NHL - Wild - Round Up November 15-19, 2016

Calgary Flames @ Wild 1-0 - Tuesday, November 15, 2016


Chad Johnson made 27 saves and Johnny Gaudreau scored for the Calgary Flames in a 1-0 win against the Minnesota Wild at Xcel Energy Center. Calgary (6-10-1) ended a four-game losing streak. Gaudreau left the bench at 4:08 of the third period and didn't return after taking a slash to the wrist. Gulutzan did not have an update after the game. Johnson started in place of Brian Elliott for the first time since a 4-1 loss to the Anaheim Ducks on Nov. 6.

Devan Dubnyk made 26 saves for the Wild (8-6-1), who lost for the second time at home this season. Gaudreau scored a power-play goal at 6:05 of the first period. Defenseman Mark Giordano had the assist. Wild forward Zach Parise returned to the lineup after missing six games because of a foot injury.
There were 13 penalties called in the game, five in 5:08 during the second period.
* Gaudreau capitalized on a power play, stickhandling around three Wild players before backhanding a shot past Dubnyk.

* At 12:18 of the second period, Flames forward Mikael Backlund started a rush and found Troy Brouwer on the right side, but Dubnyk slid across the crease.  

* Minnesota had a 4-on-1 scoring opportunity at 15:24 of the first period, when forward Jason Zucker took a pass from Mikael Granlund and let go a shot that hit the left goal post. The Wild hit the goal post twice more in the second period, and Calgary had two shots go off the post in the second and third periods.

* Protecting a one-goal lead late in the game, Johnson made a save against Wild forward Charlie Coyle at 13:10 of the third period.
* Calgary scored on the power play for a second consecutive game. … The Wild hosted their Hockey Fights Cancer Awareness night, honoring pediatric patients on the ice.

"We were in the box for half the [second] period. When we get penalties, the guys are exerting all their energy to kill penalties, not to be able to score goals. Not making excuses for us not scoring, but that's a byproduct of that." Bruce Boudreau said.
 
"We've got to as a group ask ourselves, did we really do enough to give ourselves a chance to create offense, to sustain offense, to get scoring chances, and I don't think we did. I think we left a lot out there and there's a lot of things that go into making plays and creating offense and we just didn't do it tonight." Zach Parise

Boston Bruins @ Wild 0-1 - Thursday, November 17, 2016

Mikael Granlund scored with 44.5 seconds left to give the Minnesota Wild a 1-0 win against the Boston Bruins at Xcel Energy Center. Wild goalie Devan Dubnyk made 25 saves, and Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask made 28. The goal went in off the leg of Boston defenseman Adam McQuaid after Granlund attempted a pass in front. It is the second time this season Dubnyk shut out the Bruins (5-0 Oct. 25) and is his League-leading fourth this season. Dubnyk (1.60) was second to Rask (1.54) in goals-against average. His .952 save percentage also leads the NHL.

Boston appeared to take the lead at 14:36 of the second period with a goal deflected in by David Backes. Boudreau challenged, and it was determined the Bruins were offside.

* Granlund's goal was his third of the season and third this month.

* Rask robbed a wide-open Jason Pominville with a glove grab at 18:34 of the second period.

* Bruins defenseman Torey Krug took a shot from the point that was deflected by Backes for a Boston goal that was nullified by replay.

* Dubnyk came out to meet Bruins forward Matt Beleskey on a breakaway at 5:56 of the third period and poked the puck away.
"It's a situational play," Dubnyk said. "I've had a couple of them this year. He's the only guy there. You have to read that there's none of their players that can get the puck after because I'm well out of position after that. And he's got to be a left-handed shot coming down at somewhat of an angle. And I had to time it. It's been working, so I've got to stay sharp on the timing."
* Boston's win streak ended at three. … Minnesota has allowed an NHL-low 29 goals this season, and its 1.81 goals-against average leads the League.

"The last seven minutes, it looked like both teams were playing for overtime. I was very pleasantly surprised. You know, [Granlund's] very creative, and he had maybe three chances in that last shift, and I guess sometimes they shine on you and you get a chance to win the game." 
"It's got to be tough on our goalies. We're not scoring a lot of goals. Mind you, we're trying to score … but [our goalies] have been so good, mostly Duby, but Kuemps [Darcy Kuemper] in Ottawa was outstanding as well. "You keep waiting for it, but hopefully we don't exhaust them out in practice and they can stay mentally into the games." Bruce Boudreau said.


"That's why I always pass. There were really good goalies out there and good defensive teams. It's going to be a close one and I'm glad we got one at the end." Granlund said

"It's been tough offensively for us. I think we just want to keep shooting, keep throwing the puck at the net. The one [goal] we get, it wasn't even a shot, that's the way it goes." Zach Parise.

Colorado Avalanche @ Wild 3-2 - Saturday, November 19, 2016

The Colorado Avalanche scored three third-period goals in a 5:29 span and defeated the Minnesota Wild 3-2 at Xcel Energy Center. Nathan MacKinnon scored the game-winning goal at 9:20, and Calvin Pickard made 41 saves for Colorado (8-9-0). MacKinnon has scored in two consecutive games. Mikko Rantanen made it 2-1 with a one-timer at 3:51, and Carl Soderberg scored on the power play at 6:48 to tie it 2-2.

Devan Dubnyk made 31 saves for the Wild (9-7-1). He had gone more than seven periods and 156:06 without allowing a goal. Charlie Coyle scored 39 seconds into a power play at 8:32 of the first period to give Minnesota a 1-0 lead. Tyler Graovac scored at 6:34 of the second period to make it 2-0.

Minnesota had 43 shots on goal, 21 in the first period. Colorado had 34, 20 in the first. Minnesota played without Zach Parise, who was scratched because of illness. Parise played in two games after missing the prior six with a foot injury.

Colorado did not have forwards Matt Duchene (concussion) and Gabriel Landeskog (lower body).


* MacKinnon split the Minnesota defense and shot low stick-side for the go-ahead goal.

* Pickard robbed Wild defenseman Matt Dumba on a wide-open shot at 11:26 of the second period with Minnesota on a power play.

* At 17:56 of the second period, Wild forward Nino Niederreiter stopped a Blake Comeau shot from crossing the line, keeping the score 1-0. The play started when Tyson Barrie hit the post and Comeau picked up the rebound in front.
* Graovac skated into the Avalanche zone and tried to pass far side to Zack Mitchell but was stopped by Barrie. Graovac spun, cut toward the front of the net and shot past Pickard as he fell to the ice. He has scored two goals this season, each on his back.
"If I score another one like that I'm not going to complain," Graovac said. "I saw the replay and I was like 'Oh, I'm on my back again celebrating.' I don't think we're going to make that a habit, but I'll take it if I can."
* Duchene is nearing a return from a concussion sustained on Nov. 11. … Landeskog has missed two games and is being evaluated. Bednar said they will know more Sunday or Monday. … Coyle set an NHL career-high with his third power-play goal.

        

"We stopped playing. I don't know what happened. That's not like us. Things are going to happen, and they might get one or two, but we just stopped playing in our end. I don't know if we thought it was going to be an easy third with the way the game was going, but we had a pretty good game going and that's a waste of a game. That's not good enough." Dubnyk said.

"We were playing so well, so tight defensively. Usually the way we've been playing we get up two goals and that's our game. That is how we have to win right now until we can start putting the puck into the back of the net. To crack there was pretty disappointing for us. We have a big game on Monday (at the Dallas Stars) that we have to prepare for." Ryan Suter