MetalSeadramons Gemach » leaves the rink feeling like he didnt win,

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- The Minnesota Wild have turned their home ice into a deafening, discouraging place for opponents to play in the playoffs. For the second straight game, they dominated the defending Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks. Jason Pominville scored in the second period off the back of Chicago goalie Corey Crawfords skate, and the Wild beat the Blackhawks 4-2 on Friday night to even their Western Conference semifinal at two games apiece. "Its been fun to play here. I dont know what it is, but we have to find a way to bring that on the road as well," said Jared Spurgeon, whose third-period goal gave the Wild a cushion for the final stretch while the fans cheered and chanted louder and louder. "They play hard in their building, and theyre good in their building, and they check well so its tough to get momentum in here," Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville said. Matt Cooke returned from his seven-game kneeing suspension to give the Wild a jolt, assisting on Justin Fontaines opening goal, and Nino Niederreiter also scored. "I think I should have fresh legs. I have to go out there and lead the way. Hopefully my energy is contagious," Cooke said. Yes, it was. Cooke had a team-high five hits -- the Blackhawks were only credited with seven -- to help the Wild hold an intensity advantage from start to finish. "He brings a physical presence," Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews. "You never know what hes going to do, so youve got to be aware of him out there." Crawford made 27 saves, but he gave up four goals for the second straight game. "Weve just got to play the way we can: Move the puck and play with speed and skill, make the right plays at the right time," Crawford said. "Everyones got confidence in everyone else in this room, so weve just got to play together." Patrick Sharp snapped out of his slump with his second post-season goal and Michal Handzus also scored, but the Blackhawks again found themselves unable to establish a consistent attack against the Wilds stifling defence. The teams will return to Chicago for Game 5 on Sunday night and be back in Minnesota for Game 6 on Tuesday night. Quenneville shuffled up the lines, moving Ben Smith to the first group with captain Jonathan Toews and Bryan Bickell and bringing defenceman Nick Leddy back to the lineup in a search for more speed and flow. The Wild wouldnt let that happen. Leading the NHL in takeaways in the playoffs and allowing an average of fewer than 21 shots on goal per game in the series, the Wild improved to 5-0 at home this post-season with a 16-5 goal differential. The franchise playoff record at Xcel Energy Center was a mere 5-10 prior to this year. Sharp, coming off a 34-goal, 44-assist season, got his first goal of the series. But the Blackhawks managed just 20 shots on Wild goalie Ilya Bryzgalov after stressing the importance of testing him more. Cooke set Fontaine up for a slap shot on a 2-on-1 rush early in the game, and the puck sailed over the glass. Fontaine buried his next chance, a bad-angle attempt from the front edge of the circle that skidded through Michal Rozsivals legs after Cooke swiped the puck from the defenceman. After two full periods of trap-filled, tight-checking play in Game 3, the pace in this one was quick from the start. The fans resumed their sing-song jeering of Crawfords last name from the last game, and the chants grew louder throughout the night. The buzz in the building was killed for a bit when Sharp, whose struggles prompted a move down to a new third line with Handzus and Marian Hossa, caught defenceman Clayton Stoner stuck in the offensive zone on a turnover by Niederreiter and beat Mikko Koivu to slip a wrister between Bryzgalovs pads with 38 seconds left before the break. But the Wild roared right back in the second period with goals by Pominville and Niederreiter to bracket the score by Handzus. Bryzgalov did his part by sticking his pad out to stop Sharps breakaway with a thud. "That was huge for us," left wing Zach Parise said. As was all that noise from the crowd. NOTES: Spurgeons goal was just the fourth in 42 opportunities against the Blackhawks in the playoffs, the best penalty-kill percentage in the league. ... The Bickell-Toews-Smith line totalled just three shots. ... Minnesota Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, drafted from Louisville the night before, took in his first hockey game. Cheap Sammy Sosa Jersey .com) - Pavel Datsyuk and Gustav Nyquist both scored in the shootout as the Detroit Red Wings denied the Minnesota Wilds comeback bid with a 5-4 win on Tuesday. Cheap Ryne Sandberg Jersey . The Raptors have to get through the pesky New York Knicks Wednesday at Madison Square Garden and can lock up the third spot in the Eastern Conference with a win or a Chicago loss in Charlotte. http://www.cheapcubsjerseysauthentic.com/?tag=cheap-ernie-banks-jersey . Wilson hit Schenn from behind during Tuesday nights game in Philadelphia, earning a five-minute major for charging and a game misconduct. He has a phone hearing with the department of player safety, which limits any potential suspension to five or fewer games. Cheap Cubs Jerseys . Not to be outdone, Atletico Madrid bettered its title rivals by demolishing 10-man Getafe 7-0 with Diego Costa returning from injury to score with a brilliant bicycle kick. "It was an almost perfect night," Atletico coach Diego Simeone said. Cheap Cubs Jerseys China . The game was the first of two international friendlies that Canada is playing during the international break, with the second game against Slovenia set for Tuesday in Celje. Canada looked uncomfortable defensively throughout the game, and every free kick that came into Canadas penalty box looked like ending up in the back of the net.Detroit, MI (SportsNetwork.com) - Sergei Bobrovsky and the Columbus Blue Jackets remained unbeaten in December with another tight win. Bobrovsky made 30 saves in the game and another in the shootout to lift the Blue Jackets to a 1-0 win over the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday. Ryan Johansen and Boone Jenner beat Red Wings goalie Jimmy Howard in the shootout and Bobrovsky had no trouble putting his pads on a weak shot by Henrik Zetterberg to give Columbus its seventh consecutive win this month, including six by one goal. Pavel Datsyuk was the only player to beat Bobrovsky all night, fooling his fellow Russian with a backhand to open the shootout. Gustav Nyquist fired Detroits other shot off the post. Bobrovsky is also 7-0 in December and has now allowed just 12 goals on 242 shots in the month. Three of the wins have come in a shootout, moving the Blue Jackets to 3-1 this season. Both goaltenders were outstanding, said Detroit coach Mike Babcock. It was a tight game all night. They got two points and we got one. The Red Wings have lost four in a row, including three shootouts. They are 1-6 in the format this season, with Howard in net for all six losses. Babcock was asked if he would think about pulling Howard for a shootout inn the future given his record and didnt say no.dddddddddddd He didnt say yes, either. The thing I dont like about it is Howard stood on his head and leaves the rink feeling like he didnt win, Babcock said. Howard had 29 saves in the game, but gave up shootout goals to Johansen on a backhand deke and Jenner on a stop-and-start move. Its not just him out there. Hes not taking the penalty shots, Zetterberg said, with an emphasis on taking. Its Detroits first four-game losing streak since a six-game slide from Dec. 7-17 last year in which they went 0-4-2. The Blue Jackets have won their last seven on the heels of a six-game losing streak. The franchise record is eight wins from Jan. 6-23 last season. Their seven victories this month surpasses their combined total from October and November. Game Notes Bobrovsky notched his first shutout of the season, and 10th of his career, while Howard was credited with his second shutout of the season and 20th of his career ... Detroit beat the Blue Jackets 5-0 on Nov. 18 in Columbus ... The Red Wings continue a four-game homestand on Friday against the New York Islanders ... The Blue Jackets begin a five-game homestand on Thursday against Washington. 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