Gm # 32: Blues 4, Wild 2

Like the old song, 'Limbo Rock', the question has to be asked of the Minnesota Wild:

'How low can you Go?'

After Saturday night's 4-2 loss to the St. Louis Blues at Scottrade Center, the answer may just be right to the basement...of the Western Conference.

Despite Nick Schultz's first goal since March (OK, it went off the skate of Roman Polak, but he made up for it 30 seconds later with the game-winning goal, Polak's actual first in the NHL) the Wild fell to 2-7-1 in a December many players on the team, and fans in the seats, would love to forget.

Bad breaks, bad timing, bad puck luck, you name it, it happened last night, as the Wild fell to 9th place in the West, as Nashville and Phoenix both recorded home victories Saturday night.

Not really much else to say about this stinker, except Cal Clutterbuck has a new dance partner in ex-Maple Leaf Carlo Colaiacovo after last night, when Cal caught Carlo at least twice for devastating hits. Carlo didn't like it, so he went after Cal, drawing a key penalty against the Blues in the latter moments of the third period, which the Wild managed to fritter away...again.

We caught the assembled multitude later drowning their collective sorrows:

Chicken Little: There's suck. Then, there's REALLY suck. And after all that, there's the Wild right now. No power play, no aggression whatsoever, and after Tuesday night, it's the Wild vs. four of the best 10 teams in the NHL...in a row. Doesn't look good.

Pollyanna: A bounce here, a bounce there, a stick in the right place, and who knows?

Bottom Line: In all the Wild's December maladies, this game ranks right down there with the games the previous two Saturdays, as some of the worst hockey we've seen from 'da Boys' this season. Like last Saturday in Los Angeles, and two weeks ago in Nashville, the Wild faced teams who were reeling off fairly bad strings of losses...and failed to get a single point out of any of them.

Stud: Niklas Backstrom, if for no other reason but the lack of support he received most of the night from his defense and forwards. Nice way to back up your goalie, guys.

Dud: On a night when Dud-ism was flowing as free as Budweiser in St. Louis, our choice is Brent Burns, as he was involved in both the game-winning Blues goal and the give-away which led to the empty-netter at the end. Sorry, Burnsie, but no one escapes when Dud-ism overfloweth.

Next: vs. Carolina, Tuesday, Dec. 23, 7:00 PM Central Time (FSCarolina, KSTC-45, no HD: XM Ch. 236)

WRT