Todd Richards addressed his team Wednesday and made himself
crystal clear.
”
I’m sick and tired of getting booed at home. Minnesotans want an
honest effort,
”
the Wild coach said. Later that night, the Minnesota Wild
delivered just that, avoided getting booed and heard a whole lot of
cheers from the appreciative crowd of 19,131 during a 5-3
come-from-behind victory over the mighty San Jose Sharks.
ST. PAUL, Minn.
Todd Richards addressed his team Wednesday and made himself crystal clear.
“I’m sick and tired of getting booed at home. Minnesotans want an honest effort,” the Wild coach said.
Later that night, the Minnesota Wild delivered just that, avoided getting booed and heard a whole lot of cheers from the appreciative crowd of 19,131 during a 5-3 come-from-behind victory over the mighty San Jose Sharks.
Brent Burns broke a 3-3 deadlock with his 11th goal _ second among all NHL defensemen _ and set up Kyle Brodziak’s second goal of the night 80 seconds later to give Wild its first third-period home rally since “The Comeback” (four-goal third period against Chicago on Jan. 9, 2010).
The Wild played a strong all-around game from start to finish, which was a change for a team that had heard lots of jeers at home for its 8-8-2 record at Xcel Energy Center and 2-5-1 record in the previous eight.
Mikko Koivu and Chuck Kobasew also scored for the Wild, and Martin Havlat had two assists.
The game featured a goalie duel between former Finnish national team teammates and friends Niklas Backstrom and Antero Niittymaki. Backstrom made 29 saves, Niittymaki made 19.
The Wild may have suffered a serious loss. Late in the second period, defenseman Marek Zidlicky was checked hard into the Sharks’ bench by Jamie McGinn. Zidlicky’s shoulder and head hit the boards hard and he never returned. Richards said Zidlicky injured his shoulder and is expected to be out for a while.
Trailing 3-2, the Wild opened the third period on a four-minute power play after Koivu was high-sticked at the end of the second by Niclas Wallin.
Missing the heavy-shooting Zidlicky didn’t help matters, but the Wild went without a shot on the first half of the double-minor and saw Niittymaki stop four shots on the second.
But with the crowd sagging and against a team that was 15-1-2 when leading after two periods, Kobasew tied the score soon after when Nick Schultz’s wrister fell at his feet. The Wild kept mounting pressure and ultimately took a 4-3 lead when Burns’ wrister soared through former Sharks forward Brad Staubitz’s legs.
Soon after, Havlat deflected Burns’ shot wide and Brodziak’s rebound attempt deflected in off Sharks defenseman Jason Demers.
With the score tied at 1-1 to open the second, Logan Couture won a puck battle in the corner with Brodziak to set up Ryane Clowe. Backstrom denied Clowe’s shot, but the rebound ricocheted in off Devin Setoguchi’s arm.
But the Wild responded well, picking up the pressure and the majority of chances until Koivu three times smacked a puck before it squeezed through Niittymaki’s pads for a tie game.
The Sharks, however, would regain their one-goal lead after a Havlat hooking penalty. Backstrom, who had robbed Dan Boyle with a spectacular right pad save on a point-blank one-timer, couldn’t catch Patrick Marleau’s shot from the right circle moments later.
Things started well for the Wild. Despite barely getting into the zone and turning the puck over four times during the first three-quarters of its first power play, the Wild jumped out to a 1-0 lead on Brodziak’s seventh goal and third in the past four home games.
— Story by Michael Russo, Star Tribune (Minneapolis)
