Avalanche v. Wild - Scoring Chances #38

Tm	P	Time	Note	COL						Opponent
MIN	1	18:00		4	5	23	37	39	41	3	11	21	25	51	55	5v5
COL	1	15:43		4	5	8	23	26	41	5	11	12	25	32	55	5v5
MIN	1	11:48		4	16	22	37	41	55	5	7	21	22	24	32	5v5
MIN	1	11:45		4	16	22	37	41	55	5	7	21	22	24	32	5v5
COL	1	11:16		9	22	23	27	39	41	12	14	16	32	34	55	5v5
MIN	1	10:16		8	22	25	26	27	41	5	7	11	25	32	51	5v5
MIN	1	2:50		8	23	25	26	27	41	3	6	20	25	32		5v4
COL	1	0:14		9	16	22	39	41	52	3	6	11	22	32	51	5v5
COL	1	0:12	Goal	9	16	22	39	41	52	3	6	11	22	32	51	5v5
MIN	2	18:09		4	5	16	37	41	55	11	25	32	34	51	55	5v5
COL	2	16:12	Goal	8	22	25	26	27	41	3	6	9	15	20	32	5v5
MIN	2	13:16		8	22	25	26	27	41	3	5	21	22	24	32	5v5
MIN	2	12:52		8	22	25	26	41	44	3	6	21	22	24	32	5v5
MIN	2	12:13		8	23	25	26	27	41	3	6	9	12	32		5v4
COL	2	10:20		8	25	26	41	44	52	3	6	14	15	16	32	5v5
COL	2	9:32	Goal	9	22	23	27	39	41	3	6	11	25	32	51	5v5
COL	2	8:42		4	5	37	41	55	59	9	15	20	32	34	55	5v5
MIN	2	7:57		4	5	25	26	41		5	14	21	32	55		4v4
COL	2	6:53		8	23	26	27	41		3	6	9	32			4v3
MIN	2	6:06	Goal	4	8	9	16	25	41	5	20	22	32	55		5v4
COL	2	3:45		4	25	26	27	39	41	6	9	15	20	32	55	5v5
MIN	2	3:35		4	25	26	27	39	41	6	9	15	20	32	55	5v5
COL	2	2:45	Goal	15	41	44	52	55		5	9	11	14	22	32	4v5
MIN	3	13:31		15	22	37	41	52	55	7	9	15	20	32	34	5v5
COL	3	11:04		8	25	26	41	44	52	21	24	32	34	51	55	5v5
MIN	3	8:44		26	39	41	44	52		5	9	11	14	15	32	4v5
MIN	3	7:56	Goal	4	5	15	37	41	55	5	11	12	16	32	55	5v5
MIN	3	6:05	Goal	5	8	25	39	41	44	7	9	14	15	32	34	5v5
MIN	3	5:50		8	22	25	26	27	41	5	7	11	14	16	32	5v5
MIN	3	5:49		8	22	25	26	27	41	5	7	11	14	16	32	5v5
MIN	3	3:26		9	23	27	39	41	52	3	6	11	14	25	32	5v5
MIN	3	3:23		9	23	27	39	41	52	3	6	11	14	25	32	5v5
MIN	3	1:58		8	22	25	26	27	41	5	7	9	15	20	32	5v5
MIN	3	1:56		8	22	25	26	27	41	5	7	9	15	20	32	5v5

#	Player	EV			PP			SH
4	J. LILES	11:30	3	7	4:31	0	1	0:28	0	0
5	B. CLARK	11:06	2	5	3:48	0	0	0:28	0	0
8	W. WOLSKI	11:31	4	8	4:47	1	3	0:59	0	0
9	M. DUCHENE	10:57	4	2	3:42	0	1	0:00	0	0
15	M. HENDRICKS	6:24	0	2	0:04	0	0	1:58	1	0
16	D. TUCKER	12:11	2	3	3:37	0	1	0:00	0	0
22	S. HANNAN	18:59	5	10	0:05	0	0	2:51	0	0
23	M. HEJDUK	9:21	3	3	4:38	1	2	0:00	0	0
25	C. STEWART	14:53	4	10	3:54	0	3	0:00	0	0
26	P. STASTNY	13:53	5	9	5:05	1	2	2:35	0	1
27	K. QUINCEY	15:30	4	9	3:24	1	2	2:51	0	0
37	R. O'REILLY	13:35	1	6	0:21	0	0	2:58	0	0
39	T. GALIARDI	13:52	5	5	3:05	0	0	4:11	0	1
41	C. ANDERSON	43:16	10	18	8:41	1	3	6:48	1	1
44	R. WILSON	13:50	2	2	0:26	0	0	3:29	1	1
45	C. DURNO	6:18	0	0	0:00	0	0	0:00	0	0
52	A. FOOTE	15:37	4	3	0:21	0	0	3:29	1	1
55	C. MCLEOD	10:57	1	5	0:30	0	0	0:55	1	0
59	B. YIP	5:03	1	0	0:00	0	0	0:00	0	0

Period	Totals		EV		PP		5v3 PP		SH		5v3 SH
1	4	5	4	4	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0
2	7	7	5	5	1	2	0	0	1	0	0	0
3	1	10	1	9	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0
4	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Totals	12	22	10	18	1	3	0	0	1	1	0	0

The first period was a little dreary but the second period was one of the most exciting I've seen all season. The final chances tally looks bad for the Avalanche but they began the third period with a three-goal lead, so a big negative number isn't all that surprising. That said, goaltending really was the difference in this one as Nicklas Backstrom allowed three goals on the first seven scoring chances against. None of the goals were really his fault but you need more saves than that if you're going to win the game.

After jumping out to a 3-0 lead the Avs had what I expected to be the worst defensive breakdown of the game. The Wild rushed in 3-on-1 while short-handed and closed the gap to 3-1. BUT, right after generating a power play of their own and giving themselves a chance to really get back into the game, the Wild made the worst change I may have ever seen. The Avs dumped the puck down the ice and all of the Wild players went to the bench. The puck bounced off the end boards in the Wild zone and into the high slot which left the Avs with a 2-on-0. Short-handed. Of course they scored and the Wild were suddenly down 4-1 heading into the third.

The game was very physical the whole way through. At one point in the first period Kyle Quincey took out Antti Miettinen as he was racing toward the boards on what was a pretty brutal hit. Owen Nolan stepped in to fight Quincey who politely declined and earned the Avs a two-man advantage. The Avs didn't score on the two-man advantage (they were plain awful on the PP) but the Wild didn't forget about Quincey. With the score 4-1 in the third period Derek Boogaard boarded Quincey and in doing so grabbed the back of Quincey's head with one hand and smashed it into the glass. How he got away with a two-minute penalty and no suspension I have no idea, but it goes to show that the Code is certainly not completely dead. If you don't want to fight, some teams will really make you pay the price. At any rate, Minnesota poured on the pressure for the rest of the period but could only manage two more goals and ended up losing the game 4-3.

One last thing I wanted to relate was a great play from Backstrom killing that 5-on-3 in the first period. Backstrom caught a shot from the point with about five seconds left in the first penalty and when he realized there were no Avs in front he quickly played the puck to a defender who iced it and made sure the Wild wouldn't need to take another defensive draw with only three guys on the ice. A real heads-up play by Backstrom and a perfect indication of how out of synch the Avs were on the PP all game.