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Candy, flowers, Valentine’s Day cards; these are all things the Minnesota Wild will likely not be exchanging any of these things with the members of the Vancouver Canucks tonight. The more likely exchange will include some trash talk, some vicious body checks and perhaps even a few cheap shots. It is a very important game for both of these teams as they try to battle for a playoff spot. Currently, Minnesota is sitting in the optimal seat that is 1st place in the division while the Canucks are sitting in 4th. Yet, only 5 points separates the two teams. Fans can expect a game that has a playoff-type atmosphere; can the Wild pull off a victory in what will surely be a hostile environment?
It was a tentative start for both teams as Vancouver settled into its 1-2-2 trap to start the game. In the early stages of the 1st period, it was the Canucks dominating puck possession as their top line of Daniel Sedin, Henrik Sedin, and Markus Naslund put on a clinic of cycling the puck.  Despite all of the puck possession in the Wild zone it only yielded in a single shot on goal that Niklas Backstrom was able to deflect out of the zone allowing Minnesota to get a much-needed line change. The game also demonstrated some physicality as well when Vancouver’s Matt Cooke gave a good check on Wild rookie James Sheppard that had the youngster a bit slow in getting up. It also would flare up with a fight as Nathan McIver would drop the gloves against Minnesota’s Aaron Voros. Both Voros and McIver would throw some right hands in what turned out to be a fairly long fight; Voros had an advantage in reach but McIver was able to get himself close which negated that advantage. It was a fairly even back and forth fight, but McIver gets the win as he landed the last few punches as an exhausted Voros tumbled to the ice. Both teams were working hard to finish their checks, and Minnesota was dishing out some of their own as Eric Belanger and Brent Burns delivered some nice hits. Just over 5 minutes left in the period, the Wild would get a 3-on-2 and the drop pass found Stephane Veilleux all alone in the slot and he feinted at a slapper which caused Roberto Luongo to skate out to challenge but Veilleux faked and then slid a nifty backhanded shot around the Canucks’ netminder to put Minnesota up 1-0.  The Canucks would try to strike back as young Vancouver defenseman would evade a charging Marian Gaborik, and then get off a great point shot that Niklas Backstrom was able to kick aside with a pad save. Vancovuer was not done there as some good work down low by former University of Minnesota-Duluth star Mason Raymond gave a quick pass to Trevor Linden waiting just beneath the right faceoff circle but Backstrom would stop his snap shot to preserve Minnesota’s one-goal lead. The Canucks would have an even better chance in the closing seconds when point shot, created a small flurry that culminated with Taylor Pyatt firing a puck off the post and out, which allowed Minnesota to take a 1-0 lead going into the 2nd period.
