Wild: Burst of energy wasted in defeat

Marian Gaborik came out and generated excitement, but his coach said subpar contributions from many teammates added up to a loss.

By Michael Russo, Star Tribune

Last update: November 4, 2007 - 11:30 PM

In Slovakia, Halloween must be on Nov. 1.

For the first time this season, Marian Gaborik dressed for the occasion Thursday night. He threw on his Marian Gaborik costume and looked a lot closer to the fast, threatening Marian Gaborik who starred for the Wild during last season's second half.

Still, the return of Gaborik and tag-team partner Pavol Demitra wasn't enough to end the Wild's spooky Western Conference stumble as the St. Louis Blues edged the Wild 3-2 at Xcel Energy Center.

After starting the season 7-0-1, the Wild's losing streak stretched to five games (0-4-1), its longest winless streak since a seven-game slide Feb. 22-March 7, 2004.

"It was our best line by a mile," coach Jacques Lemaire said of the Gaborik-Mikko Koivu-Demitra trio. "But we've got to work harder to get out of this. There's no other way. Tonight we've got six, seven guys that could play better, if not 10.

"That's not enough."

Gaborik, who missed two games because of a sore groin, and Demitra, who missed four games with a strained groin, each assisted on the other's goal. But a goal by Blues defenseman Jay McKee at 7 minutes, 36 seconds of the third period ended a six-game Minnesota losing streak for the Blues.

Lemaire pinned the goal on defenseman Brent Burns, who while flatfooted, got tied up with Blues enforcer D.J. King at the blue line. Lemaire felt Burns was trying to draw an interference penalty rather than check an oncoming Ryan Johnson along the left boards.

Johnson flew into the zone and fed a pinching McKee for the winning one-timer.

"[Burns] threw himself down there, but it was not a penalty," Lemaire said. "He could have made the effort to stay on his feet and try to stop the guy. It's little stuff like that that doesn't work for us."

Burns said: "The guy tangled my feet up. I wouldn't have tried to draw a penalty there."

The Wild pressured the final 10 minutes, but goalie Manny Legace was clutch, making nine of his 23 saves for a Blues team that entered with the second-fewest goals allowed in the West.

"We were sleeping in the second, and they took advantage of it," the Wild's Eric Belanger said. "In the third, we had some good chances, but they're so tight, you can't really get anything going. It's a style that frustrates you."

The Wild, after taking a 1-0 lead on Gaborik's second goal of the season, played a ghastly middle period beginning with enforcer Derek Boogaard's interference penalty.

As Boogaard skated to the bench, he tried to subtly shove McKee, who hit the deck. Boogaard, who didn't see another shift, sat in the penalty box as Keith Tkachuk tied the score 1-1, the sixth consecutive game in which the Wild gave up a power-play goal.

"It was stupid of me and I shouldn't have done it," Boogaard said. "I gave those guys a goal."

Martin Rucinsky gave St. Louis a 2-1 lead when his centering feed deflected in off Wild defenseman Kurtis Foster, but the Wild got good luck returned when Tkachuk put Demitra's pass to Koivu into St. Louis' net.

But the fragile Wild found a way to lose another in the third.

"You have to win home games tied 2-2 in the third -- plain and simple," Brian Rolston said. "They got the one they needed, and we didn't get the one we needed. That's a good hockey team, but we weren't at our best again.

"We have to work our way out of this."

Michael Russo • mrusso@startribune.com

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