Live Blogging Action – Wild/Nucks

For those of you joining me for my live blogage of the Wild v. Canucks game tonight, welcome to Wild Nation!  I’ve opted to go the old school route for tonight’s game and to blog live without the assistance of the usual CoveritLive.

The Wild come into tonight after a dominating win over the Calgary Flames last night and the Canucks are coming off of a 4-2 victory over the Atlanta Thrashers on Thursday.

This should be a fantastic game between two division rivals and we’ll be getting underway soon!  In the meantime, check out NHL.com’s gameday preview here.

First Period

20:00 – And we’re underway in Vancouver.  The goalies are Josh Harding and Roberto Luongo tonight.  The Wild start with Belanger, Clutterbuck and Kobasew on forward and Zidlicky and Zanon on D.

19:15 – Kesler got through pretty cleanly and went down, but looked like it was under his own power.

18:47 – G-Lat will be going to the box as he chop blocked Mason Raymond.  Powerplay to Vancouver as they have started out pretty strong.

18:16 – Josh Harding looked to be blowing the game as he dropped to his knees with the puck on the goal line and Daniel Sedin shelfs the puck.  Goal Vancouver.

17:06 – Havlat’s line is buzzing, but no quality scoring chances come from it.  Incidentally, the scratches for the Wild are Scott (healthy), Ebbett (concussion) and Nolan (lower body).

14:57 – Good scoring chance by..wait for it…Derek Boogaard!  The Canucks took exception to the fact that Boogaard actually hit the net and it looks like the refs gave him a penalty for it.  Actually, it was Boogaard retaliating on a Hordichuk jab after the play, but the first part sounds better.

13:44 – 2-0 Canucks early, as Mason Raymond takes a nice shot between the feet of Kim Johnsson to beat Harding.  This could be a short night for the team’s backup.

12:19 – Good interference defensive play by Miettinen to take Raymond out of the play as Schultz got caught pinching in the neutral zone.

11:40 – Something happened to someone and we have a stoppage.  TV Timeout!!

11:03 – Boarding coming to Schneider on Sheppard.  My God.  That was an ugly hit.  Shep is fine, but that should have been more than 2 minutes.  Powerplay Minnesota.

10:03 – Is he even human!!?!?  Bobby Lou just ROBBED Miettinen with a brilliant glove save.  My goodness that was a beautiful save!!

9:03 – The penalty expires without anything of note happening, other than Louie’s glove save.  Another lackluster powerplay from the Wild.

8:02 – Save by Luongo and the teams decide to dogpile after the fact.  I wonder if Luongo had any say in the matter?

7:04 – Icing on Vancouver after a very nice breakout by the Wild.  Havlat got the puck in full stride, but Mitchell played it fantastically and forced him to shoot, helping Luongo make the save.

6:05 – Just as I was about to say “What in the world is Shane Hnidy doing sitting on the doorstep,” Havlat hits Hnidy on the backdoor (sounds strange, I know) and Hnidy buries it to make it 2-1!

5:50 – Clutterbuck says hello to Luongo after a whistle and Vancouver doesn’t like that.  I don’t understand it.  He was just complimenting his flowing brown locks.

5:39 – A great tic-tac-toe play by Vancouver ended up loose in front of Harding and Zidlicky tapped it into the corner.  Actually, it was more like tic-tac-tac-tac-toe.

5:05 – Harding makes a nice save with Burrows sitting on his shoulder.  Not sure, but that might have been just a touch of interference, but Harding saved the puck so no-harm, no-foul.

3:15 – After a mismatch in lines, Burrows sniped Harding high, glove-side.  Harding just looks to be fighting it as he’s giving up far too many rebounds.

2:20 – Good sharp angle shot by Raymond.  After drawing close, the Wild are really pressing a little too hard and are giving up some good chances.

1:27 – G-Lat is making his second trip to the box for interference.  Looks like Richards is giving the ref a hard time for the way he called the penalty…A little shimmy, a little shake and the Wild are shorthanded.

37.1 – Vancouver decided to be kind and even it up for the Wild as Ehrhoff gets the gate for Holding the Stick.

04.9 – The attack of the non-scoring defensemen!  Greg Zanon decides to join the rush, makes a beautiful no-look pass to Havlat, then bats it out of mid-air to deflect it off of Luongo to pull the Wild within one.

00.0 – An exciting first period comes to an end as the Wild are down by one, 3-2.  I’ll be back in roughly 17 minutes with the second!

Second Period

20:00 – And the period is underway as the Wild try to find the equalizer.  A side note, I’m really enjoying Mikko Koivu’s new “grill.”  If you haven’t seen it, it’s quite marvelous.

19:40 – They just showed Backstrom sitting on the bench.  My Lord does he look bored.  He must have forgotten to bring his PSP.

19:04 – Wild have a short powerplay and Miettinen JUST misses a beautiful scoring chance.

17:45 – Who says G-Lat doesn’t have wheels?  He outskates a couple Canucks and takes a nice shot on Luongo.  He’s obviously trying to make up for his two penalties in the first.

16:44 – Good rush by the Wild.  Koivu gets off a great shot from the boards and force a stoppage.

16:05 – Interesting save by Harding.  Mitchell’s shot hits the end of his stick and knocks it out of his hand as the puck flies out of play.

14:30 – The defensemen on the ice for the ‘Nucks just need to take a seat.  Sami Salo just got deked out by…Derek Boogaard.  Words just don’t describe the embarrassment.

12:36 – Brodziak almost gets a very good chance, but the puck just snuck off his stick as Mitchell pushed it to the corner.  Great pressure this period by the Wild.

9:42 – Consecutive penalties coming.  Looks like Bieksa for the ‘Nucks for interference and Boogaard for the Wild for…Get this…Diving.  My mistake.  Bieksa is still on the ice.  ’Nucks PP.

8:45 – Good penalty killing by the Wild as Clutterbuck wrangles Raymond down and the Wild clear the zone.

7:40 – Wild kill off the penalty and we’re even again.

7:17 – Sometimes you’d rather be lucky than good and Luongo was definitely lucky on that one as the puck just seemed to find Luongo’s crotch as he’s sprawled.  On the up side, Minnesota has the powerplay as Raymond goes for hooking.

7:05 – Looks like the Wild will have a four minute powerplay as Raymond gets the gate for hooking AND holding the stick.

6:25 – Note to the Wild: Don’t shoot glove-side high on Luongo.  He’ll save it.

5:17 – First of the double minor is over and the Wild are putting some great pressure on the ‘Nucks.

4:21 – Sheppard gets a nice hit in on Kesler with a beautiful shoulder in the Wild’s own end.  Good physical play by the youngster who is playing another great game.

3:22 – Minnesota is just a bit offsides as it breaks up some great pressure.

00.0 – Scoreless period, but a very good one nonetheless.  The score remains at 3-2 and we’ll be back in 17!

Third Period

20:00 – And we’re underway!  Minnesota is looking to even the score here as the third starts.

18:04 – Wild are scrambling a bit in their own zone as Vancouver has come out very strong.  The top line of Koivu-Bruno-Miettinen spent their entire shift in their own zone.

17:07 – Sheppard fires a good shot on Luongo as Bobby Lou looked to be out of position after playing the puck but, of course, Luongo makes the save.

16:56 – I guess that’s the benefit of being Roberto Luongo as a quick whistle stops the play before he has the puck frozen.

15:45 – Incidentally, who are these centers and what have they done with our normal ones?  The Wild are DOMINATING the face off circle.  Sheppard is the only player on the team with less than a 70% faceoff percentage.

14:51 – Havlat is going to go for high sticking as Hansen gets clocked by Havlat’s stick after he lifts the stick.  Tough penalty, but a good call nonetheless, and my fantasy team gets that much happier.

14:41 – I’m good!!  Zanon gets clocked in the shoulder by a shot from Salo, then hops right back up and looks ready to go.

13:49 – The Wild are dead set on wearing a hole into Luongo’s glove as Clutterbuck gets a solid shorthanded chance.

13:16 – And it’s a two goal game once again as Ryan Kesler gets a shot on net and it looked like Bernier deflected it.  Zidlicky also got away with one after the goal as he dumped Bernier well after the horn.

12:05 – Harding is still fighting it as he had to make a nice sliding save.  Way out of position, but still a nice save.

11:16 – Funny moment between Havlat and O’Brien.  Havlat and O’Brien are jawing at one another and Havlat reaches up and unhooks O’Brien’s chinstrap.  Wow.  Just wow.

9:12 – Maybe…Just MAYBE interference on Havlat as he lays a nice pick for Brodziak.  No call and play continues.

8:20 – So much for G-Lat being soft too.  He just LEVELED a Ehrhoff behind the Vancouver net.  Great hit.

6:20 – The pace is picking up as the Canucks are putting the pedal down, applying pressure quite successfully.

5:29 – Good save by Luongo on Clutterbuck and the Wild continue to insist on shooting glove-side high.  It’s time for the Wild to put the hammer down and try to pull out another win.

3:57 – A Sedin to Sedin centering attempt is broken up by Johnsson.  Great heads up defense as the Canucks continue to pressure.

2:00 – Good pressure by the Wild and Luongo has had to come up big a couple times.  Wild are really pressing as Vancouver just dumps the puck deep.

1:06 – Extra attacker on for the Wild and Oh My God has Marty Havlat arrived in Minnesota!!  What a play by Havlat to get the puck to Brunette and get right to the net for the goal!

29.6 – To be honest, there was so much going on in front of the net I don’t exactly know what happened…But the  bottom line is that Luongo got the save.  Great pressure by Minnesota.

00.0 – A spirited effort by the Wild, but to no avail as they fall 4-3.  Stop back later tonight or tomorrow for my thoughts on the game!