Wild drop another one to Predators 5-1

By Jamie MacDonald
FOXSportsNorth.com

January 11, 2011

In the end, the Predators were able to turn the tables. For the better part of the New Year, Minnesota had played a responsible defensive game against its opponents, worked pucks deep and made the most of its opportunities in the offensive end. On Tuesday in Nashville, the hosts did just that to the visiting Wild in a 5-1 win that dropped what had been an impressive Minnesota hot streak into another gear.

The two teams were playing for the second time since New Year's Eve, an evening Nashville entered on a five-game losing streak. The Predators won that game 4-1 and they haven't lost since. That's six straight by a combined 24-7 score.

At the time of the Dec. 31 game, the Wild had a chance to jump Nashville in the standings, and they have been chasing the Predators up the standings since. At the conclusion of this one -- even after Minnesota's encouraging four-game streak -- Nashville is up to 53 points while the Wild were held steady at 47 for a few more agonizing days.

SIGN OF TROUBLE

Only five minutes into Tuesday's game, the Wild were left watching as J.P. Dumont broke in with an early and uncontested chance on Jose Theodore. It seemed as if Minnesota wanted to break out of the zone in a hurry, only no one appeared interested in taking the puck.

Dupont picked it up and walked in to take Nashville's first shot. The Wild had taken three shots to that point. While no goal was scored, it sure did look out of place for a team that had done so much so well for a few weeks.

Two minutes later, the Predators opened the scoring on David Legwand's fourth of the season at 7:03 of the first.

HIGHLIGHT GOAL

Trailing 1-0, and with Cam Barker barely having escaped the penalty box after a holding call, Mikko Koivu made the individual play of the night.

John Madden broke out of the Wild zone, gained the offensive zone and tried to make a toe-drag move on Cody Franson -- only to lose the puck. Koivu picked it up with speed near the half-wall on the left wing and curled hard on his forehand around Francis Bouillon as he neared goaltender Pekka Rinne. Rather than shoot from the odd angle on his forehand, Koivu made a smooth and quick shift to take the puck to his backhand and fire it behind Rinne at 16:05 of the first.

COSTLY GOAL

Not only did the game's third goal come early in the second period, and restore the Predators lead, but it came by way of an uncharacteristically egregious defensive breakdown, which was compounded by an uncharacteristically egregious rebound given up by Theodore.

Joel Ward moved the puck from the high slot back to Kevin Klein on the point, then headed slowly and unmarked toward the net. A Klein shot from the point hit Theodore, who pushed the rebound right to the uncovered and likely thankful Ward, who stickhandled a shot in at 18:58 of the second.

From there, the Wild were certainly involved and playing hard, though scoring chances on the big Predators goaltender were few. Nashville took penalties at 10:55 and 13:48 of the second, but held Minnesota's power play scoreless on all three of its opportunities Tuesday.

Minnesota's third period went from bad to worse, as the Wild barely managed an offensive zone entry, let alone a threat, until Nashville added to its lead. Minnesota had gained possession of the puck in its own end but failed to break out of the zone -- for the second time in the period's first five minutes -- which allowed Nick Spaling to wrist a shot in from the point for a 3-1 lead at 4:18. Spaling made it 4-1 at 10:39 (with what seemed like 11 players in the way), after which Theodore was pulled in favor of Anton Khudobin, and the Predators added one more score at 12:53.

LINEUP ADDITION

After missing four games with a lower-body injury and illness, Antti Miettinen returned to the lineup Tuesday. Miettinen also returned to his usual spot to the right of Koivu and Andrew Brunette. Chuck Kobasew, who had been riding shotgun on the line, skated with John Madden and Eric Nystrom. Matt Cullen remained with Cal Clutterbuck and Patrick O'Sullivan, while Kyle Brodziak remained with Marty Havlat and Pierre-Marc Bouchard.

PLAYOFF PICTURE

The Wild left Pittsburgh Saturday night with 47 points and a playoff spot. With a loss Sunday at home, that 47 points had them entering Tuesday's game at No. 9 overall and tied with Los Angeles and San Jose. Tuesday's loss allowed Los Angeles to jump over the Wild on a tie-breaker, leaving Minnesota at No. 10.

UP NEXT

Oh boy. What had been the hottest team in the Western Conference has now lost two straight and is about to host the top two teams in the division. The Wild will welcome Colorado, the Northwest's No. 2 team, on Friday (7 p.m. CDT) and conference-leading Vancouver on Sunday (5 p.m. CDT).

Without good showings in those games, there is a chance all the good energy generated in climbing from No. 13 in the West a few weeks ago to No. 7 on the plane ride back from the four-game streak would be in danger.