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Home | Sports | Minnesota Wild

Late lapses cost Wild point vs. Lightning

Cruising with a two-goal lead in the third, Minnesota made two crucial miscues, then lost in a shootout.

By MICHAEL RUSSO, Star Tribune

Last update: November 13, 2009 - 12:34 PM

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TAMPA BAY 4, WILD 3 (SO)

Up next: at Washington • 6 tonight

TV: FSN (106.1-FM, 107.5-FM)

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TAMPA, FLA. — As Wild players ripped off tape, unlaced skates and removed pads Thursday night, forwards Kyle Brodziak and Cal Clutterbuck sat at stalls 20 feet apart still wearing wet gear and staring irritably at the ground.

With the Wild in full control and en route to what looked like a cinch of a third consecutive victory, a pair of mistakes by Brodziak and Clutterbuck on one play midway through the third period led to a Tampa Bay Lightning goal and the Wild's eventual downfall in a 4-3 shootout loss.

"I made a terrible play at the red line. My mistake cost us the game. I take responsibility for this," Clutterbuck said, dejectedly.

"No, I've got a make a better play," Brodziak insisted.

It was a disappointing finish because the Wild had outplayed the Lightning in virtually every facet. But with the Wild ahead 3-1 on goals by Benoit Pouliot, Kim Johnsson and Owen Nolan, the Brodziak/Clutterbuck gaffes led to Steve Downie's goal.

Then after Marek Zidlicky took his second minor penalty of the third period with 1 minute, 18 seconds left, former St. Cloud State Husky Ryan Malone sent the game to overtime with 14.7 seconds left.

"We have to know what we're doing in the last two minutes," said goalie Niklas Backstrom, who had to face a 6-on-3 disadvantage late in Tuesday's victory at Toronto. "We can't take penalties every night. We got away with it last game. Lesson learned today."

In the shootout, the Lightning, which hadn't scored a single goal in four previous shootout losses, got goals from Vincent Lecavalier and Steven Stamkos to cap the Tampa Bay thievery.

The Lightning looked destined for its first regulation home loss after Nolan looked like the 1990s version of himself and scored inarguably the Wild's "Goal of the Season" in the second period.

With the Wild pinned its zone after giving up a league-leading fifth shorthanded goal, Nolan, 37, took charge by grabbing the puck and basically going coast to coast. He went with speed from his own blue line to the other, faked left, went right and drove up the gut with defenseman David Hale draped all over him.

While falling, Nolan whipped a shot from between the circles off the far post and in.

The only thing Nolan didn't do was call his shot like he did in the 1997 All-Star Game against Dominik Hasek.

"In the NHL, you don't see that," coach Todd Richards said.

"I just decided to try something, and it panned out," Nolan said, smiling.

But in the third period, the Wild made a critical mistake. Brodziak fanned on a pass on a 3-on-1.

"I'm still not sure what happened -- if it bounced over or went under my stick. I lost it," Brodziak said.

The Lightning countered, and with Clutterbuck skating backwards, his legs gave out and he tried to recover by lunging for the puck.

"I thought I was going to get it there, and then I realized I wasn't," Clutterbuck said. "So at the last second, I tried to chip the puck away and it ramped up my stick and over top of me as I fell down."

Now the Lightning was on a 3-on-1, and Downie, best known for his 20-game suspension in 2007, scored.

Then Zidlicky took the careless hooking penalty. The Wild did a solid job killing the penalty, but the one time the Lightning got a chance, Stamkos hit Malone.

"I don't care," Nolan said. "That's the way we have to play. We played a great game tonight, and we really deserved a better fate."

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