Few doubting Koivu's value as a go-to star

This might be the greatest job of scouting in the history of hockey. The Wild had the sixth pick in the draft in 2001, which was the second year of its existence.

The selection was Mikko Koivu, an 18-year-old from Turku, Finland. His brother Saku was an adept scorer for the Montreal Canadiens, but little in the kid brother's résumé indicated offensive ability.

Mikko played 21 games in the Finnish pro league in the winter of 2000-01 and didn't score a goal. OK, he was a teenager, but you would like to see the kid put the puck in the net once before making him a sixth overall pick in the draft.

The Wild went three more years without trying to sign Koivu. He played 130 games for TPS Turku in those three seasons and scored a total of 17 goals.

From a distance, this looked like a prime draft choice with a chance to be a bust. Wild management was looking at him from close up.

And people such as Tommy Thompson, the assistant general manager, kept insisting that Koivu was going to be an exceptional NHL player.

Hats off to Tommy.

And once coach Jacques Lemaire saw Koivu in his training camp in September 2005, there was no chance this centerman -- now 6-2, 200 pounds and 22 years old -- was going to see another day in the minor leagues.

Koivu's status with the Wild has increased in increments, from 64 games and an average of 13 minutes as a rookie in 2005-06, to all 82 games and 17 1/2 minutes in 2006-07, and now this:

The best player on the ice in a playoff game where Marian Gaborik was going full speed for Koivu's team, and where Peter Forsberg was playing 19 relentless minutes for the opposition.

Koivu was missing from the Wild lineup for 24 games earlier this season because of a broken leg. There is growing evidence that his absence probably was as damaging to the Wild as was Gaborik missing all those games in the previous two seasons with his groin injuries.

Koivu had six shots Friday night, four more than Forsberg was able to earn. That was significant because Koivu did his share of matching up with the legendary Swedish star.

"It's part of the game. It's a battle any time you're playing against him."

How much ice time against Forsberg? "As I said previously, I'm not much for stats," he said. "All that mattered was getting a win."

The Wild appeared to have a 2-1 victory when Koivu beat Colorado goalie Jose Theodore from out front with 1:41 remaining. The Xcel crowd exploded with euphoria, only to turn into a booing mob 32 seconds later when a very shaky hooking penalty was called on Wild defenseman Kim Johnsson.

This gave Colorado a chance to go 6-on-4 in the Wild zone, and Milan Hejduk scored on a tip-in with 44 seconds left.

"We had been getting a lot of chances," Koivu said. "We just had to come out for overtime and keep doing what we had been doing."

Then, five minutes in, Koivu and Gaborik both smashed posts -- to Theodore's right and then to his left. Rather than bringing frustration, those twin clangs seemed to bring added fuel to the Wild.

The St. Paul lads were clearly the best team over the final 35 minutes, and Koivu was the best player. And then in overtime, only 74 seconds in, the unlikely scorer of the winning goal was defenseman Keith Carney.

Did you have Carney in the pool?

Koivu actually smiled and said: "I don't think Keith would have been the first pick, but I'll tell you, he has great instincts for where the puck is going to be. Keith knows how to get in position. And being in the right place is half the battle."

The other half -- for the puck, for space on the ice -- was won all night by Mikko Koivu.