Wild Fall To Stars In Overtime, 4-3

(Sports Network) – Stephane Robidas scored with 1:23 left in overtime to give the Dallas Stars a 4-3 win over the Minnesota Wild at American Airlines Center.

Skating on the power play after a tripping call to Brent Burns, Mike Ribeiro sent a pass from the right circle to the high slot for Robidas, who didn’t get everything on the one-timer but got enough to get it past Jose Theodore for the win.

Steve Ott had a goal and an assist while Karlis Skrastins and Adam Burish also scored in regulation for the Stars, who have won six straight. Kari Lehtonen stopped 28 shots in the win.

Martin Havlat tied the game late in the third while Antti Miettinen and Chuck Kobasew also scored for the Wild, who have dropped their last five games. Theodore finished the game with 29 saves.

Wild Head South, Face Dallas

(Sports Network) – Though it has been a tight series, the Dallas Stars have usually come out on top when facing the Minnesota Wild.

Riding a season-best five-game winning streak, the Stars aim for their 13th straight home win over the Wild in tonight’s clash at American Airlines Center.

Dallas has won three straight, eight of 10 and nine of its last 12 versus Minnesota as 24 of the last 26 meetings between the clubs have been decided by two goals or less.

The Stars have been especially tough at home when facing the Wild, who haven’t recorded a victory in Dallas since a 3-2 overtime victory on March 21, 2003. That marks their lone victory in the last 15 played between the teams in Dallas.

The Stars are on their longest winning streak since opening the season 4-0 and are coming off a big 2-1 victory over Washington on Thursday. Brandon Segal scored the game-winning goal just 20 seconds after the Capitals tied it and Washington had a potential game-winning goal of its own waived off with seven seconds left due to goaltender interference.

Mike Ribeiro also scored and backup goaltender Andrew Raycroft made 37 saves in his fourth start of the season for the Stars, who are 7-0-1 in their last eight at home and haven’t won six in a row overall since a seven-game burst from Jan. 29-Feb. 11, 2008.

“It says a lot about our group,” Stars head coach Marc Crawford said of the big win. “We got outstanding performances from a lot of people.”

Despite Raycroft’s solid outing, Kari Lehtonen should get the start in net tonight and he is 1-2-0 with a 3.94 goals-against average in his career versus the Wild.

Ribeiro has two goals and three assists over a five-game point streak and has a pair of goals and 14 assists in 18 career games versus the Wild.

Minnesota brings a season-worst four-game losing streak into this game, dropping a 3-2 shootout test to Calgary last night. Niklas Backstrom made 30 saves, but was beaten by the Flames’ Rene Bourque on a wrister in the shootout’s final round.

Martin Havlat had a goal and an assist to give him five tallies and 16 points in his last 11 games, but Minnesota went 0-for-4 on the power play and has scored just once in its last 26 man-advantage opportunities.

“We played a much better overall game than we did last time we faced them,” Havlat said. “We got one point tonight and that’s important.”

Minnesota hasn’t lost five straight since Oct. 8-17, 2009 and is expected to get forward Chuck Kobasew back into the lineup for the first time in 15 games because of a groin injury and family situation.

Wild Burned By Flames Again In Shootout Loss

(Sports Network) – Rene Bourque scored the game-winner on the final attempt of the third round of the shootout to lift Calgary to a 3-2 win over Minnesota at Xcel Energy Center.

After Patrick O’Sullivan went top shelf short side to beat Henrik Karlsson to keep the Wild alive, Bourque wristed a shot between the pads of Niklas Backstrom to win the game.

Mark Giordano and Alex Tanguay potted goals in regulation for the Flames, who beat the Wild for a second time in five days.

“We had a bad stretch there for a while and we haven’t been able to put two wins together,” said Calgary captain Jarome Iginla. “We needed this one and we need to start stringing three or four wins together to get back in the hunt.”

Karlsson stopped 20 shots to earn the second win of his young career.

Martin Havlat had a goal and an assist for the Wild, who have dropped four in a row and six out of their last seven. Backstrom took the loss after turning away 30 shots.

“We played a much better overall game than we did last time we faced them,” Havlat said. “We got one point tonight and that’s important.”

Matt Stajan fed from behind the net in front to Tanguay, who one-timed a wrister past Backstrom to put the Flames in front 2-1 just over 4 1/2 minutes into the third period.

However, the Wild got the game tied eight minutes later when Havlat took a pass along the left side, skated past defenseman Giordano and then went forehand to backhander to beat a sprawled Karlsson.

Backstrom stopped Tanguay on a breakaway with just over three minutes left in overtime and made five saves in the five-minute period.

Mikko Koivu fired a backhand wide on the first shootout attempt before Tanguay beat Backstrom with a wrister to the far side.

Pierre-Marc Bouchard and Niklas Hagman then went scoreless in the second round of the shootout.

Following a scoreless first period, each team tallied in the middle stanza.

Bouchard chipped a rebound on the backhand to score his first goal since March 10, 2009 vs. San Jose to give the Wild the lead at 12:43.

Backstrom made a pad save on Hagman but Giordano was left alone at the right side of the net and stuffed home the equalizer at 19:27.

Game Notes

The Flames had lost seven of the previous nine meetings before Friday. Tanguay has 13 goals and 41 points in 47 career games against Minnesota…Iginla picked up an assist and has 57 career points, the most of any player ever against the Wild…Calgary defenseman Jay Bouwmeester played in his 450th consecutive game, the longest active streak in the league. Havlat has scored five goals and 16 points in his last 11 games…He has 13 goals and 23 points in 23 career games against the Flames…Backstrom is 9-8-4 in his career versus Calgary…The Wild were 0-for-4 on the power play and have cashed in just one of their last 26 man-advantage opportunities.

Wild lose in the shoot out 3-2 (2-1)

Shootout in Saint Paul

Headed to OT in Saint Paul, tied 2-2

Havlat pulls Wild even at 2 with a sweet drive to the net.

Alex Tanguay gives Flames 2-1 lead.

End of 2nd, score tied at 1.

SOG also tied. 17-17.

Flames even the score on a Giorano goal

Butch is BACK! Bouchard scores first goal since March, 2009. Wild up 1-0.

After one period, Wild and Flames knotted at 0

Wild with a slight edge on SOG 11-10

Wild Look To Get Back To Winning Against Calgary

(Sports Network) – The Minnesota Wild will try to get themselves back on the right track tonight, when they welcome the Calgary Flames for a Northwest Division battle at Xcel Energy Center.

The Wild won six out of eight games to begin the month of November, but they have lost five out of six since then and enter tonight on a three-game losing streak.

Minnesota and the Flames split two meetings this year with each team winning a game on home ice. Calgary earned a 3-0 triumph over the Wild this past Monday at the Saddledome. Miikka Kiprusoff made 32 saves to record his third shutout of the season and Jay Bouwmeester and Jarome Iginla scored 18 seconds apart in the second period for the Flames.

The Wild had a three-game series’ winning streak snapped in Monday’s game, but they still have seven victories in the last nine meetings between the clubs. Calgary has lost two straight and four of its last five tests in St. Paul.

Minnesota has been outscored 14-6 during its current three-game slide and was dealt a 4-2 setback by the visiting Phoenix Coyotes on Wednesday. The Wild fell behind 1-0 late in the first period and Phoenix held a lead the rest of the way.

Matt Cullen and Mikko Koivu scored third-period goals for Minnesota.

“We did a lot of good things,” Cullen said. “Obviously, we need to find ways to win these games.”

Jose Theodore stopped 32 shots in defeat, dropping him to 3-4-0 on the season. It was the second straight start for Theodore since Niklas Backstrom yielded seven goals last Saturday against Colorado. Backstrom, who is 9-7-4 in his career against Calgary, could get the start tonight for the Wild.

The Wild have lost three of their last four home games and are 7-6-1 in St. Paul this season. Following tonight’s test, Minnesota will head out on a four- game road trip, beginning with tomorrow evening’s test in Dallas.

The Flames, who are two points behind Minnesota for third place in the Northwest, had won two of three games before getting slammed, 7-2, by Vancouver on Wednesday. It was the fifth loss in seven games (2-3-2) for Calgary.

Mason Raymond recorded his second career hat trick and added an assist to lead the visiting Canucks to the blowout victory at the Saddledome. Calgary trailed 3-2 after two periods, but Raymond scored twice during a four-goal outburst for Vancouver in the third.

“What stings the most is the way we handled our third period,” said Calgary head coach Brent Sutter.

Alex Tanguay and Tim Jackman scored for Calgary, while Miikka Kiprusoff surrendered all seven goals on 36 shots.

The Flames are playing the first of two straight on the road tonight and Calgary will be the guest in four of its next five contests. Sutter’s club has lost six of its last seven away from the Saddledome and is just 4-7-2 as the visiting club this year.

Coyotes Shut Down Wild

(Sports Network) – Scottie Upshall registered two goals and an assist, helping the Phoenix Coyotes down the Minnesota Wild, 4-2, at Xcel Energy Center.

Ed Jovanovski and Lauri Korpikoski also tallied for the Coyotes, who snapped a two-game losing streak and won for the eight time in their last 10 tilts.

Jason LaBarbera, making his first start for Phoenix since November 10, turned aside 33 shots.

Matt Cullen and Mikko Koivu scored third-period goals for Minnesota, which has dropped five of its last six games. Jose Theodore stopped 32 shots in defeat.

Down 2-0, Cullen crashed the crease and lifted a rebound over LaBarbera to put Minnesota on the board at 12:13 of the third.

Upshall restored the Coyotes’ two-goal advantage with 2:40 remaining, but Koivu scored off a nifty Martin Havlat feed from behind the net to pull the Wild within one with 66 seconds left.

Korpikoski’s empty-net goal inside the final minute sealed the win.

Jovanovski tipped an Adrian Aucoin point shot past Theodore to give the Coyotes a 1-0 lead with 53.5 seconds left in the first period.

Phoenix led by two after Upshall one-timed Shane Doan’s cross-ice pass at the 5:43 mark of the middle stanza.

Game Notes

The Coyotes swept the four-game series from Minnesota last season, outscoring the Wild by a 14-8 margin…Phoenix improved to 6-0-0 against teams from the Northwest Division…Forward Pierre-Marc Bouchard returned to the Minnesota lineup. He had missed 104 straight games and 112-of-113 games overall since suffering a concussion against the New York Islanders on March 25, 2009.

Coyotes Add Empty Net Goal. 4-2 is your final.

Wild refuse to go quietly. 3-2 with 1:06 left.

Koivu from Havlat and Burns

Wild down 3-1 on a bad luck bounce. Two and a half left.

WIld cut lead in half on Cullen rebound goal. 2-1 7:47 remain.

Wild 2nd Period Doldrums Continue - Down 2-0

Wild Face Red Hot Coyotes Tonight

(Sports Network) – After getting shut out for the first time this season in their previous game, the Minnesota Wild’s offense is expected to get a boost tonight with the return of forward Pierre-Marc Bouchard.

Bouchard is slated to hit the ice for the first time in over a year this evening, returning from post-concussion syndrome to battle the Phoenix Coyotes at Xcel Energy Center.

The 26-year-old hasn’t played in a game since Oct. 3, 2009, last year’s season opener. Bouchard has missed 112 of Minnesota’s last 113 games and his return to the lineup will be welcomed.

“The last seven to 10 days I’ve been feeling pretty good and pretty much symptom free,” said Bouchard, a 20-goal scorer in 2006-07, on Minnesota’s website. “We had a conference call with Dr. [James] Kelly a few days ago and we came to the conclusion that the next step for me would be to try it in a game and see how I feel.”

Bouchard has 190 assists in 426 career games, including a career-high 50 in 2007-08.

Minnesota could use some help tonight after getting blanked, 3-0, in Calgary on Monday. Backup netminder Jose Theodore made 28 saves as the Wild lost for the fourth time in five games.

Niklas Backstrom should return to the net tonight looking to snap a personal three-game losing streak. Backstrom has allowed 18 goals in that span and was also in net for all four losses to the Coyotes last season, posting a 3.57 goals-against average.

Minnesota had won 10 of its previous 11 versus Phoenix prior to last year’s season series sweep and has lost two straight at home to the Coyotes since a seven-game series win streak at Xcel Energy Center.

While Backstrom was unable to beat the Coyotes last year, Phoenix netminder Ilya Bryzgalov was perfect versus the Wild, going 4-0 with a 2.00 GAA. He may not make the start tonight, though, after yielding two goals on 22 shots in last night’s 3-0 setback in Nashville.

Phoenix was shut out for the third time this season and first since Oct. 30. Bryzgalov lost in regulation on the road for the first time this year (5-1-2) and could get some rest tonight. Backup Jason LaBarbera hasn’t played since Nov. 10, which is also his lone start since Oct. 26., and has never before faced the Wild.

The Coyotes have lost two straight since a seven-game win streak and are 7-2-2 over their last 11 games.

“This was a big game for us, but that is part of what the NHL is,” Phoenix forward Shane Doan said. “You get lots of chances to respond, and we have a great chance [Wednesday] night.”

Center Kyle Turris returned to the lineup after missing the previous three games due to an upper-body injury. He skated in nearly 12 minutes of action and took four shots on goal.

Phoenix also had a four-game road winning streak snapped and is 6-4-2 as the guest this year. Minnesota is 7-5-1 at home.

Kiprusoff, Flames Shut Out Wild, 3-0

(Sports Network) – Jay Bouwmeester and Jarome Iginla scored 18 seconds apart in the second period, as the Calgary Flames blanked the Minnesota Wild, 3-0, at the Scotiabank Saddledome.

Niklas Hagman added a power-play goal late in the third period for the Flames, who returned home following a 1-2-2 road trip. Miikka Kiprusoff made 32 saves to record his third shutout of the season.

“When we have that intensity level the game seems to flow for us,” Flames head coach Brent Sutter said. “When we have that intensity level the game seems to flow for us.”

Jose Theodore stopped 28 shots for Minnesota, which has dropped four of its last five games.

Iginla spotted Bouwmeester sneaking in from his point position and slid a backhand pass to the veteran defenseman. Bouwmeester moved toward the net and fired the puck over a prone Theodore at the 3:08 mark of the middle stanza.

The Calgary captain then crashed the crease and deposited a rebound to make it 2-0.

Hagman lit the lamp with 1:29 left in regulation and Minnesota’s Brent Burns serving a tripping penalty.

Game Notes

Kiprusoff notched his 37th career shutout…Alex Tanguay collected two assists for the Flames…The Wild took all three games in Calgary last season…Minnesota defenseman Jared Spurgeon made his NHL debut.

Wild lose. Again. 3-0 to the Flames.

Flames score again. 3-0 Flames with just 1:24 remining.

Flames score two quick goals. Up 2-0. Welcome to second period Wild hockey.

First period ends 0-0.

Lots of talk about how boring this first period was. I’m not arguing, but prepare yourselves. The second period is going to be worse.

Wild Travel North To Battle Calgary Flames

(Sports Network) – Back home after a tough road trip, the Calgary Flames will host the Minnesota Wild tonight in a Northwest Division battle at the Saddledome.

The Flames made stops in Detroit, New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh on a five-game road trip and recorded a 1-2-2 mark during the swing. The lone victory came Friday afternoon in Philadelphia, as Calgary notched a 3-2 shootout win over the Flyers.

Roughly 24 hours after the win in Philly, however, the Flames were dealt a convincing loss on the other side of Pennsylvania as Sidney Crosby netted the sixth hat trick of his career to lead the Penguins to a 4-1 victory at CONSOL Energy Center.

Rene Bourque scored the lone goal for Calgary, while Miikka Kiprusoff allowed three goals on 42 shots for the Flames, who have lost seven of their last nine games.

The Flames are playing their first game in Calgary since they ended a four- game home losing streak with a 7-2 victory over Chicago on Nov. 19. Calgary is 5-5-0 at the Saddledome this season.

The Wild have not fared well since winning three straight from Nov. 14-19, losing three of their last four games. The lone victory of that stretch came Friday night against visiting Nashville, but Minnesota gave up seven goals in a road loss to Colorado the next night.

The Avalanche recorded a 7-4 triumph over the Wild on Saturday, scoring four times in the second period alone to take the contest at the Pepsi Center.

Kyle Brodziak led the way with two goals for the Wild. Matt Cullen and Antti Miettinen each scored a goal in the loss, while Niklas Backstrom stopped 31 of 38 shots.

“We sure weren’t great tonight,” Brodziak said. “The second period we were just not ready for their team speed and we just did not counter.”

The Wild are 4-4-1 on the road this season, but will get a chance to host Calgary this Friday in St. Paul.

Minnesota beat the Flames, 2-1, at Xcel Energy Center back on Nov. 5 and has won three straight and seven of eight overall in the series. The Wild have also won three in a row in Calgary.

Wild Week: A Look At The Minnesota Wild's Schedule For The Next Seven Days

This past week, the Wild had it a bit on the rough side, to put it mildly. This week, they'll try to bounce back with a four game slate against three different Western Conference foes.

They'll get the week started off this evening, as they'll travel to Calgary to do battle with the Flames. The Flames find themselves near the bottom of both the Northwest Division and the Western Conference, as the only team below them in both standings is the Edmonton Oilers. Calgary currently has a record of 9-12-2, good for just 20 points and the 14th spot out of 15 Western Conference teams. The puck is set to drop at 8 PM Central time in Calgary, and you can see the game on television on Fox Sports North.

The Wild will then return to the XCel Energy Center in St. Paul for a two-game homestand. The first game of that homestand will see them facing off against the Phoenix Coyotes on Wednesday, December 1. The Coyotes are currently sitting at second in the NHL's Pacific Division and at sixth in the Western Conference, sporting a record of 11-6-5 on the season, good for 27 points. Opening faceoff in St. Paul is slated for 7 PM Central time, and you can also see this one on KSTC.

The second game of the homestand will see the Wild taking on the same Calgary Flames that we talked about. . .well, just a couple of paragraphs ago. The game will get underway at 7 PM Central time on Friday, December 3, and you'll be able to view it on KSTC as well.

To finish up the week, the Wild will head to the Lone Star State to battle it out with the Dallas Stars. The Stars are one of the Western Conference's best teams, currently leading the Pacific Division and sitting third overall in the Western Conference. Their 13-8-1 record gives them a total of 27 points to this point of the season. Opening face-off is scheduled for 7 PM Central time, and you'll be able to watch all the action on KSTC.

And that's your look at the schedule for the Minnesota Wild for the next week. We'll have lots of previews, recaps, and game updates for your viewing pleasure right here at SBNation Minnesota.