Phoenix Coyotes 3-1 Minnesota Wild

via cdn.nhl.com

The Wild are now 1-4 under captain Kim Johnsson. I'm not saying that it's Johnsson's fault, but this isn't exaclty a promising start to the month. The Wild went over 147 minutes without a goal between Mikko Koivu and Antti Miettinen. That is unacceptable. They're missing Owen Nolan and Marian Gaborik, but this team needs to score. Yeah Jacques, we get it, we understand that the game against Colorado was unacceptable to you. However, that doesn't mean that you don't score for the next three games.

Someone needs to fire up this team. Someone needs to throw a fit in the locker room and mandate that they stop playing like they're afraid of traffic. When was the last time you hear Andrew Brunette involved in a scoring chance? What is the point of having Burns up front if he's not going to produce, yet the defense is becoming a liability?

Ugh, if the rest of the west coast swing goes like this, they're going to have an unhappy fan base by the time they get back into town.

Hockey Wilderness Three Stars

1. Olli Jokinen (1 G)
   
2. Ilya Bryzgalov (31 shots/30 saves)
   
3. Zbynek Michalek (1 G)
   

Questions to Answer

1. Can the Wild offense turn around? No. Over 147 minutes without a goal before Antti Miettinen picked up the garbage and finally broke the streak.
   
2. Will the time off do the offense good? Nope, if anything it seemed to make them more out of tune. Again, over 30 shots, but not enough quality chances. Everything was too far outside.
   
3. Can we get Burnsie back to the blue line again please? Seriously? Please? Reitz and Bergeron are killing me as a pairing, and I didn't even notice Johnsson doing anything worthwhile tonight.
   
4. Will the special teams once again save the Wild? The PK was stellar yet again, but the PP unit was abysmal. They never got on track in the 5 opportunities.
   
5. Will Niklas Backstrom get on a hot streak again, heading into a West coast swing? None of the three goals can be attributed to Backstrom at all. He was screened by Belanger badly, Koivu got stupid and lazy at the end of the period leading to a ridiculously easy 3 on 1, then Reitz and Bergeron both followed the puck carrier leaving Jokinen wide open for an easy goal, then on the third. Backstrom needs to put some beatings on his team right now. He can't win on his own.
   

Notes

• Colton Gillies was active for only the second time in 11 games (really? I didn't even notice him)
  
• Mikko Koivu became the sixth Wild player to record 100 career assists with the team
• Tonight's win was the first in the last 10 for the Coyotes against the Wild
  
• Saturday's game with the Kings is at 2:30 CST.
  

The Game in Pictures

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