Several teams put back-to-back myth to rest

By MICHAEL RUSSO , Star Tribune

Last update: January 22, 2008 - 1:09 AM

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA - The Wild has been virtually unbeatable this season in the second half of back-to-back games (7-1-1), so maybe there's no better circumstance for the Wild to play in Calgary than 24 hours after playing in Vancouver.

The Wild has won three games in 20 visits to Calgary. So playing in enemy territory -- the Saddledome -- usually doesn't do the Wild good when rested. Maybe being tired tonight will help.

"We haven't been great there obviously, we haven't had a good record, so maybe playing in the second of a back-to-back where you really have to push yourself will be good for us," said winger Brian Rolston. "We know we can compete with that team if we push ourselves."

For some reason this season, when two teams match up and one played the night before and one didn't, it has seemed the team playing back-to-back has had the edge. Look at Calgary's and Anaheim's recent visits to Xcel Energy Center, 24 hours after playing in Nashville.

The Wild has been extremely successful on the second night this season.

"It makes me laugh sometimes when you hear guys say, 'You've got to get on them, You've got to get on them, they played last night,' " center Eric Belanger said. "Most players feel better the next day. I don't know why that is, but it is."

Rolston believes it's a mental thing. Knowing that legs could turn to mush by the third period, most teams that played the night before come out on all cylinders in the first 10 minutes because they feel a lead is essential.

"You go into the game saying, 'I know I'm going to be tired,' so mentally you push yourself harder because you may not be fresh," Rolston said. "And, especially if you lose the night before, you want to bounce back."

Scoring dropoff for Voros

After scoring seven goals and 13 points in his first 21 games with the Wild, Vancouver native Aaron Voros had no points in a 10-game stretch heading into Monday's game with his hometown Canucks.

"He's not as sharp as he was at the start," said coach Jacques Lemaire, who even scratched Voros on Jan. 10 in Detroit. "I've seen passes that don't get to him, I've seen passes that instead of being on his stick, it's in his skates behind him, I've seen that when he drives at the net, he doesn't get the puck as much as he was. He's not as good now battling for the puck as he was.

"It's all little things that he's just dropped a notch, and it makes a huge difference."

Boogaard gets animated

Derek Boogaard figured he would be the target of Canucks fans Monday night, but not only because of his "Pinky and the Brain Twins" line regarding Markus Naslund and the Sedin twins (Daniel and Henrik) after November's game.

"You know what it's like in every rink we go in," Boogaard said. "It's always like that. I'm not too worried about it."

Boogaard, incidentally, makes a cameo in an animated Canucks rap called "Trap It Like It's Hot" circulating the Internet. Go to www.youtube.com and search "Canucks rap."

"I thought it was funny," Boogaard said. "Whoever did that is a pretty clever guy."

Etc.

• Wild scratches were Branko Radivojevic, Matt Foy and Petteri Nummelin. ... Former Wild defenseman Willie Mitchell missed the game for Vancouver because of a back injury.

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