Game Recap: Wild Perfect at Home, Shutout Arizona Coyotes 2-0

The Minnesota Wild are perfect at home, allowing zero goals in two regulation games at the Xcel Energy Center. Putting on a strong performance, the Wild shutout the Arizona Coyotes 2-0.

Man, it feels good to be at the X again. After a brief road trip, the Wild returned to the friendly confines of our stellar arena and posted a shutout against the visiting Arizona Coyotes. Darcy Kuemper had another stellar performance, as did Jared Spurgeon and Jason Pominville. Although the Wild are improving, their problems finishing plays continued. It was “hockey fights cancer” night, with the wild wearing lavender warm-up sweaters. Here are my thoughts on the shutout:

First Period:

The Wild opened the game with an absolutely stirring rendition of “O Canada” in honor of the tragic events in Ottawa, Ontario this week. It was a wonderful way of showing solidarity with our neighbors to the North. James Bohn does a great job. I bumped in to him on the walk out tonight, and he said he was very excited for the chance to sing it given the circumstances.

On to the game. Opening with the newly minted line of Thomas Vanek, Mikko Koivu and Charlie Coyle up front to go along with Spurgeon and Marco Scandella on the blue line, the Wild got outplayed early. Three shots by the Coyotes in the first 30-ish seconds pulled the audience out of the game. Kuemper had to scramble once early, but looked to be in good form most of the game.

It took a Coyotes icing for the Wild to take their first crack at Mike Smith, who’s been poor lately, around two minutes in. Vanek took a puck to the shin around a similar time. I saw him limp over to the bench but he returned.

Spurgeon put a great shot on Smith that dropped him to his pads. the rebound bounced right in front of Pominville who couldn’t settle it down in time, missing an opportunity to catch an open net and put the Wild up early. The cumulative missed opportunities over the last three games have given me serious chest pain.

I liked Nino Niederreiter‘s game through the first, he came incredibly close to slamming home a wraparound goal past Smith about 9 minutes in thanks to an Erik Haula takeaway.

It also took about 11 minutes for the first TV timeout. That’s pretty cool from a fan’s perspective. Following the timeout, a slow start by both squads turned loose, with aggressive plays and sloppy turnovers by both squads. Both teams kept pretty even in scoring attempts through the first twenty minutes. Oliver Ekman-Larsson had the best chance for the Coyotes with a blast from high on Kuemper’s left side that failed to materialize.

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Not much for notes after one frame, pretty slow start. The schedule makers have not been kind to the Wild who have mid-season length breaks early in the season. Super quick period, though. No penalties, not a lot of icings, and only a handful of play stoppages.

Shots After One: Minnesota Wild 12, Arizona Coyotes 9

Second Period:

The Wild dominated the opening minutes of the middle frame, especially the top line. Zach Parise still looks great, playing with more passion than I’ve seen before.

Charlie Coyle made the best of his time on the second line, opening the scoring for Minnesota early on. After Jared Spurgeon tried to deflect a shot by Coyle, which ended up on Vanek’s stick. In a case of odd role reversal, Vanek sent the puck to Spurgeon at the high slot. Spurgeon ripped a one-timer towards the net that Coyle deflected past Smith. The original shot by Spurgeon had enough zip to beat Smith, but the Coyle deflection was just so pretty. 1-0 Wild at 02:53

Really good shift by Spurgeon and Vanek there. Vanek’s second point in 5 games.

Without another shot on goal by the Coyotes, The Wild’s top line struck again, just over 5 minutes in. After a giveaway by the Scandella in the offensive zone, the Wild retreated and entered the zone as a four-on-three. You read that right and I had to look at it repeatedly to believe it (thanks new scoreboard!) Spurgeon jumped up in an onside with Parise and Jason Pominville. with little more than a tic-tac-toe pass, Pominville got the puck in the high slot and beat Smith over the blocker. 2-0 Wild at 05:27

Ryan Suter took an untimely penalty at 08:28 for interference. The Wild allowed only one shot by Mikkel Boedker during the Arizona power play. Boedker has been on fire for the Coyotes, so this was a key stop.

Three consecutive power plays would follow for the Wild. The entirety of the first attempt was controlled by Arizona, who fired a few shots at Kuemper despite being down a man. The next two were nearly inexcusable. 3 shots through 5 and 1/2 minutes. That’s it. The Wild power play is rough. Frustrating is an understatement. Off to the locker room for the Wild, up 2-0 with no thanks to the power play.

Shots After Two Periods: Minnesota Wild 22, Arizona Coyotes 17

Third Period:

There was about 30 seconds of power play at the beginning of the third. I think you can guess what happened here. NOTHING. The Wild is 0/19 through five games with the man advantage. More on that shortly.

Not much else through the opening minutes of the 3rd. Kyle Chipchura clearly planted one past Kuemper, but after review and a referee conference, the goal was disallowed as B.J. Crombeen made incidental contact with Kuemper. I watched the live review a few times and I’m not quite convinced. Oh Well, good for the Wild and great for the fans.

Live Feed

Puck Prose

Very few shots or chances for either squad following that. Spurgeon managed to wing the puck in to the not-so-cheap seats, sending himself to the box, and a fan home with a souvenir.

Wild down 2-0, Arizona on the power play with 7:30 left to play. Critical stop for the Wild, and the special teams delivered. Minnesota decided to play takeaway from ‘yotes. Matt Cooke tied Smith up behind the Coyotes net and bounced an empty-netter off the post. Unfortunately, a Coyotes defender controlled the rebound and Cooke’s chance was spoiled. Really fun play to watch, just not the result we hoped for. Penalty killed no less,and the Wild carried on.

Smith went off to the bench with 1:42 left. The Wild are going to be really, really good at 6-on-5 by the All-Star break. Minnesota iced once and allowed two shots. Not too bad. Cooke scooped up the puck from another defender (he was facing away from me.) Blasting for an empty net, Cooke’s shot slid inches too wide just as the buzzer sounded. Game over, 2-0 Wild. Wild shutout the Coyotes. No goals allowed at the X thus far.

Final Shots: Minnesota Wild 29, Arizona Coyotes 26.

Trembley’s Take:

In five games this season, the Wild have posted three shutouts. Minnesota moves to 3-2-0, collecting 6 of the possible 10 points so far.

Minnesota looked shaky, and the problems finishing plays started to show again. No Wild player was above 40% on the face-off dot. Pominville had the most shots on net for the Wild with four. Parise now has 5 points (2-3) through five games to lead the Wild.

Ryan Suter was top among all players in possession stats, with a Corsi for of 62%. Pominville was 61% That top line holds the puck well.

What else can I say about Kuemper? a 0.980 save percent to go with an insane 0.50 GAA and 3 shutouts. The kid is good. Worth every penny.

The Wild take on the Tampa Bay Lightning Saturday at 7:00 p.m. central. Talk to you then!