Solid effort and two goals from Miettinen power the Wild to strong 5-2 home win over the Red Wings

The State of the Union address is tonight, and millions of Americans will both tune in (and perhaps more will tune out) to see what President Barack Obama has to say about the direction our nation is headed.  It is always an event filled with anticipation over what may be said and what may be left unsaid; but its an opportunity for him to address congress and the American people on just where he thinks we are as a nation in the realm of our economy, health care, education, terrorism and our environment.  NHL seasons do not really have a State of the Union type of address from its commissioner Gary Bettman and perhaps that is a good thing.  In the realm of entertainment and sports, image is important and an image seen more and more across the league is empty seats.  The economy is starting to make its mark, and even though the NHL has persevered through these difficult economic times better than than other leagues like the NBA it is still a visible reminder that spending is tight for many Americans and that buying $70-$100 seats is not as important as paying the bills.  Individual NHL teams have their own version of a State of the Union when they play each night.  Each game is a statement about a team’s direction and fans often base their opinions as to how they perceive the team’s momentum.  A win against a quality opponent or a team that is ahead of (insert your team here) in the standings is looked as a sign of hope and achievement.  Just as a loss to a team beneath (insert your team here) in the standings is an ominous harbinger of things to come.  Or at least the fans dramatize it that way; sure its irrational but it sort of goes with being a fan.

The Minnesota Wild face their own sort of State of the Union address this evening.  A few seasons ago, fans would’ve tolerated and maybe even accepted a failed late-game comeback to fall to the mighty Detroit Red Wings 4-3 in a shootout as they did last week Thursday.  Yet with the Red Wings sitting on the very edge of the playoff window, earning points against Detroit are crucial for a team hoping to climb within striking distance of the playoffs as the Wild hope to be.  Minnesota will have to climb over the top of teams like the Anaheim Ducks, Dallas Stars and quite possibly the Detroit Red Wings if it wishes to make the playoffs, so a win tonight could be a pivotal step forward in that long and arduous process.  The 2010 Olympics have compressed the schedule immensely and there will not be a lot of time to make up ground when play resumes so its important to get as close as possible before the chase begins.  Will the Wild make a statement by defeating the Red Wings tonight in St. Paul or will they take a step back and feel good to be this close to Detroit’s shadow?

The Wild had a tremendous chance just 15 minutes into the game as Andrew Brunette raced into the offensive zone and gathered up the puck off a dump in and passed it back out front to Mikko Koivu who fired a point-blank range shot that was held onto by Chris Osgood.  Minnesota was moving its feet well right at the start and their hustle would draw a penalty as Martin Havlat took a wicked slash from Detroit’s Niklas Kronwall.  The Wild struggled on the man advantage as Nick Schultz failed to hold the zone after a faceoff win by Mikko Koivu and Minnesota would have difficulty entering the zone.  The Wild managed to enter the zone and worked the puck with quick passes from the half wall out to the points, and a sort of a slap pass to Andrew Brunette who hesitated slightly before dishing it back to the slot where a wide open Antti Miettinen buried it to give Minnesota a 1-0 lead.  Moments after the power play goal, the Wild had another fantastic chance as a dump in attempt by James Sheppard would strike Brad Stuart and he went falling to the ice and the loose puck was picked up by Andrew Ebbett who raced in and chipped a rolling puck on goal that was held onto by Osgood.  Detroit would answer back, as Niklas Lidstrom would find some open space and unleash a heavy slap shot that was initially stopped by Josh Harding but he couldn’t control the rebound and an opportunistic Pavel Datsyuk was there to lift a shot over the out of position goaltender to tie the game at 1-1.  The Wild tried to answer back as a turnover turned into a 2-on-1 between Cal Clutterbuck and Owen Nolan and Nolan would turn on the jets and move in towards the slot and rip a wrist shot that just missed wide right.  Both teams would trade rushes with one another as Minnesota’s forecheck created a turnover in the Detroit zone that Mikko Koivu tried to turn into a scoring chance only to be thwarted by a nice play by the Red Wings’ Derek Meech.  The Red Wings answered back with a determined rush by Henrik Zetterberg as he showed good strength on the puck before flinging a wrist shot that was held onto by Harding.  A few minutes later a great stretch pass by Nick Schultz reached the tape of Guillaume Latendresse who skated in and uncorked a slapper that missed high and wide and then caromed out of the zone.  The Red Wings would try to apply some pressure with its grind line as Justin Abdelkader and Brad May were trying to work their way close to the crease as Josh Harding guarded the right post to keep the game knotted at one apiece.  With under 5 minutes left in the period the Wild had a couple of nice scoring chances from in close due to some nice effort by Martin Havlat, after a nice little move around a defender for a weak backhander that was stopped by Osgood and forced the Detroit goaltender to make another stop on the rebound chance.  Minnesota’s top line would build on that pressure as Andrew Brunette outworked Pavel Datsyuk for a puck behind the Detroit goal before feeding a pass to Antti Miettinen who snapped a quick one-timer by Osgood to give the Wild a 2-1 lead.  Yet the lead was short-lived, as Detroit answered right back on the next shift as just 30 seconds later, the Red Wings would find the back of the net again assisted by a Lidstrom slap shot that was perfectly redirected up and underneath the crossbar by a roving Pavel Datsyuk that was about 25 feet from the Wild goal tying the game at 2-2.  However, Minnesota was determined to carry the lead into the 2nd period and they would answer back 36 seconds later as Greg Zanon wound up and blasted a slap shot that was redirected perfectly by Andrew Ebbett to give the Wild their coveted 3-2 lead after one period of play.

Minnesota had an excellent first shift to start the 2nd, where the Wild worked the puck well down along the half wall and this hard work was rewarded as the Wild had a good chance near the top of the crease as Koivu and Miettinen tried to jam it by Osgood.  The Red Wings would answer back towards the tail end of the shift due some over passive play by the Wild’s Nick Schultz in getting to a puck just slowly sliding through the neutral zone and this turned into a long shift where Detroit cycled the puck well.  As the Red Wings’ top line cycled they set up Brian Rafalski.  Minnesota was really scrambling as Josh Harding made some great saves on a few sharp angle attempts by Detroit.  The Wild would go back on the attack with the 2nd line leading the way as Martin Havlat would find some space for a 2-on-1 with Latendresse.  Havlat considered passing but instead opted to take a heavy wrist shot that was blocked aside by the leg pad of Osgood.  Minnesota kept swarming and it was Latendresse who showed great strength on the puck as he skated down behind the Red Wings’ goal before he found Kyle Brodziak open in the slot for a snap shot that was steered aside by the Detroit goaltender.  The Wild’s pressure would draw a penalty as Marek Zidlicky was held up by Darren Helm.  On the power play the Wild were a bit too fancy and after moving the puck effectively on the cycle in the corner their attempt to work the puck from the point down low via a diagonal pass was intercepted and Detroit was able to clear the zone.  It was disappointing to see the Wild come up short on the power play, but a miscommunication had Martin Havlat slide a pass to no one near the blueline and that almost turned into a great shorthanded chance for Detroit.  After the Wild’s power play came up empty, they would dodge another bullet as their 4th line nearly found the back of the net as a shot by Drew Miller was stopped by Josh Harding but he’d leave a big rebound right in the slot where Patrick Eaves was waiting to tap home the virtual empty net goal but his shot would strike the post.  Minnesota would try to rally back as both teams were making long passes and attempting to catch the other in transition.  The Red Wings were also attempting to ratchet up the physicality as they were taking big runs at Wild players and Cal Clutterbuck was just able to side step a big check attempt by Todd Bertuzzi.  The Wild’s Marek Zidlicky would be a bit careless and his stick would get into the face of Bertuzzi giving Detroit its first power play of the game.  On the power play, the Red Wings exhibited some tremendous puck movement from the half wall back out to the point where they repeatedly looked to set up Niklas Lidstrom for a rocket from the point as they tried to create traffic in front of Josh Harding.  Minnesota was scrambling as they attempted to get their sticks into shooting and passing lanes but this was made difficult by the quick and accurate passing of Detroit.  The Wild would earn the big kill, and they would try to resume their attack and it was Cal Clutterbuck who would draw an interference penalty on Todd Bertuzzi who got a bit too focused on the Wild agitator as he attempted to make his way to a puck dumped deep into the Red Wings’ zone.  Bertuzzi, and the Detroit bench did not like the call but Minnesota would earn its 3rd power play.  It did not go well as the Red Wings were very aggressive and Minnesota did not handle the pressure very well as they struggled to make plays and when they were not being aggressive they were denying the passing lanes very well and another power play would come up empty.  The Wild had to feel good carrying its 3-2 lead into the 3rd period.

Minnesota was moving its feet well to start the 3rd, as the 2nd line worked the puck deep in the Detroit zone but as Guillaume Latendresse tried to pass the puck from beneath the goal line it was intercepted and cleared.  Detroit tried to go on the attack as the Red Wings were looking for the equalizer and thus they were going to take some chances as Darren Helm raced in and flung a long wrist shot that was gloved by Harding.  Off the ensuing faceoff, Minnesota’s Marek Zidlicky got tangled up and hooked down Justin Abdelkader for an obvious penalty.  Detroit would create a dangerous chance to begin as they again dished the puck out to the point where Lidstrom would fire a shot that reached Harding and nearly went onto the stick of a waiting Datsyuk before it was swept to corner by Nick Schultz.  The power play would be short-lived as Daniel Cleary slashed Mikko Koivu.  The play would be 4-on-4 and Niklas Kronwall tried to get his team going by head hunting for Martin Havlat who noticed him at the last moment and stepped aside his big attempt at an open ice hit.  Havlat was not happy and decided to discuss things with Kronwall at center ice that seemed to distract just about everyone as Eric Belanger carried the loose puck into the Detroit zone.  Belanger turned as three Red Wing defenders were focused on him, he threaded a cross ice pass to Latendresse who blazed a one-timer by Osgood to lift the Wild to a 4-2 lead.  The 4-on-4 would eventually become a Wild power play and Minnesota took full advantage of it as the Wild worked the puck down low and Mikko Koivu delivered a beautiful pass that threaded between the legs of Brad Stuart right to a wide open Martin Havlat who ripped a sharp angle shot into the goal giving the State of Hockey a commanding 5-2 lead.  Minnesota was sensing a rare opportunity throttle the Red Wings and they kept up the offensive pressure.  Brent Burns would step in and take a run at Justin Abdelkader that nearly caught him with his head down and he didn’t like the attempt and wanted to go after the Wild defenseman.  Abdekader and Burns would earn coincidental roughing minors.  Detroit tried to go on the attack but Minnesota was skating well and denying the Red Wings from having time and space.  Minnesota would swarm near the Detroit crease after some good work by the 2nd line and this would yield a frakas near the net and Brian Rafalski would be cited for roughing.  On the power play Minnesota seemed content to just kill time and work for the perfect shot and after some good puck control they would attempt a few long range shots as they hoped to set up Antti Miettinen for a hat trick.  The power play would come up empty and the Red Wings tried to get things started on a shift by its energy line as Justin Abdelkader fired a shot off the rush that was stopped by Harding and the rebound was followed up by Brad May but Harding directed that up and over his goal.  Shortly thereafter Justin Abdelkader would take a run at Robbie Earl and Brad May hooked James Sheppard as he worked for the puck earning him a trip to the penalty box.  On their sixth power play the objective was very clear, set up Antti Miettinen for a hat trick and the Wild moved the puck very well and with more purpose and they managed to set up Miettinen for a one-timer from the point that missed wide and another man advantage came up short.  Minnesota continued to attack, leaving the top line out there as they set up Miettinen repeatedly with a variety of shots on goal that had Detroit scrambling in its own zone.  He would not get his hat trick and Detroit was clearly frustrated as May and Abdelkader were taking runs at any Wild players they could see but Minnesota would prevail 5-2.

Josh Harding was outstanding, making 26 saves in the victory.  His rebound control was a bit suspect at times but he did a good job at seeing the pucks through the traffic Detroit was creating.  Defensively the Wild helped out their goaltender by sweeping away the rebounds on most occasions and Harding should feel good about how he played this evening.  The Wild did a nice job of not making the grievous errors in their own end as well as the neutral zone that a trapping team like Detroit thrives on.  The Wild’s defense also did a fine job of making the long outlet pass to put Detroit on its heels and not allowing the Red Wings to activate their defenseman as much as they like.

Offensively the Wild got a huge boost from its power play, going 2-for-6 on the night to really give Minnesota that three-goal cushion in the 3rd as well as some much-needed momentum.  The other major component of the Wild’s attack this evening was the play of their forecheck which created some havoc and built momentum right from the drop of the puck.  Both the top line of Mikko Koivu, Antti Miettinen, Andrew Brunette and the 2nd line of Guillaume Latendresse, Martin Havlat and Kyle Brodziak were consistently creating offensive pressure that makes it difficult for the opposition to match lines because they have to pick their poison.

While the good feelings from this game are sure to make for a nice flight, the Wild must put it behind them and re-focus for what will be a big road game against Colorado tomorrow night.  The two points the Wild earned are huge; especially with Detroit sitting in 8th place in the West.  Wild Head Coach Todd Richards summed things up pretty well, “The first two goals were big, we got up and going, and it was a great start for us and it seems like that line (of Koivu, Brunette and Miettinen) is starting to find its stride again.”  Hopefully they can bring this sort of effort together when they play against the Avalanche.

Wild Notes:

~ Wild lineup tonight is as follows:  Mikko Koivu, Martin Havlat, Antti Miettinen, Andrew Brunette, Eric Belanger, Owen Nolan, Cal Clutterbuck, Kyle Brodziak, Robbie Earl, James Sheppard, Andrew Ebbett, Guillaume Latendresse, Kim Johnsson, Brent Burns, Nick Schultz, Greg Zanon, Shane Hnidy and Marek Zidlicky.  Niklas Backstrom backed up Josh Harding.  John Scott and Derek Boogaard were the healthy scratches.  Clayton Stoner is out with a groin injury and Chuck Kobasew is out with a strained ACL/MCL.  Pierre-Marc Bouchard is still out with post-concussion syndrome.

~ The 3 Stars of the Game as Let’s Play Hockey were: 1st Star Antti Miettinen, 2nd Star Josh Harding, 3rd Star Pavel Datsyuk

~ The Minnesota Wild have decided to send down Petr Sykora to go play with their American Hockey League affiliate, the Houston Aeros.

~ In our 2nd “Where are they now?” segment, we focus on Tony Virta.  Tony Virta was a highly touted European forward whom the Wild drafted 4th round, 103rd Overall as they hoped he could bring some offense during a time in the Wild’s history where goal scoring was an even more precious and rare commodity than it is now.  After playing just 8 games with the Wild (scoring 2 goals and 3 assists) and 1.5 seasons with the Houston Aeros, Virta left North America and returned to Europe with stints in Sweden, Switzerland and is presently back in his native Finland playing for his hometown HPK Hammeelinna.  Virta’s NHL hopes were not realized, but he has been a consistent scorer in Europe and even age 37 he is still showing some scoring touch with 4 goals, 14 assists and 18 points.

Houston Aeros Report:

Houston 5, Abbotsford 4 OT

The Houston Aeros earned a 2-game series sweep of Abbotsford, with a dramatic come-from-behind 5-4 overtime victory.  The Heat jumped out to a two-goal lead on goals from David Van der Gulik and Josh Meyers in the first as they hoped to an avenge a Saturday mauling by the Aeros.  Yet the Aeros would rally back in a big way, again using the man-advantage to the fullest as the buried 3 power play goals from Petr Kalus, Maxim Noreau and Jon DiSalvatore in the first 6 minutes of the 2nd.  With the Aeros now leading 3-2 going into the 3rd period, but the Heat would also strike quickly with two even-strength tallies from Cam Cunning (albeit just seconds after the Aeros had killed an Abbotsford power play) and Colin Stuart giving Abbotsford a 4-3 lead.  The Aeros would attempt to earn the equalizer on a “too many men” penalty, but despite their puck possession, the Heat were able to keep Houston to the perimeter and their slap shots from the point were shut down by Abbotsford’s Matt Keetley.  Houston would finally find the back of the net with 1:13 left in regulation, when Duncan Milroy tapped home a pretty pass by Chad Rau to send the game into overtime.  In overtime the Aeros’ would steal a puck in the neutral zone and Colton Gillies would work a 2-on-1 with Brandon Rogers and Gillies would deliver a perfect cross-ice pass back to Rogers who buried the chance to give Houston a huge 5-4 road victory.  Wade Dubielewicz continues to be solid between the pipes making 26 saves in the win.  The Aeros faceoff this evening against their arch-rival Chicago Wolves at the always hostile Allstate Arena.  Houston currently sits 3 points behind the Wolves, with a 22-17-6-1 record in 5th place in the AHL’s West Division.