Uff da, that was a tough one last night, wasn't it? The Minnesota Wild just couldn't quite find their footing against the Chicago Blackhawks at home in Saint Paul, losing 2-1 in regulation. It felt like watching paint dry on some of those shifts, you betcha. I mean, Mikheyev snuck one past early for Chicago in the first, and then young Bedard, well, he showed up in the second period, extending their lead. It was good to see Nico Sturm finally get us on the board later in the second, with a nice assist from Hunter Haight and Brock Faber, but it just wasn't enough to spark a full comeback. We outshot them in the end, 29-26, but the puck just wasn't bouncing our way, was it?

You know, every loss like this, especially to Chicago, just grinds on you. It's not just about the standings, though dropping this one means we're still sitting third in the Central, with a not-so-great 4-4-2 record in our last ten. It's about the momentum, and what it means for all those kids watching, dreaming of their own State Hockey Tournament glory down the road. You can't be losing these kinds of games at home if you want to be a serious contender. I was hoping for a celebratory midnight breakfast at Mickey's Diner, but after that performance, well, a quiet cup of coffee was more my speed.

Going forward, the boys in Saint Paul just need to find that consistent fire, that Minnesota grit. We've got 90 points, which is good, but these dropped points against teams we should be handling, uff da. It makes you wonder. We need to tighten up, find that killer instinct, and play every shift like it’s the third period of a championship game. The season is getting shorter, and every game counts if we want to make a real run at it this year. This team has the talent, you betcha, but they need to show it every single night.

You betcha — Let's Play Hockey. This is Ingie Olsen-Carlson.

Head over to mornings.live, you guys, Keith and the whole crew are dissecting this one right now, it's a good listen.