Everything they don't do well

There was only room for one slow-starting team at the X tonight, and thankfully the Minnesota North Stars Dallas Stars called dibs before the Wild entered the room. The men in that snazzy new green jumped all over their hockey predecessors. The puck needed to waft any scent of the Wild net, because it didn't come close on any occasion. Niklas Backstrom needed only four saves for his first period shutout. Their solid puck movement created a lot of good chances, but the Wild remained hesitant on shooting the puck, not taking the one-timers that turn good chances into goals. Of all these great chances, it goes to figure that the first goal comes in transition, on the first shot, with the only movement of the puck coming from Clutterbuck's nasty wrister. Great individual play, but not exactly the kind of team effort that consistently scores goals.

Mikko Koivu's goal was the kind of ugly, gritty play that the Wild need. Captain Koivu was lucky enough to get a second chance after he waited for the goaltender to recover on Marek Zidlicky's centering pass. Naturally the 'tender made the save. Redemption came in the form of a long rebound back to Mikko's stick, which after a little razzle dazzle sent the puck off of Alex Auld's skate, into the net. The Wild had done what they had yet to do this season: gaining a two goal lead in the first period.

Which would not hold, because the Wild's NHL-leading penalty kill took care of business on Cal's short-handed goal (did I mention that?), but in the second period they gave up a goal within five seconds, with a little help from Nick Schultz. So it was a night of two firsts for the Wild: a short-handed and own goal. Twelve minutes later Loui Eriksson would actually score on another power play. Tie game.

The Wild's luck may be changing on offense, with Mikko's rebounder and the game-winning goal: a karmastic own goal by Dallas' Nicklas Grossman. The Wild don't necessarily deserve bounces like that, but after more than one game where they outshot and outworked the other team and still lost, they could use a game where badly outshooting the other team actually translates into "Win."