Wild beats Montreal 2-1, but power play remains big issue

For two periods against one of the best skating teams in the NHL and without No. 1 defenseman Ryan Suter, the Wild had the puck virtually every second. The Wild's 30-10 shot margin against the Montreal Canadiens, an Eastern Conference finalist a season ago, was proof positive of that fact.

Yet midway through the third period Wednesday night, boos rained onto the ice from angry Wild fans as they watched the Wild bungle through another power play, this one a five-minute major in which the Wild barely got into the offensive zone, let alone managed a shot on goal.

The score at the time? Wild 2, Canadiens 0.

Yep, the Wild was winning a game of which it controlled virtually every facet, yet that 29th-ranked power play caused so much angst, the sound in the arena would have made you think the Wild was getting annihilated.

Regardless, despite the ineffective power play, the Wild snatched two points in a 2-1 victory.

"The fact of the matter is we win a big game against a good team without Suts [due to illness] and we did a lot of good things, and you almost kind of leave the game not feeling great about it," said coach Mike Yeo, whose team is 7-2-1 in the past 10. "I would say the last 10 games is somewhat similar.

"I'm not going to deny it, [the power play's] the one thing that's keeping us from being an elite team."

Yet the Wild's 0-for-5 power play, including a shotless major and 58-second two-man advantage, kept the Wild from blowing the Canadiens out of St. Paul. The Wild's power play is 7-for-78 this season (9 percent).

"It's up to me to figure out how to deal with it, it's up to me to correct it," Yeo said. "Everyone's frustrated. Fans are frustrated. But trust me, I'd be willing to bet they're not as frustrated as we are. It will get better."

The Wild heard the jeers loud and clear throughout the crippled major.

"It was tough. It wasn't easy," Pominville said. "Obviously we have to be better. It's on us. At the same time, five minutes came off the clock. … But won a game. That's all the counts."

Zach Parise echoed that sentiment.

Darcy Kuemper made 18 saves, his shutout though snuffed with 57.6 seconds left by Alex Galchenyuk. Luckily, Pominville's first goal since Nov. 8 gave the Wild a 2-0 lead. For a snakebit player who has been fanning on shots for a month and firing pucks wide, it was almost fitting how he scored.

Christian Folin (plus-2), fresh off the Iowa farm team to play in place of Suter, fired a rising shot heading for Pominville's head. Pominville ducked, but with his stick held vertically, the puck deflected in off the shaft.

Referee Mark Lemelin ruled good goal. Good thing because the NHL Situation Room found inconclusive video evidence for a high-stick, so the ref's call stood.

"He didn't think it was going to count," Parise said of Pominville. "Luckily they called it a goal on the ice. I think if they hadn't, probably wouldn't have counted."

Pominville, laughing during the review, replicated how he scored for teammates. He was just relieved to score his second goal in 17 games — both against Montreal.