GAME THREAD: GAME THREAD: NHL: MINNESOTA (5-1) at ST LOUIS (4-1)

NHL: MINNESOTA (5-1) at ST LOUIS (4-1)

<h3>Wild look to bounce back from first loss</h3>

<div class="pre">Minnesota (5-0-1) at St Louis (4-1-0) 8:30 pm EDT</div>

ST. LOUIS (Ticker) -- Great defense has propelled the MinnesotaWild to an excellent start.


The team looks to bounce back from their first loss of theseason on Saturday when they visit the St. Louis Blues.

Though the Wild fell to the Los Angeles Kings, 4-3, in ashootout Tuesday, they remain the only team to pick up a pointin each contest this season.


The Wild have yielded an NHL-best eight goals and surrenderedjust over 27 shots per game this campaign. Goaltender NiklasBackstrom is 4-0-1 with a 1.38 goals-against average and .945save percentage.


Minnesota's offense has not found its groove yet as no playerhas scored more than two goals. Brian Rolston has seven pointsto lead an offense that will have to get on track if it hopes toscore on Blues' netmender Manny Legace.


The 34-year-old Canadian has posted a 3-1-0 record with a 1.77GAA. Of the last three goals he has surrendered, two wereknocked in by his teammates.


One player the Wild will turn to against Legace is captain PavolDemitra, who spent the majority of his 13-year career with theBlues. The Slovakian right wing, who has tallied two goals andthree assists this campaign, played eight seasons with St.Louis.


The Blues will counter with their top line of Paul Kariya, BradBoyes and Keith Tkachuk, which has tallied on the first shift ineach of the last three games. The trio has combined for eightgoals and 19 points in their first five contests.


The Blues have won four in a row and outscored their opponents16-6 during that span.

 

NHL: MINNESOTA at ST LOUIS

<div class="pre">NHL AT ST LOUIS
STARTING GOALIES: MIN - JOSH HARDING
STL - MANNY LEGACE

OFFICIALS: REF - CHRIS ROONEY, ROB MARTELL
LIN - DAVID BRISEBOIS, PIERRE CHAMPOUX</div>

 

NHL: MINNESOTA at ST LOUIS

<div class="pre">NHL MINNESOTA 0
ST LOUIS 0 19:55 LEFT, 1ST PRD</div>

 

NHL: MINNESOTA at ST LOUIS

<div class="pre">NHL MINNESOTA 0
ST LOUIS 0 16:04 LEFT, 1ST PRD</div>

 

NHL: MINNESOTA at ST LOUIS

<div class="pre">NHL MINNESOTA 0
ST LOUIS 0 11:07 LEFT, 1ST PRD</div>

 

NHL: MINNESOTA at ST LOUIS

<div class="pre">NHL MINNESOTA 0
ST LOUIS 0 7:43 LEFT, 1ST PRD</div>

 

NHL: MINNESOTA at ST LOUIS

<div class="pre">NHL MINNESOTA 0
ST LOUIS 0 6:14 LEFT, 1ST PRD</div>

 

NHL: MINNESOTA at ST LOUIS

<div class="pre">NHL MINNESOTA 0
ST LOUIS 0 4:05 LEFT, 1ST PRD</div>

 

NHL: MINNESOTA at ST LOUIS

<div class="pre">NHL MINNESOTA 0
ST LOUIS 0 1:07 LEFT, 1ST PRD</div>

 

NHL: MINNESOTA at ST LOUIS

<div class="pre">NHL END OF THE 1ST 1ST 2ND 3RD TOTAL
--- --- --- -----
MINNESOTA 0 0
ST LOUIS 0 0 END OF THE 1ST

GOAL SCORING:

1ST PRD: NONE

SHOTS ON GOAL: 1ST 2ND 3RD TOTAL
--- --- --- -----
MIN 17 17
STL 10 10

GOALIES: MIN - JOSH HARDING
STL - MANNY LEGACE</div>

 

NHL: MINNESOTA at ST LOUIS

<div class="pre">------------------------
Minnesota 0 --0
St Louis 0 --0
------------------------

FIRST PERIOD -- Scoring: None. Penalties: L Stempniak, Stl (hooking), 8:29; N
Schultz, Min (hooking), 11:41; K Tkachuk, Stl (holding), 12:42; K
Foster, Min (tripping), 18:19.

Shots on goal:
-----------------------------
Minnesota 17 --17
St Louis 10 --10
-----------------------------

Goalies : Minnesota, Josh Harding (10 shots, 10 saves). St Louis,
Manny Legace (17 shots, 17 saves). Referees: Chris Rooney, Rob
Martell. Linesmen: David Brisebois, Pierre Champoux.</div>

 

NHL: MINNESOTA at ST LOUIS

<div class="pre">NHL MINNESOTA 0
ST LOUIS 0 19:55 LEFT, 2ND PRD</div>

 

NHL: MINNESOTA at ST LOUIS

<div class="pre">NHL MINNESOTA 0
ST LOUIS 0 16:07 LEFT, 2ND PRD</div>

 

NHL: MINNESOTA at ST LOUIS

<div class="pre">NHL MINNESOTA 0
ST LOUIS 0 13:18 LEFT, 2ND PRD</div>

 

NHL: MINNESOTA at ST LOUIS

<div class="pre">NHL MINNESOTA 0
ST LOUIS 0 9:55 LEFT, 2ND PRD</div>

 

NHL: MINNESOTA at ST LOUIS

<div class="pre">NHL MINNESOTA 0
ST LOUIS 0 7:41 LEFT, 2ND PRD</div>

 

NHL: MINNESOTA at ST LOUIS

<div class="pre">NHL MINNESOTA 1
ST LOUIS 0
2ND PRD: MIN - (PP) PAVOL DEMITRA 3 (ERIC BELANGER, KIM JOHNSSON)
12:37</div>

 

NHL: MINNESOTA at ST LOUIS

<div class="pre">NHL MINNESOTA 1
ST LOUIS 0 3:35 LEFT, 2ND PRD</div>

 

NHL: MINNESOTA at ST LOUIS

<div class="pre">NHL MINNESOTA 1
ST LOUIS 1
2ND PRD: STL - STEVE WAGNER 1 (MARTIN RUCINSKY) 19:50</div>

 

NHL: MINNESOTA at ST LOUIS

<div class="pre">NHL MINNESOTA 2
ST LOUIS 1
2ND PRD: MIN - ERIC BELANGER 3 (PIERRE-MARC BOUCHARD) 19:49</div>