Post-Game Thoughts

So…We lost 4-1…BUT, we actually didn’t play too bad. 

We limited their chances and, were it not for a couple defensive gaffes, we might have been able to force overtime.  One goal was an empty netter and two of the remaining three were one timers where Backstrom didn’t have much of a chance on because he was moving laterally from down low to face a shooter that was up high – this is one of the hardest shots for a goalie to stop because they have to change both their positioning AND their angle.  The d-men have got to break up those passes to help Backs out, and they just didn’t tonight. 

Here are some thoughts: 

* Burnsie is starting to look like the old Burnsie again.  He got chances, he created plays, he played physical and he wasn’t a huge liability in the defensive zone.  A funky bounce got him caught pinching on Heatley’s beautiful goal and he just flat out gave Mitchell too much space on his goal, but he played much better than his minus-4 would indicate. 

* I’m always the first to jump to Backstrom’s defense, and I don’t think there was much that he could have done on all three of San Jose’s goals last night, but the Wild needed him to come up with a big save in the third and he couldn’t do it.  He made a couple really nice saves, and the goal in the third was by no means his fault…But that’s the biggest difference this season from last is that last season, he came up with the big save(s) when the team needed him to.  This season, for whatever reason, it’s just not there right now. 

* You could definitely tell that Wellman was a rookie last night.  He definitely didn’t play his best game.  He was all over the place (not really in a good way) and there were a few times where he extended his shifts when he really shouldn’t have.  It’ll come, and he’s got a ton of promise, but he’s got a lot to learn yet. 

* Latendresse continues to just be absolutely amazing.  He scored the lone goal last night and, honestly, if he doesn’t have an A on his chest sometime in the next couple years there’s something wrong.  You can tell that he’s getting more and more comfortable with the team and with the coaching staff because he’s much more vocal on the bench and on the ice now.  The thing that I love most about him?  He doesn’t have any flashy goal celebrations.  He pumps his fist, then he waits for his teammates to get there.  None of this jumping into the boards crap, no skating past the guy that fed him the puck to pretend he’s shooting an arrow off of his stick…He just wants to celebrate with his teammates.  THAT is why he’s going to be a successful player for us for years to come. 

* Clutterbuck was absolutely invisible last night.  I don’t know if he even got a hit…That’s how invisible he was. 

* The Wild need to find a consistent finisher to play with Koivu and Brunette.  Miettinen is good, but he looks lost out there with those two at times.  They need a Bertuzzi-like power forward to play with them (Bertuzzi back when he actually was a force to be reckoned with, not now)…Someone who can get to the tight areas on the ice.  The Sharks clamped down last night, but there were small openings around the net…We just need a player willing to get into those small openings and get the puck. 

* Richards was mixing and matching lines so much last night that I thought Lemaire was back behind the bench.  He was trying ANYTHING to get some offense going.  At one point, he even stuck Sheppard in on the first line between Bruno and Miettinen and put Koivu between Wellman and Nolan. 

* While we’re not mathematically eliminated, it’s going to be pretty darn hard for us to make the playoffs.  Essentially, we have to win out and even then we still aren’t guaranteed a spot.  The good news is, though, that we’ve got a very young team and next year will look a lot better.