With guys like Pierre-Marc Bouchard, Mikko Koivu, Kim Johnsson, Pavol Demitra, Marian Gaborik, Brent Burns, etc. you would expect the Wild to be a good puck movement team; not just moving the puck up the ice, but the puck-control possession aspect of the game. In fact, their game is predicated on being an all-around great skating team and being able to control the puck.

The problem is “the perfect pass”. Inevitably a problem that stems from a certain combined skill level, guys will pass up prime scoring chances for that highlight reel assist. The kind where if you’re watching the game on television, you’ll see the recipient of the pass turn around, point at the passer, and mouth “nice fuckin pass!…what a pass!” Of course, a team can’t afford to just run into the zone and fire the puck all willy-nilly, negating any chance of gaining possession, and control of the zone, and the opportunity to put the defense on their heels. But there is a balance too.

You don’t score goals, or win games, by simply playing keep-away. That may be fun out on the shinny rink, but this is the NHL. You have to score goals to win.

Last night (and I guess in the past few games too) Minnesota spent nearly the entire power play moving the puck around the perimeter of the offensive zone, only to end up without a shot. A couple times. In fact, in his post game presser, Coach Jacques Lemaire said that the “power play is why we lost the game.” Yes, we got the tools to move the puck, but not only do we have guys who can hammer it (Rolston, Burns, Gaborik, Foster), but guys who will stand in front of the goalie and get the dirty goal (Parrish, Simon, Fedoruk, Radivojevic). It doesn’t stop there though; with the current defensive vogue of collapsing down around the net to protect the goalie, shots from the point, or even the half wall, may not even get through.

So, that being said, shouldn’t the answer be obvious? As plain as Stephane Veilleux’s goal last night, a product of Eric Belanger crashing the net with the puck, and Veilleux being on the door step to sweep up the garbage? Apparently not, as Marian Gaborik attempted to saucer a puck into Eric Belanger, who was in the middle of the action, with time running out as the Wild frantically tried to tie the score. Gaborik has 34 goals, at the right faceoff dot, with the puck on his stick; he shoots, right? Instead he opted for the perfect pass.

You know, maybe its hubris on the part of Minnesota; knowing and believing in their confidence and skill to a point where there is a certain unwillingness to crash the net, and or score on a play that is unpretty. That, in turn, could lead to more games like last night against Chicago.