Game Recap -- Wild @ Sens

Well, that didn't exactly go smoothly did it? Not that anyone really could have expected a win, but I was holding out for an OT loss. But sadly, that didn't happen.

Now, I know what you are thinking..."Mike, you haven't mentioned the Power Play." There is a reason for that dear reader, in order to talk about the "Power Play," first, one has to convince me that the Wild have one. Truthfully, this is a glaring issue for this club. One which cannot be overlooked, one which is very inconsistent. Is the philosophy wrong? Has no quarterback stepped forward to consistently run it? Perhaps the pass first mentality can't be broken? I have no answers, but if I am Richards & Co...this is my number one concern heading in to Monday.

All in all, the Wild played pretty damn well for the shenanigans which took place yesterday. Again, I was hoping for an OT appearance, to get a point, but alas, this didn't occur. As we look back, with all the circumstances which surround this game, only three things seem relevant/concerning:

1) Power Play - Ummm...wow. Beuller?? Beuller??? Frye??? Frye??? I would gladly have a better PP as my Christmas present.

2) Niklas Backstrom's confidence in his gear - The normally steady Backstrom looked very very shaky. Soft goals that he doesn't normally give up, pads that he recently determined as too old, and a helmet which he wore for a few years. It will be interesting to see how Nik plays the next few days.

3) Will the break-in period of gear slow down the progress - Hockey, being the animal it is, the next few games are going to be crucial to win some so that everyone gets comfortable in their equipment, and this insanely odd circumstance is well beyond us.