Wild responds in a big way against Blues

ST. LOUIS -- While every coach at every level of hockey preaches a 60-minute effort, wins and losses are often decided by a handful of shifts.
The Wild was blown out in Dallas on Saturday night when it allowed the game's first goal then struggled to get any of its mojo back, eventually falling by five goals.
Minnesota surrendered the first goal to the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday at Scottrade Center, but instead of tucking tail, the Wild clawed back in a big way.

After watching St. Louis score 45 seconds into the game, the Wild scored the next six goals in a 6-2 win over their Central Division rivals.
The key to the win? The shift following the Blues' opening salvo.
Less than two minutes after Jaden Schwartz poked a loose puck through Devan Dubnyk, Nino Niederreiter gathered in a rebound of a shot by Gustav Olofsson, tying the game on Minnesota's first official shot on goal.

Just 2:02 into the game, after the worst start imaginable, Minnesota had the game even.
"The way we reacted today was the way we expect them to react all the time," said Wild coach Bruce Boudreau. "They were more ticked off than they were, 'Here we go again,' type thing."

Three nights prior, deep in the heart of Texas, things went the other way.
Minnesota played a solid first half of the game, then saw the Stars score four goals in the span of a little over five minutes. Minnesota also mixed a couple of penalties in there, as it seemed every shift, the Stars pressed harder and harder on the accelerator.
Each time, the Wild had no answer.
That wasn't the case in St. Louis.
"Responding well was huge for us," said Wild forward Jason Zucker. "I think that's what arguably got us that win."
The Wild didn't just respond, however; it kept after it.
Marcus Foligno and Mikko Koivu tacked on goals later in the first period and Zucker and Matt Dumba followed with tallies in the second, as the Wild built a 5-1 lead after 40 minutes.
Eric Staal chipped in a power-play goal 5:05 into the third as the Wild turned the tables on Saturday's final score.

"[The response was] huge, especially on the road. We haven't been good enough with that for most of this year ... that response and that ability to rebound," Staal said. "Tonight, right after that goal, we had a good bench, we were excited to keep playing.
"Sometimes that happens, and the response is the key. To be able to get that one back right after the one we gave up, that was big. We kept it going from there."
St. Louis scored one late and outshot Minnesota 19-3 in the third period, but by then, the game was all but decided.
"We haven't done that much this year at all. I thought the first two periods we were in their face the whole time," Boudreau said. "I thought obviously in the third period we just sat back, and they came on. But [Dubnyk] I thought was outstanding in the third period."