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Game started off with some rough stuff, lots of penalty minutes for both teams, although there were missed/uncalled calls on both sides. Wild opened up with 4 goals (tying a franchise record btw) in the first, from Ryan Suter, Devin Setoguchi, Cal Clutterbuck, and Kyle Brodziak. John Mitchell scored for the Avs in the first, and the Wild went into the 1st intermission up 4-1.
The second period was pretty awful. The Avs brought the score to within one with goals from P.A. Parenteau and Gabriel Landeskog. Pierre-Marc Bouchard scored the eventual game winner with a beauty of a goal after a well called time out by Mike Yeo. From that point out the entire game was Minnesota Wild.
The third period saw the Wild bench void of Mike Rupp, and Charlie Coyle being double shifted. Setoguchi scored on a brilliant play with PMB, and even though Chuck Kobasew scored before time ran out, there was little chance that the Avs had what it took to get back into the game. Wild win 6-4, scoring more goals in a game than they have all season, and the most since 1/19/2011. Yup, over 2 years since they've score 6 or more goals.
Up next the Wild play the Canucks in Vancouver Monday night at 9pm. Whoever wins that game will walk away with the division lead. Don't get too cocky though Wilderness. The Wild have looked great the last 2 games, but the Avs are about as bad defensively as the Wild were last year during the fall from grace. The team is going to have to put in the work to walk away from Vancouver with 2pts.
Yeo said in post game interviews that he doesn't think that Rupp's injury is serious and it's lower body.
Five Questions:
- Can the dominant play continue?
Oh did it!
- Do the Wild play into a revenge game or play their own style?
Wild stuck to their game for the most part. The 2nd got away from them a bit, but they found their game again towards the end
- Who is the hero tonight, if one is to be had?
I have to say that PMB and Heatley. I know Heatey didn't get any goals, but two of the goals were directly from him hitting the crossbar and someone being in a good position to tap it in
- The Wild need this to keep pace with the Nucks. Is there a sense of urgency?
The Wild pushed and pushed and pushed. They are hungry for that lead in the NW
- How much wood could a woodchuck chuck, if a wood chuck could chuck wood?
Enough for Bryan to come up with better questions is my guess