Wild fireworks are just too much

With inspired play in the third period, the Wild won for the second time in as many games by beating Columbus.

By Michael Russo, Star Tribune

Last update: October 9, 2007 - 12:45 AM

When Ken Hitchcock's right, he's right.

Aware that unhappy Wild counterpart Jacques Lemaire wanted to reverse his Lasik eye surgery after viewing the Wild's flat season-opening victory, the Columbus coach predicted the Wild would "crank up the volume" Saturday.

Though the volume maybe wasn't as ear-piercing as that new cannon that explodes after every Blue Jackets goal in Columbus, the much-more intense and energetic Wild made lots of noise during a come-from-behind 3-2 victory.

"I loved the way we played," Lemaire said. "We were intense in the neutral zone. Last game, we sat. We just sat."

Center Eric Belanger tied the score early in the third period, and defenseman Brent Burns scored the eventual winner five minutes later as an ecstatic sellout crowd got to spill into the streets for more noise -- a deafening postgame concert and fireworks display.

"Even though we won [Thursday], you can't take comfort in that when you don't play up to your ability," said left winger Brian Rolston, who assisted on all three Wild goals.

After teaming for the Wild's only goal Thursday, the Rolston-Belanger-Pierre-Marc Bouchard line accounted for seven points, with Belanger and Bouchard each notching a goal and an assist. In the Wild's two victories, no other forward has registered a point.

"We're really clicking," Belanger said of his high-octane line. "That third period, our team is capable of playing like that every night."

The Wild held a team meeting during the second intermission after Blue Jackets captain Adam Foote gave Columbus a 2-1 lead with 4 minutes, 29 seconds left in the second.

"I was a little scared because I felt that drop of intensity," Lemaire said.

But Bouchard said, "We regrouped, and you could see we were back right from the first shift of the third."

Less than two minutes in, Rolston's long attempt for Belanger bounced off defenseman Ole-Kristian Tollefsen's skate and right to Belanger as he flew into Columbus' end. He switched to his backhand and slipped his first goal between Norrena's pads.

With the crowd raucous, the Wild continued to buzz. Rolston finally won a puck battle in the corner and handed it to Bouchard, who wheeled around the net. Burns jumped into the right circle and one-timed a bullet off the left post and in at 6:35 of the period.

"With Butchy, he sees pretty much everything," Burns said. "I know when he gets it, he looks for that play. I just jumped in and he usually puts it right on the tape."

It was the third goal the Wild scored off neutral-zone turnovers -- Bouchard tied the score at 1 on a breakaway goal with 50 seconds left in the first.

"They played a playoff-style pace, and they played hard in the neutral zone," Foote said. "We got caught standing. They were skating and we weren't."

Lemaire had to scramble his lines an hour before the game because rookie James Sheppard couldn't debut because of a paperwork mishap. Mark Parrish popped up to the Pavol Demitra-Marian Gaborik line and Stephane Veilleux moved to the third line with Mikko Koivu and Branko Radivojevic.

Koivu, Veilleux and Radivojevic shut down Columbus' top line of Rick Nash, Sergei Fedorov and David Vyborny by spending much of the game in Columbus' end.

"These guys were tremendous," Lemaire said.

Michael Russo • mrusso@startribune.com