Bozak and Brodziak blast Wild into win column
Wild Head Coach Ron Wilson gives first period instructions during the Minnesota's 3-2 win over Vancouver on Saturday.
Vancouver Canucks (2) vs Minnesota Wild (3)........
The Killer "B's" staked the Wild to a first period 2-0 lead and they would hang on to beat the Canucks.
Tyler Bozak(37th) would get the Wild on the board just shy of the seven minute mark of the opening frame as he collected his own rebound and wristed it past Ondrej Pavelec. On the second goal, Kyle Brodziak(12th) picked up a loose puck in front of Vancouver's net after Martin Straka was laid out by Jan Hejda (who was acquired earlier in the day in a trade from Toronto for Ian White) and snapped it past a screened Pavelec who was going the other way on the play. Shots after 20 were 14-7 in favor of the Wild.
The Canucks cut Minny's lead in half as Daniel Sedin(34th) would score the only goal of the period on the powerplay at the 7:24 mark. Vancouver out-shot the Wild 14-6 in the period.
Minny would restore their two goal lead at 3:00 of the third on Tyler Bozak's(38th) second goal of the night as Pavelec would stop his original shot but Bozak snapped home the rebound. The Canucks would make it interesting as Henrik Sedin(21st) buried a rebound off a shot from brother Daniel past Antti Niemi at 4:14, just fifty-five seconds after Minny extended their lead. The Canucks couldn't muster a third goal as the managed only 6 shots in the third period, for a game total of 30-27 in favor of the Wild.
Antti Niemi stopped 25 shots for his 33rd win of the season.
Manny Malhotra was acquired by Vancouver earlier in the day for seldom used goaltender Jonas Gustavsson.
MOLSON'S 3 STARS:
1 - Tyler Bozak (Min)....... 2 goals, 1 assist, +2, 6 shots.
2 - Kyle Brodziak (Min).... 1goal, 1 assist, +2, 5 shots.
3 - Henrik Sedin (Van)...... 1 goal, 1 assist, 1 shot.
GAME'S GOAT:
Alex Ovechkin (Van)....... the "great eight" was anything but as he logged over twenty-two minutes of ice time but was a non-factor as he finished with a minus one and could only muster a single shot on net through three periods, at times was invisible on the ice.
NEXT UP:
Vancouver plays the Sharks in San Jose on Sunday, the Sharks have lost their last two home games by a combined score of 6-3. Then the Canucks host Anaheim on Monday, the Ducks are on another winning streak, this one at nine and counting which includes three clean sheets by Tuukka Rask. On Tuesday they travel to the desert to play the Coyotes who have lost four straight while fighting for the eighth and final playoff spot in the West.
Minnesota travels to "Music City USA" to take on the Predators Sunday night, Nashville has just two wins in their last dozen games and are struggling to stay in the playoff race. Minny is at home on Monday to host the Lightning, Tampa sits dead last in the East. The Leafs come to The Asylum.com Arena in Minny to play the Wild on Tuesday, the Leafs have lost their last two games with a combined score of 11-4 and is in danger of falling out of second overall in the East as they are just two points ahead of the hard charging Senators who have won four straight.
Reporting For The WCHL Network.........
Peter Puck
Wild Head Coach Ron Wilson gives first period instructions during the Minnesota's 3-2 win over Vancouver on Saturday.
Vancouver Canucks (2) vs Minnesota Wild (3)........
The Killer "B's" staked the Wild to a first period 2-0 lead and they would hang on to beat the Canucks.
Tyler Bozak(37th) would get the Wild on the board just shy of the seven minute mark of the opening frame as he collected his own rebound and wristed it past Ondrej Pavelec. On the second goal, Kyle Brodziak(12th) picked up a loose puck in front of Vancouver's net after Martin Straka was laid out by Jan Hejda (who was acquired earlier in the day in a trade from Toronto for Ian White) and snapped it past a screened Pavelec who was going the other way on the play. Shots after 20 were 14-7 in favor of the Wild.
The Canucks cut Minny's lead in half as Daniel Sedin(34th) would score the only goal of the period on the powerplay at the 7:24 mark. Vancouver out-shot the Wild 14-6 in the period.
Minny would restore their two goal lead at 3:00 of the third on Tyler Bozak's(38th) second goal of the night as Pavelec would stop his original shot but Bozak snapped home the rebound. The Canucks would make it interesting as Henrik Sedin(21st) buried a rebound off a shot from brother Daniel past Antti Niemi at 4:14, just fifty-five seconds after Minny extended their lead. The Canucks couldn't muster a third goal as the managed only 6 shots in the third period, for a game total of 30-27 in favor of the Wild.
Antti Niemi stopped 25 shots for his 33rd win of the season.
Manny Malhotra was acquired by Vancouver earlier in the day for seldom used goaltender Jonas Gustavsson.
MOLSON'S 3 STARS:
1 - Tyler Bozak (Min)....... 2 goals, 1 assist, +2, 6 shots.
2 - Kyle Brodziak (Min).... 1goal, 1 assist, +2, 5 shots.
3 - Henrik Sedin (Van)...... 1 goal, 1 assist, 1 shot.
GAME'S GOAT:
Alex Ovechkin (Van)....... the "great eight" was anything but as he logged over twenty-two minutes of ice time but was a non-factor as he finished with a minus one and could only muster a single shot on net through three periods, at times was invisible on the ice.
NEXT UP:
Vancouver plays the Sharks in San Jose on Sunday, the Sharks have lost their last two home games by a combined score of 6-3. Then the Canucks host Anaheim on Monday, the Ducks are on another winning streak, this one at nine and counting which includes three clean sheets by Tuukka Rask. On Tuesday they travel to the desert to play the Coyotes who have lost four straight while fighting for the eighth and final playoff spot in the West.
Minnesota travels to "Music City USA" to take on the Predators Sunday night, Nashville has just two wins in their last dozen games and are struggling to stay in the playoff race. Minny is at home on Monday to host the Lightning, Tampa sits dead last in the East. The Leafs come to The Asylum.com Arena in Minny to play the Wild on Tuesday, the Leafs have lost their last two games with a combined score of 11-4 and is in danger of falling out of second overall in the East as they are just two points ahead of the hard charging Senators who have won four straight.
Reporting For The WCHL Network.........
Peter Puck
