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Wild reshuffle playoff deck with Gaborik's goals

Paul J. Bereswill, Associated Press

The Wild's Andrew Brunette beat Islanders goalie Yann Danis for a goal in Minnesota's 6-2 victory.

In a crazy, chippy game against the NHL's worst team, Marian Gaborik got four points and the Wild reasserted its postseason hopes.

By MICHAEL RUSSO, Star Tribune

Last update: March 26, 2009 - 8:25 AM

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WILD 6, NEW YORK ISLANDERS 2

Up next: at Calgary • 9 p.m. Saturday • TV: FSN (830-AM)

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UNIONDALE, N.Y. - If this was Texas Hold 'em, Teddy KGB would have a conniption fit.

Like that famous scene from "Rounders" goes, the Wild is stubbornly "Hanging around. Hanging around. Hanging around."

Refusing to fold its cards, the Wild is back in the playoff picture after Wednesday night's 6-2 rout over the New York Islanders -- or in reality, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers.

In a physical, often-nasty game against a bunch of no-names thanks to Islanders injuries, Marian Gaborik, in his third game after hip surgery, registered a four-point game (two goals and two assists) for the first time since his five-goal, six-point game against the Rangers on Dec. 20, 2007.

Veterans Owen Nolan and Andrew Brunette had a goal and two assists each, Marek Zidlicky had three assists, Antti Miettinen and Martin Skoula scored a goal apiece and Niklas Backstrom made 32 saves.

"We had to get this game no matter what," Gaborik said.

The Wild crept back to 10th in the West, tying idle ninth-place Nashville with 78 points -- one point behind Edmonton for eighth.

"[The Islanders] tried to run us out of the building, but the guys kept coming," coach Jacques Lemaire said.

Added Cal Clutterbuck, "It's a team that's got nothing to play for, so you've got guys not really caring if they take stupid penalties at stupid times. That's what they did. ... Good thing nobody got hurt."

The tone was set in the first period when 6-8 Wild defenseman John Scott creamed Milwaukee native Joel Rechlicz, nicknamed "the Wrecker" in the minors, in a fight.

But things boiled over when, at the first-intermission buzzer, Wild defenseman Nick Schultz took exception to Blake Comeau hitting him high. Schultz slashed him, then Miettinen shoved him just as a Nassau Coliseum security guard swung open the door to let the Wild off the ice.

Comeau crashed through, and a mini-melee erupted with Kyle Okposo jumping Miettinen. An incensed Okposo then started screaming into the Wild bench.

"You'd think [Comeau would] rather get a shot on net, but I guess he'd rather throw an elbow. It was unfortunate or fortunate, I guess, that the guy was opening the door and through he went," Schultz said, laughing.

The Islanders came out physically in the second, but the Wild stood up to the challenge and blew the game open on goals by Nolan (one of three Wild power-play goals) and Skoula.

Okposo, a St. Paul native and former Gopher, especially played on the edge, best displayed by cross-checking Zidlicky in the third.

It was a bizarre, disjointed game at times.

"It had a little bit of everything in there -- 3-on-3, 4-on-4, 5-on-3," Nolan said. "It was crazy."

Gaborik was terrific, tying the score after Bruno Gervais' opening goal, scoring a 5-on-3 goal and setting up goals by Nolan and Brunette.

"He's skating better and better every night," Lemaire said of Gaborik. "He's doing a great job. He's just a catalyst on this team right now. He's playing as good as he was when he was at his best."

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