Pouliot gets winner in preseason opener

Bruce Bisping, Star Tribune

Colton Gillies screened Columbus goalie Fredrik Norrena during the first period of the Wild’s 2-1 preseason victory Wednesday.

By MICHAEL RUSSO, Star Tribune

Last update: September 25, 2008 - 7:31 AM

Benoit Pouliot, the 2005 first-round pick vying to be the Wild's fourth center, got off to a grand start by scoring the winning goal early in the third period of the Wild's 2-1 exhibition victory over Columbus on Wednesday night.

Pouliot sent a pass to veteran Owen Nolan at the blue line, but the puck clanked off Nolan's skates as he fell and rolled. But Pouliot corralled the puck and drove to the net, and he backhanded a beauty over Fredrik Norrena off the partial break.

"[Pouliot] had good energy, he was on the puck," coach Jacques Lemaire said. "Hopefully he's going to keep going on the same track."

Pouliot played in every situation: "I got a little power play, a little penalty kill, a little bit of everything. I felt good out there the whole game and hopefully I can keep it going."

Former Gopher Danny Irmen, trying to make an impression, was the chief victim of a penalty-plagued game (16 power plays).

Early in the second, Irmen was handed a five-minute major and game misconduct for boarding veteran Richard Matvichuk.

"I felt it was a clean hit," Irmen said. "I'm more mad that it cost the team, but second, it probably hurt my chances even more."

Kim Johnsson also scored for the Wild.

Shootout struggles

Wild fans will be happy to know Niklas Backstrom spent the summer working on shootouts.

"Not a surprise," he grinned before making 22 saves in the preseason opener.

Backstrom has the NHL's third-worst shootout winning percentage (4-15, .267) and second-worst save percentage (26 saves, 53 attempts, .491).

Finnish shooters are among the NHL's most successful, and they took breakaway after breakaway on Backstrom. He spent a lot of time talking with Toronto's Vesa Toskala, who also struggles in shootouts.

"I hope I learned something," Backstrom said, before adding with a smile, "I'm not sure, I think Vesa has a worse record than me."

Actually, Toskala has the seventh-worst save percentage at .533, although he lost seven in a row at one point.

Kolanos returns

Krys Kolanos has resurfaced. The former Boston College standout and 2000 first-round pick by Phoenix all but disappeared as he went from team to team in North America and Europe.

But after scoring 30 goals and 63 points last season with Calgary's farm club, Quad City, the Wild signed Kolanos, 27, as a free agent.

Kolanos was expected to have a promising career but missed much of 2002 and 2003 because of a concussion, and subsequent post-concussion syndrome.

Kolanos created lots of chances Wednesday and had five shots.

Etc.

• Marian Gaborik (quadriceps) sat with his brother, Wild scout Branislav Gaborik, in the press box Wednesday.

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