Minnesota Wild vs Anaheim Ducks: Game Re-Cap

Minnesota Wild 2 - 6 Anaheim Ducks

For Anaheim perspective, please visit Anaheim Calling and Battle of California

I know it will nto be a popular opinion around here, but I was, at the very least, entertained tonight. This game had everything, though 99% of it went against the Wild. There were big checks, physical play, blood, a penalty shot, big saves, a hat trick, and one of the most bizzare things we have ever seen.

It looked as though the Wild were going to be fighters in this one as Brent Burns furthered his team lead in goals to nine to tie up the score at one shortly after the Ducks had taken a very early lead. From then on, it was all Ducks, to be honest. The power play to get the Wild their second goal was pretty, but there were few highlights in favor of the boys in white tonight.

Without going goal by goal, all of the Anaheim goals were of the "pretty" variety, with the Wild simply giving up on a play or beaten cleanly. There were no cheap goals, and the Ducks played a solid game. Tough to get angry about losing to a team that flat out out played you. It was a clean win for the Ducks, as much as we all want to hate them, and probably will anyway. They likely did something to deserve it. Kicked a baby or something, right? Right.

Looking at the way the Wild played was much more painful. The two plays that sums it up for the Wild are the Bobby Ryan goal, in which he scored using Mikko Koivu's stick, and a play later in the game when Marek Zidlicky pinched to keep the puck in the zone and was team rolled leading to a Ducks odd man rush.

It was ugly, and it was sloppy, but we have come to expect that, right? Outshot 36 to 22, including 12-4 in the third. Expected? Yep. That sure doesn't make it any less disappointing or frustrating to watch. I know it's painful to watch this team with the ups and downs, but just remember, the ups haven't been all that far up. Don't let it get to you. Or... at least try not to.

Hockey Wilderness Three Stars

1. Correy Perry (3G, 2 A)
2. Ryan Getzlaf (2G, 1A)
3. Bobby Ryan (1G, 2A)

Five Questions

1. Can the Wild leave with a clean sweep of the road trip? Nope. I was also reminded that they had an OT loss in Dallas, so they wouldn't have anyway.
   
2. Getzlaf, Perry, Ryan, Koivu... can the Wild shut them all down? Ha! Good one. 11 points from the top line tonight.
   
3. It's going to be physical tonight. Will the Wild have the energy to stand tall? Not really. They lost the physical battles. Ugly.
   
4. Does Warren Peters get better than four minutes? Indeed. 8:13. Played a pretty good game.
   
5. If the Wild win again tonight, SpaethCo will need to travel with them everywhere they go. Does he know that? I guess he gets a reprieve. Stupid SoCal.