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Two Wild newcomers come up big

David Zalubowski, Associated Press

Kyle Quincey, center, cleared the puck from behind the net while battling with Wild forwards Andrew Ebbett, and Robbie Earl in the second period.

Guillaume Latendresse tied it late, and Andrew Ebbett sealed it in the shootout.

By MICHAEL RUSSO, Star Tribune

Last update: November 30, 2009 - 1:13 AM

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WILD 3, COLORADO 2 (SO)

Up next: vs. Nashville • 7 p.m. Wednesday

Xcel Energy Center • TV: Ch. 45 (830-AM)

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DENVER - What a week for the Wild newcomers.

Andrew Ebbett's goal Wednesday. Chuck Kobasew's hat trick Friday. And Saturday night, in only his second game in a Wild sweater, Guillaume Latendresse was just as advertised.

Latendresse crashed the net and scored a big third-period tying goal to catapult the Wild to a 3-2, come-from-behind shootout victory that completed a home-and-home sweep of the Colorado Avalanche.

The Wild was so successful this weekend against the Avs, the Wild's plane probably beat Colorado's in a race to Denver between games.

"Two huge wins versus our rivals in two days," said Latendresse, quickly realizing which division foes he's not supposed to like. "We knew we were playing better than them. We knew we should have had this game easy in regulation. But hockey's like that. We dominate and we're down 2-0. We got the big two points though."

Mikko Koivu scored his 18th career shootout goal, and Ebbett, who had a third-period tying goal disallowed by the Toronto war room because it was ruled he batted the puck in with his glove, scored on his first career shootout attempt after initially losing the puck.

"I went to deke a second time, and the puck just slid ahead of me," Ebbett said, laughing. "I was trying to get it upstairs. Once I lost it, I just tried to find a hole and luckily it found a way through [Craig Anderson's] legs.

"I'm just happy. They showed a lot of faith putting me in the shootout my third game here."

Eric Belanger got the rally started with a goal 57 seconds into the second period, and Josh Harding made 10 of his 20 saves in the third period, and two more in the shootout, for his first win of the season.

"It's not an easy league to win in," said Harding, who kept the deficit to one in the second period with a glove save on Paul Stastny's shorthanded breakaway. "This one definitely feels good."

The Wild fell behind 2-0 in the first on goals by Blaine's Matt Hendricks and 18-year-old rookie Matt Duchene. But the Wild had the majority of the chances only to be foiled by Anderson (34 saves).

"For the first 40 minutes, we really controlled the play," coach Todd Richards said. "The first 20, we were down 2-0 and it was really a shame. We had some great, great opportunities."

But the Wild kept pressuring and spent almost all 20 minutes of the second period in the offensive zone. The Wild forecheck and work ethic was downright scintillating, but again, Anderson held the Wild to the lone Belanger goal despite being outshot 14-3.

"We just stayed positive and positive and positive," Koivu said. "We knew it would come."

It did, comically, after Owen Nolan mistakenly jumped on the ice ahead of the correct teammate, Cal Clutterbuck. Hey, whatever works. After Shane Hnidy kept an Avs clear in the zone, Nolan took a bad-angle shot that Anderson popped out to a charging Latendresse for his first goal since Oct. 31.

"It was a great goal," said Richards.

After warmups, defenseman Marek Zidlicky couldn't play because of a lower-body injury. That meant power-play pointmen Zidlicky and Brent Burns were out, as well as forwards Martin Havlat, Petr Sykora and Antti Miettinen.

That wreaked havoc on the Wild's 0-for-4 power play, but it made no difference.

At even strength, which was such a struggle earlier this season, it was no contest.

"For a full 60 minutes, I don't know if we've played better than that," Harding said. "We were all over them. The guys came ready to play."

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