Minnesota Wild vs Vacouver Canucks: Game Re-Cap

Minnesota Wild 6 - 2 Vancouver Canucks

For enemy perspective, please visit Nucks Misconduct

Tonight's storylines:

• Roberto Luongo is terrible against the Wild
• Rick Rypien is a horrible human being
• Todd Richards may have been onto something with the bag skate
• The Wild power play is something special. Eleven of its 16 goals this season were scored on the power play, they went 3-for-3 tonight and is 11-for-24 this season (45.8%)

Did I mention that Rick Rypien is a horrible human, and frankly, the refs are equally stupid for not giving him a game misconduct for first making contact with an official, then grabbing a fan. Terrible. He should be expecting a call from Colin Campbell. Don't expect him back any time soon. At least I hope to god that's the case.

Anyway, this was a massive ass-whooping, and as such, is kinda boring to write about, so I'll let Bryan continue this with his take and I'll move onto Ripping Rick Rypien and cover the three stars and five questions.

Bryan's take:

Well now. I say bag skate every practice. Anyone with me? No? Alrighty then.

The Wild came out the tunnel a team defeated. Their play on the ice looked as sick as the players who have caught the bug creeping through the locker room. After the first goal, it all looked down hill. The anthem singer screwed up "Oh Canada," the guy doing "Let's play hockey" muffed it, and the Wild were down 1-0 early.

Then things got interesting. The Wild scored, yet again, on a power play, tying the game. By the time the first period would end, it would be 3-1 Wild after goals from Marek Zidlicky, Guillaume Latendresse, and Cal Clutterbuck. The Clutterbuck goal came with no center on the ice. It made little difference. Oh... and Lats looked pretty good back on that second line. A goal and assist before the first period even ended.

The second would see this game turn ugly. After two more goals from the Wild, via John Madden and Andrew Brunette, Vancouver's Rick Rypien (who had been beaten badly by Brad Staubitz in the first) started some extra curriculars near the Wild bench. After every player on the ice was involved in the scrum, Rypien was escorted to the tunnel, where he was adamant about not leaving. He appeared to take a swing at the linesman, and then... the unthinkable.

Rypien actually reached up and grabbed what looks to be a teenager (or college kid) in the stands who was heckling him on his way out. Another fan, who reacted with the defensive posture of a father, broke up the altercation, and the fans were moved. Inexplicably, Rypien was given only a 10 minute misconduct, and would return to the bench for the third period.

Plenty more on this from us, and from around the interwebz, I'm sure.

Speaking of the third period. Guess who wasn't around for it? Yes, Mr. Roberto LOLuongo. Chased after giving up 6 goals in two periods, his back up, Cory Schnieder would tend the pipes for the final frame. After all of the fireworks in the second, you would not believe it, but the third was relatively calm. Both teams looked to just want to get out of the situation and go home.

Notes:

• Roberto Luongo  is 0-3-0 in his last three starts at Xcel Energy Center, with a 7.00 GAA, a .768 SV% while failing to finish any of those games. Overall, Luongo is 3-9-2, with a 3.56 GAA and a .873 SV% in St. Paul. Luongo stopped 12-of-18 shots through two periods tonight.
• Guillaume Latendresse had a goal and an assist for his first multiple-point game since scoring twice March 7, 2010, against Calgary.
• Justin Falk's assist was his first career NHL point.
  

Hockey Wilderness Three Stars:

1. Zidlicky (1G, 2A - huge power play leadership) 
2. Matt Cullen (1G, 1A - 4 PIMs, also big on the PP)
3. Daniel Sedin (2G)

    

Five Questions:

1. Did Todd Richards get the message across? A 6-2 drubbing? Yeah. Message received.
   
2. Can Martin Havlat add to his assist total by finally breaking-through in the scoring column? Not tonight, but it's coming.
   
3. Will the Sedins continue to dominate the Wild? Indeed. While they couldn't win the game, they had both goals. Nothing can stop the brain eaters.
   
4. Can Guillaume Latendresse get more than three shifts in the third period? Lats had a huge game. 1 goal, 1 assist, big hits. Coach praised him after the game as well.
   
5. Do the Wild continue to lord over Lou? Oh, dear lord yes. 6 GA in two periods. The Wild OWN this guy. Own.
   
6. BONUS: Can the Wild put together a 60 minute effort? Didn't need 60 minutes. The first minute sucked, the next 39 were a domination. All they needed.