Last night diod not begin the way the Wild or particualrly goaltender Kaapo Kahkonen would have like it to, but it sure ended well.
St. Louis blitzed the Wild for three early first period goals and looked as if this would be a route even before it bagan. Goals by MacKenzie MacEachern, Nathan Walker, and Robert Bortuzzo all before the first period was six minuted old staked the Blues to what seemed like a commanding lead. They continued to pour it on at least in the chances department, but Kahkonen and the Wild defense was equal to the task from that point forward.
Victor Rask converted a nifty cross goal mouth feed from Jordan Greenway in the second to cut the lead to two heading into the final frame.
In the thrid the primarily youth driven Wild lineup mounted a charge coming up empty on a couple of power plays but carrying the play to the Blues for much of the final frame. Brandon Duhaime, who is having a tremendous camp, improved his stock with a sweet shortside snipe, after displaying his speed as he blazed down the left side and let the wrister go beating Ville Husso and drawing the Wild within one.
With Kahkonen pulled for the extra attacker Nico Sturm redirected Calen Addison's point shot and the game was knotted at three and headed to the 3-on-3 ovetrtime period.
After a horrendously long first shift by the Wild trio of Victor Rask, Jordan Greenway, and Calen Addison they somehow survived long enough to get a change. On came Adam Beckman, Marco Rossi and Dmitri Kulikov and they went right to work as Rossi carried the puck into the zone dishing to Kulikov who cut between the circles and left a perfect drop pass to Beckman who does what he does best and he found the back of the net with his fourth goal in three preseason games.
The kids are showing their value and making the decisions very difficult. That is something that is going to make this Wild team even that much better...