Players quickly shake off setback

There were plenty of positives to take away from the loss, Brian Rolston says: "We'll be fine. This is one game."

By KENT YOUNGBLOOD, Star Tribune

Last update: April 10, 2008 - 12:33 AM

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Moments after the game was over, around the corner from his locker, Brian Rolston shrugged his shoulders, practically sneered.

Did he have a choice?

Rolston is a leader for the Wild, and there was no way he could show concern even if he felt it.

But he said he didn't.

The Wild lost the first game of the best-of-seven Western Conference quarterfinals 3-2 in overtime to Colorado. In the process the Wild also lost home-ice advantage.

But there was Rolston, who had played such a good game, assisting on the first Wild goal and helping to set up the second, putting on his game face two days before Game 2. There was Rolston, repeating what he had said to his teammates minutes before.

"We're fine," Rolston said. "We'll be fine, just fine. This is one game. We came back. We fought hard. And I think we can play better. I think we'll be fine."

After the game the Wild players did the only thing they could do -- take the positives from a devastating loss and look forward.

For example:

• That the Wild came out strong, doing everything but scoring in a first period in which the Avalanche was outshot 11-2.

• That the Wild, down 2-0 after two periods, charged back with two goals in the first six-plus minutes of the third, getting one goal from Mikko Koivu and an unexpectedly skillful tying goal on the power play from Todd Fedoruk.

• That this is still a seven-game series, with six more to play.

"We have to forget this and move on," said Wild goaltender Niklas Backstrom, whose save on a third-period penalty shot by Ryan Smith with 2 1/2 minutes left in regulation would have been the turning point on another night.

"This was a good lesson for us," Backstrom said. "We played well, but they got the goals in the beginning. We believe in the way we played, the way we fought back. We played more relaxed to start the third period. We have to hold on to that."

Hold on is right. Colorado relied on its playoff experience to get this victory; Joe Sakic scored the goal in overtime, his eighth playoff overtime winner. He also assisted on the first Colorado goal and had a key save on the blue line to keep a power play alive that resulted in Colorado's second goal.

The Wild will now have to learn from this experience. Game 2 is at Xcel Energy Center on Friday night. After that, back-to-back games in Denver on Monday and Tuesday.

Worried? The Wild didn't show it.

"We have to forget [the loss], take the good things out of it, and work on the things we didn't do that well and be ready for the next one," Koivu said. "We need four wins. They got the first one, but we'll be ready for the next one and battle hard."

Of course, there is no choice in that matter.

Which is why Rolston was leading the way, putting on a brave face.

"We will regroup [today], talk a little more and go from there," he said.

"That's just the way it is."

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