Wild, 6 vs. Islanders, 2

Doesn't this game start the what-ifs for fans about Marian Gaborik; what if Gaby had been healthy the entire season (heck I would've taken half of the season)? In his 3rd game since returning from hip surgery Gaby looked like he was back in form, with a TOI of 19:22 and 2 goals and 2 assists for a four point night in a game that was physical and chippy to the end. Not even 5 minutes in and John Scott and newly recalled forward Joel Rechlicz when at it, with Scott getting the decision with his 6'8'' reach. The scoring didn't start until off of a faceoff win for the Islanders in their offensive zone Bruno Gervais score on a great play set up by Dean McAmmond and Mark Streit to give the Isles the 1-0 lead. The Wild tied it up when Marek Zidlicky was working just off the corner and feed Gaby who was standing in front of Isles goalie Yann Danis to pot the goal. With a late powerplay in the first, Antti Miettinen netted his career high 15th goal of the season 10 seconds into a Rechlicz holding minor. The first didn't end all happy, as Nick Schultz took exception with a slash by Blake Comeau, which entailed him to shove Comeau and as the off ice security was just opening the door to let the Wild into the locker room, Miettinen came back at Comeau to give him a shot, Comeau was being shoved through the doors, and it lead to a huge gather which saw both Comeau and Miettinen get coincidental roughing minors and former Gopher Kyle Okposo jawing at every Wild player he saw. The Wild built up their lead as Owen Nolan scored a powerplay goal in the second period when he went to the center of the offensive zone and gestered for the puck and got a great feed by Gaby, and when Martin Skoula scored from the point in the third period, the Wild had a comfortable 4-1 lead over the Islanders. The Isles came back with an Andy Hilbert goal to cut it to a two goal deficit, but the Wild put the game away when Andrew Brunette scored in front of the net, and on a 5-on-3 powerplay Gaby got his second goal of the game.

But I'm not too overly enthusiastic about the game, it was a game that the Wild should win against a team that the Wild is very much better than, it will make it interesting to play the Islanders next season though.

Notes:

• Scott got back into the lineup, which meant that Kurtis Foster and Craig Weller were the healthy scratches for the night.
• The Wild were much better last night in faceoff% winning 52-48.
  
• With 7 hits in the game, Clutterbuck broke the NHL hits record set last year by Dustin Brown with 311 hits; Clutterbuck now holds the record with 317 and counting.
• LOL...when Zidlicky and Okposo both went to the penalty box for coincidental roughing minors, Clutterbuck was already in the box. Clutterbuck was then gestering to Okposo to shave because "if he can’t grow it on the rest of his face, why try at all?".
• You see boys...if you drive to the net how many goals that you can score...
• This game was pretty interesting with the physicality and chippiness of it, but it also displayed a rare 3 on 3 opportunity when Zidlicky and Okposo took coincidentals and Clutterbuck and Comeau were already in the box for coincidentals.
  
• I was so annoyed with the MSG commentators for the Islanders during the broadcast last night. They just kept talking about the "restrictions" of the system and how the Wild play a trap which leads to a "boring" game...GAWD the Wild don't play the trap anymore, granted it's a defensive first system, but that just means that the d-men just need to know when and when not pinch into the the offensive zone so that it doesn't lead to an odd man rush, a scoring opportunity or, worst, a goal against. Ugghhhh...I'm just so tired of commentators and mainstream media saying that the Wild play a "trap and boring" game...

Scott vs. Rechlicz


Let's hope that this 6 goal output by the Wild doesn't mean that they'll lay an egg in Calgary...but I won't hold my breathe knowing what the Wild's record is in Calgary (and overall against Calgary for that matter).

UP NEXT: Saturday @ Calgary Flames, 9:00pm CT