The temperature is not the only thing cooling off in Minnesota (which is definitely is, going down to minus 15 degrees at night). The Minnesota Wild are following suit. A once dominant home team is now on a losing skid at home, two in a row. The Wild began the new year the same as they ended the old year. With a loss at home. To some of you, this statement would seem absurd (insert St. Louis Blues joke here). However, the Wild have dominated at home. The Wild are now 12-6-1 at home this year and with this loss to New Jersey, the Wild have dropped two in a row at home for the first time since January 17-20, 2009. Almost a year without losing back-to-back!?!?!?!?! I don't know about you, but in my book, that is impressive.

However, neither loss came as a surprise. Los Angeles is a team on the rise and are playing very well this year such that they are in contention for a playoff spot this year, notwithstanding the Wild getting a surprising victory in L.A. a few nights earlier. And the New Jersey Devils...... What can you say? They are simply the best (or at the very least, one of the best teams in the NHL thus far this year). They have one of the best G.M.'s in today's game in Lou Lamoriello. They have one of the best coaches in Jacques Lemaire. They have one of the best goalies to have ever played the game in Martin Brodeur. They have one of the best U.S. born players in Zach Parise. And they are led by their Olympians in Brodeur (Canada), Elias (Czech Republic), Oduya (Sweden), and Martin, Parise and Langenbrunner (United States). As for this blogger, the greatest thing about the U.S. Olympians from the Devils is that they all hail from Minnesota. These 3 from the Devils are joined on the U.S. Olympic roster by 4 others with ties to Minnesota (Backes who played at Spring Lake Park, MN High School and the Minnesota State - Mankato Mavericks; Kessel who hails from Wisconsin, but played for the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers; Malone who played at St. Cloud State University Huskies; Erik Johnson of Bloomington, MN and who played in Ann Arbor Michigan for the National Team Development Program, as well as for the U of M's Golden Gophers; and Jack Johnson of Indiana who played at Shattuck-Saint Mary's Boarding School in Minnesota along with other alum's Ryan Malone and Zach Parise). In total, not a bad core group of guys to build around. Not to mention that the Wild's all-time record against them coming into this game was 1-4-4 (1-1-2 at home and 0-3-2 on the road). The Wild's last win (shoot, their only win EVER) came on March 4, 2003.

As the Wild's game against the Devils was concerned, while the Wild lost, it was not for lack of effort. However, this year's version of the Wild met their match in well, um, ahhhhh, last year's version of the Wild. Lemaire has his team playing typical Lemaire-style hockey: defense, defense, defense, transition to offense and optomize your scoring chances. It doesn't hurt to have the world class goaltending provided by Brodeur to boot.

Coaches Lemaire and Tremblay were well received by the Minnesota fans, as was Brian Rolston. Also, the 3 Minnesotan's on the Devils had a lot of family and friends in attendance such that the Wild had their 2nd biggest crowd since the lockout. Langenbrunner, for example, had over 200 people in attendance and he did not disappoint. Cloquet Minnesota's favorite son recorded his first EVER NHL hat-trick.

As the game began, I noted in my notes how skilled the Devils were in their passing game, often going tape-to-tape-to-tape-to tape. It was quite the sight to see for the true hockey fans. Most of the game, I just sat watching them in awe of their high level of skill as compared to that of the home team. Again, the Wild put forth a good effort. However, while having enough to beat Brodeur 3 times, which is a feat in an of itself, they did not have enough to overcome the Devils' defense and the Devils' patience and the Devils' transition game and the Devils' scoring prowess. While drawing close on Koivu's game tying goal late in the 2nd period, the Devils came back even later and almost the end of the period to take the lead back and take all of the Wild's momentum away, not to mention deflating the rocking home crowd, many of whom were still celebrating Koivu's goal when the Devils scored their 3rd of 5 goals on the night. Brunette's soccer-like "header" was a sight to see in the 3rd period, as was Brodeur's entire game including not only his saves, but his puck handling ability as well. In the end, the Devils were simply better and too much for this once surging Wild team who will continue to struggle in this 3rd quarter of the season.

Not only was it fun to see the Devils in person, as a team, it was also fun to see Doc Emrick and Chico Resch in the press box. It was also fun to see Wild owner, Craig Leipold, down in the locker room area waiting patiently for the press to finish their media scrum with Lemaire before exchanging pleasantries with the former coach of his team. That truly was a class act move on his part.

However, as fun as it was, it was also hard. Hard to see Lemaire and not miss him as a person, if not as a coach. Hard to see Rolston playing for a team other than the Wild despite his prior turns with New Jersey and Boston before coming to the Wild. Those 2 guys were what was good about the Wild.

In conversation with the 3rd guy on the Devils' T.V. broadcasts (Steve Cangialosi) after the game, he shared with us that Lemaire is extremely happy to be back "home" in New Jersey, almost as much as all of the players there are to have him there. I asked Steve why Jacques left the first time? He said it was because Lemaire had felt as if his message and style of play had been lost on the players over time and that, back then, it was simply time to leave. Sound familiar? That was exactly why he left the Wild. One of the scratched players commented to me after the game when asked how he likes playing for Lemaire that he absolutely loved it/him. "He makes the game so simple and so easy." The scratched player also pointed to Tremblay and noted that Tremblay was as much fun to play for, if not more. And that was the theme you heard from the Devils locker room, both before and after the game. Really, it's a shame to have lost the likes of Lemaire and Tremblay. As "easy" as he made the game for his players, it seems as if Richards has the new version of the Wild almsot overthinking the new system. Then again, the Wild do not have quite the talent level that the Devils have.

When I asked Lemaire if it was easier coach the more talented Devils, he graciously responded that he had a similar talent level in Minnesota, but that the maturity of this Devils team is the biggest difference. The maturity of their veterans, as well as their young guns. When I asked him to comment on Gaborik's current success as the league leaders in goals, his response was that Gaborik was succeeding because he was healthy; something that the Wild did not always have the luxury of (a healthy Gaborik).

At the end of this day, I found myself a new found fan of the New Jersey Devils. And while I hope, pray and wish the best for the Wild, when the playoffs roll around, I will cheer on the Devils and my Minnesota connections (Lemaire, Tremblay, Rolston, Langenbrunner, Parise and Martin).

As for the Wild's season, hang on Wild fans. The ride is about to get really bumpy as the Wild enter the third quarter of the season playing only 5 teams currently below them in the standings (Edmonton, Columbus, St. Louis, Atlanta and Philadelphia) and 9 teams ahead of them in the standings (Pittsburgh, San Jose, Chicago x 2, Phoenix x 2, Calgary, Vancouver x 2, Dallas x 2, and Detroit x 2). Next up, the surging Blackhawks in Chicago on Tuesday night on Versus. Watch for the link to my blog on versus.com. After that, Calgary at home on Wednesday night, followed by Chicago at home on Saturday night, Pittsburgh at home on Monday night and Vancouver at home the following Wednesday night. Hopefully the consecutive losses at home holds at two and doesn't increase to 3 or 4 or 5 or more as it well could.

Side note: If the Wild were in the Eastern Conference, they would currently hold the 8th playoff spot instead of the New York Rangers by virtue of the Wild's 43 points and the Rangers 42 points. Ugh!

Funny note: After the Devils win with an impressive 5 goals from a Lemaire-led club, he pulled out his usual reverse psychology by bashing his team's play. I guarantee you that had they lost, he would have praised their play as was his M.O. here in Minnesota.

As always, Go Wild (beginning to hold my breath).

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