Wild slow to stir from two-period sleepwalk

Bruce Bisping, Star Tribune

Minnesota goalie Niklas Backstrom and Vancouver's Mason Raymond battled for the puck in first-period action.

After a pair of inspired victories, the team stumbled against its division rival, and tried to recover when it was too late.

By MICHAEL RUSSO, Star Tribune

Last update: November 6, 2009 - 12:55 AM

Wild coach Todd Richards sensed it coming.

After four days off following victories over the Rangers and Penguins, Richards worried about his team "getting too high on yourselves."

"We still have to remember where we're at," Richards said Thursday morning. "All you have to do is look at the standings."

The Wild is the worst team in the Western Conference, and it reverted back to that during a 5-2 loss to the wounded, yet gutty Vancouver Canucks on Thursday night.

"I thought maybe [we'd have] a little bit of a slow start, maybe a little bit of rust, but that pretty much lasted the whole first period," Richards said.

Despite Kyle Brodziak twice pulling the Wild within one goal, the Wild couldn't make up for a flat first period, shoddy second period and its customary momentum-killing power play.

From goaltender Niklas Backstrom on out, the Wild was a sloppy bunch during a seventh loss in eight games to the rival Canucks. The last two goals were on the soft side, and Backstrom was pulled after 40 minutes.

"We weren't managing the puck very well. We turned a lot of pucks over early," said defenseman Greg Zanon. "I don't know what it is. Obviously there's no answers [for the slow starts]. You'd like to think everybody was ready."

The Wild, which lacks depth at center, might have sustained a significant injury. Eric Belanger, tied for the team scoring lead, left in the second period with what the Wild is calling an upper-body injury.

Less than four minutes in, maligned center James Sheppard attempted a blind backhander between the circles of his own zone. He handed the puck to plumber Darcy Hordichuk, who beat Backstrom on a slapper.

It not only was Hordichuk's first goal in 50 games, but it also came off his first shot in 14 games this season.

Sheppard, who has no points in 14 games, had a chance to make amends moments later, but he sailed a shot from between the circles wide of goalie Andrew Raycroft.

The sellout crowd turned as lifeless as the team for whom they were rooting.

"We weren't skating, and it looked like we weren't ready to battle," Brodziak said.

The Wild couldn't make a play, couldn't make a pass, couldn't get out of its zone. The zebras gave the Wild three first-period power plays, and the Wild managed three shots in the period. Boogaard took four minutes of penalties at the 20-minute mark, and Mason Raymond made it 2-0 early in the second.

Brodziak scored soon after, and the Wild finally discovered its legs. It buzzed five shifts in a row until Sheppard drew a power play.

But like it's done so often, the Wild's power play ruined everything. Not only didn't the Wild score, the team gave up its league-leading fourth shorthanded goal to Henrik Sedin.

"Crushing," Richards called it.

Brodziak cut the deficit back to one 33 seconds later, but Backstrom surrendered a bad-angled goal from newly signed Matt Pettinger two minutes after that.

Offensively, the Wild has scored more than three goals once, and not since Oct. 6. Players, especially Martin Havlat (no goals since Oct. 8), keep looking for the perfect play instead of simply shooting.

"He's taken steps," Richards said of Havlat. "Just like everyone else, we have to find solutions."

And quick.

"You'd like to go on a nine-, 10-game win streak, but it's not going to happen in this league," Zanon said. "We just have to dig in and make sure we come back to work with the right attitude."

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