A proud 'town' is reduced to jeers

Failures on the power play and one ultra-soft Flyers goal left Minnesota Wild fans at Xcel Energy Center in a state of dissatisfaction.

By MICHAEL RUSSO, Star Tribune

Last update: December 6, 2007 - 6:41 AM

St. Paul being anointed the new Hockeytown, U.S.A., by Sports Illustrated wasn't enough to keep the sold-out crowd at Xcel Energy Center satisfied Wednesday night.

The "Team of 18,000" wasn't happy and voiced its displeasure numerous times during the Wild's 3-1 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers by booing the Wild's power play and sending an ear-splitting Bronx cheer at Niklas Backstrom in the third period.

In the end, the Wild goalie was outdueled by his Finnish counterpart and former Finnish National Team teammate, the Flyers' Antero Niittymaki, who made 28 saves and several clutch ones early as the Wild's four-game winning streak ended.

"He came across, he was always square to the puck, even on one-timers," left wing Brian Rolston said. "If we could have gone up maybe one or two goals early, it would have been a different hockey game."

Against the 26th-ranked road penalty kill, the Wild went 1-for-8 on the power play, including no goals on two long 5-on-3 advantages. The first came early, but Niittymaki made three saves. The second came in the third period and the Wild didn't even register a shot.

"We had no movement at all," coach Jacques Lemaire said.

"We stayed on the outside trying to feed the guy in the slot and the guy was covered. We just stood still."

The Wild, which lost its top spot in the Northwest Division and now embarks on a five-game trip, was again without power-play personnel Mark Parrish, Mikko Koivu, Kurtis Foster and Petteri Nummelin.

With Kim Johnsson playing the power-play point, the Wild missed Foster's big shot.

Lemaire said Foster might play Friday in Detroit. Lemaire said he didn't think Parrish, who's missed three games because of a hip injury, was ready to return.

With Parrish out, Aaron Voros, Branko Radivojevic and Todd Fedoruk played the power play.

"Parrie's the best in the business in front of the net," Rolston said. "I joked to him that I think I would have had three goals last game if he was there."

The Wild also lost defenseman Nick Schultz with a throat injury. He spent Wednesday night in a hospital and won't play in Detroit and Columbus, meaning he'll at least miss his second and third NHL games because of injury of his six-year career.

Trailing 2-0 after first-period goals by Scottie Upshall and Jeff Carter, the Wild cut the deficit to 2-1 55 seconds into the second period on Pavol Demitra's first goal since Nov. 1.

But Niittymaki never allowed the Wild to tie it. That was important because the Flyers are 13-0 when leading after two periods. Then, Backstrom surrendered a back-breaking goal from outside the blue line to defenseman Braydon Coburn four minutes into the third.

"I don't know if there was something else I could have done," Backstrom said. "I was outside the paint. [Backup Josh Harding] told me it just rose. I didn't even touch it with my glove."

The goal, Rolston said, "let a little air out of our tires."

Added Lemaire, "Everyone felt at that time we needed one shot. We had plenty of time to get that shot and tie the game. It was not a good goal."

The fans didn't forgive Backstrom, mocking him after he stopped Scott Hartnell's 80-footer 90 seconds later.

Voros thought he scored on a first-period power play. He raised his arms, which caused referee Brad Meier to point at the goal as if Voros indeed scored. Replays showed Niittymaki made the save, so the goal was disallowed.

"I must have fooled [Meier]," Voros said.

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