play. The puck rarely left the Colorado zone, and when it did, the Wild recovered, requiring Backstrom to make a below-average number of spectacular saves. The same problems remain however, as Brent Burns top-shelf rebound collection made the only tally of a period. The Wild outshot the Avalanche 13-6 in the period. Several of those thirteen shots were good chances on the four penalties the snowboard-killers committed. What the shots on goal don't include are the missed shots, of which Brent Burns' post-job was a part.

Burns played a big role in the undoing of the Wild's great first period effort. After the Avalanche tied it on a loose rebound, Burns committed one of several terrible turnovers in the Wild's own zone. Brent's led to a well-executed two-on-one break that Backstrom nearly turned away, but a third Avalanche overwhelmed the Wild 'tender. These are the types of turnovers that make the Wild one of the worst five-on-five teams in the NHL.

It's difficult to figure out why the Wild play so terribly at even-strength, even more so because they are still strong on special teams, which showed in tonight's victory. The Captain tied up the game in the third period. On the power play. It was one of the prettiest goals the Wild have scored all season, with Antti Miettinen's quick centering pass finding the net from Mikko Koivu's sweet sweet blade.

The Wild played with a great deal of discipline, giving the Avalanche a man advantage only twice (making quick work of the CO power-play as well). Combined with their own strong power-play, the Wild aren't too far away. They just need more outstanding play from Backstrom, and to learn to shoot it into the net, instead of the not.