CreaseAndAssist

https://thesportsdaily.com/?p=1204323 Minnesota Wild (31-14-3) 65pts 3rd in Honda West 3.19 Goals For Per Game (11th in the NHL) 2.63 Goals Against Per Game (9th in the NHL) 18.5% Power Play (22nd in the NHL) 82.9% Penalty Kill (7th in the NHL) Top 5 Scorers: 1. #97 Kirill Kaprizov ~ 22G 19A = 41pts 2. #22 Kevin Fiala ~ 17G 15A = 32pts 3. #18 Jordan Greenway ~ 6G 24A = 30pts 4. #36 Mats Zuccarello ~ 10G 19A = 29pts 5. #14 Joel Eriksson Ek ~ 16G 10A = 26pts Top 3 PIM's: 1. #21 Carson Soucy ~ 49 PIM's 2. #18 Jordan Greenway ~ 44 PIM's 3. #24 Matt Dumba ~ 42 PIM's Top Goaltenders: 1. #33 Cam Talbot (17-7-3) 2.39GAA .924%SP 2SO 2. #34 Kaapo Kahkonen (14-7-0) 2.68GAA .910%SP 2SO Vs. St. Louis Blues (22-19-6) 50pts 4th in Honda West 2.91 Goals For Per Game (13th in the NHL) 3.06 Goals Against Per Game (21st in the NHL) 21.9% Power Play (10th in the NHL) 75.5% Penalty Kill (28th in the NHL) Top 5 Scorers: 1. #57 David Perron ~ 14G 33A = 47pts 2. #90 Ryan O'Reilly ~ 20G 25A = 45pts 3. #68 Mike Hoffman ~ 16G 16A = 32pts 4. #10 Brayden Schenn ~ 13G 18 A = 21pts 5. #25 Jordan Kyrou ~ 11G 17A = 28pts Top 3 PIM's: 1. #10 Brayden Schenn ~ 29 PIM's 2. #72 Justin Faulk ~ 29 PIM's 3. #13 Kyle Clifford ~ 28 PIM's Top Goaltenders: 1. #50 Jordan Binnington (15-14-5) 2.69GAA .909%SP 2. #35 Ville Husso (7-5-1) 3.43GAA .887%SP

Okay, MNSOTA here.....here's the updated stats and preview link: https://thesportsdaily.com/?p=1204309 Minnesota Wild (31-13-3) 65pts 3rd in Honda West 3.19 Goals For Per Game (11th in the NHL) 2.60 Goals Against Per Game (7th in the NHL) 18.6% Power Play (22nd in the NHL) 84.0% Penalty Kill (4th in the NHL) Top 5 Scorers: 1. #97 Kirill Kaprizov ~ 22G 19A = 41pts 2. #22 Kevin Fiala ~ 17G 15A = 32pts 3. #36 Mats Zuccarello ~ 10G 19A = 29pts 4. #18 Jordan Greenway ~ 6G 22A = 28pts 5. #14 Joel Eriksson Ek ~ 15G 10A = 25pts Top 3 PIM's: 1. #21 Carson Soucy ~ 49 PIM's 2. #18 Jordan Greenway ~ 44 PIM's 3. #24 Matt Dumba ~ 40 PIM's Top Goaltenders: 1. #33 Cam Talbot (17-6-3) 2.33GAA .926%SP 2SO 2. #34 Kaapo Kahkonen (14-7-0) 2.68GAA .910%SP 2SO Vs. St. Louis Blues (21-19-6) 48pts 4th in Honda West 2.87 Goals For Per Game (13th in the NHL) 3.11 Goals Against Per Game (21st in the NHL) 20.3% Power Play (14th in the NHL) 75.3% Penalty Kill (28th in the NHL) Top 5 Scorers: 1. #90 Ryan O'Reilly ~ 20G 25A = 45pts 2. #57 David Perron ~ 14G 31A = 45pts 3. #10 Brayden Schenn ~ 13G 18A = 31pts 4. #68 Mike Hoffman ~ 14G 15A = 29pts 5. #25 Jordan Kyrou ~ 10G 16A = 26pts Top 3 PIM's: 1. #10 Brayden Schenn ~ 29 PIM's 2. #72 Justin Faulk ~ 29 PIM's 3. #13 Kyle Clifford ~ 28 PIM's Top Goaltenders: 1. #50 Jordan Binnington (14-14-5) 2.68GAA .910%SP 2. #35 Ville Husso (7-5-1) 3.43GAA .887%SP

https://thesportsdaily.com/?p=1204309 Minnesota Wild (31-13-3) 65pts 3rd in Honda West 3.19 Goals For Per Game (10th in the NHL) 2.60 Goals Against Per Game (8th in the NHL) 18.6% Power Play (22nd in the NHL) 84.0% Penalty Kill (4th in the NHL) Top 5 Scorers: 1. #97 Kirill Kaprizov ~ 22G 19A = 41pts 2. #22 Kevin Fiala ~ 17G 15A = 32pts 3. #36 Mats Zuccarello ~ 10G 19A = 29pts 4. #18 Jordan Greenway ~ 6G 22A = 28pts 5. #14 Joel Eriksson Ek ~ 15G 10A = 25pts Top 3 PIM's: 1. #21 Carson Soucy ~ 49 PIM's 2. #18 Jordan Greenway ~ 44 PIM's 3. #24 Matt Dumba ~ 40 PIM's Top Goaltenders: 1. #33 Cam Talbot (17-6-3) 2.33GAA .926%SP 2SO 2. #34 Kaapo Kahkonen (14-7-0) 2.68GAA .910%SP 2SO Vs. St. Louis Blues (20-19-6) 46pts 5th in Honda West 2.87 Goals For Per Game (14th in the NHL) 3.11 Goals Against Per Game (22nd in the NHL) 20.3% Power Play (15th in the NHL) 75.3% Penalty Kill (29th in the NHL) Top 5 Scorers: 1. #90 Ryan O'Reilly ~ 20G 23A = 43pts 2. #57 David Perron ~ 13G 29A = 42pts 3. #10 Brayden Schenn ~ 12G 18A = 30pts 4. #68 Mike Hoffman ~ 14G 14A = 28pts 5. #25 Jordan Kyrou ~ 10G 16A = 26pts Top 3 PIM's: 1. #10 Brayden Schenn ~ 29 PIM's 2. #72 Justin Faulk ~ 29 PIM's 3. #13 Kyle Clifford ~ 28 PIM's Top Goaltenders: 1. #50 Jordan Binnington (13-14-5) 2.73GAA .908%SP 2. #35 Ville Husso (7-5-1) 3.43GAA .887%SP

Wild Clinch Playoff Berth in 6-3 Win Over San Jose Pretty ugly finish, but they still did enough to win. Other than some games against the Ducks, its all tough ones the rest of the way. I kind of felt bad for Marleau for how poorly the Sharks played on his emotional return to San Jose. We'll learn a lot about this Wild team this week. I have a game recap, a Nico Sturm feature, an Iowa Wild report and prospect news too! Enjoy!

https://thesportsdaily.com/?p=1203003 Minnesota Wild (30-13-3) 63pts 3rd in Honda West 3.13 Goals For Per Game (12th in the NHL) 2.59 Goals Against Per Game (8th in the NHL) 18.3% Power Play (23rd in the NHL) 84% Penalty Kill (6th in the NHL) Top 5 Scorers: 1. #97 Kirill Kaprizov ~ 21G 19A = 40pts 2. #22 Kevin Fiala ~ 16G 14A = 30pts 3. #36 Mats Zuccarello ~ 10G 18A = 28pts 4. #18 Jordan Greenway ~ 6G 21A = 27pts 5. #14 Joel Eriksson Ek ~ 15G 9A = 24pts Top 3 PIM's: 1. #21 Carson Soucy ~ 49 PIM's 2. #18 Jordan Greenway ~ 44 PIM's 3. #24 Matt Dumba ~ 40 PIM's Top Goaltenders: 1. #33 Cam Talbot (17-6-3) 2.33GAA .926%SP 2SO 2. #34 Kaapo Kahkonen (13-7-0) 2.66GAA .910%SP 2SO Vs. San Jose Sharks (18-23-5) 41pts 6th in Honda West 2.54 Goals For Per Game (26th in the NHL) 3.35 Goals Against Per Game (27th in the NHL) 15.5% Power Play (27th in the NHL) 79.7% Penalty Kill (14th in the NHL) Top 5 Scorers: 1. #9 Evander Kane ~ 17G 19A = 36pts 2. #48 Tomas Hertl ~ 14G 15A = 29pts 3. #39 Logan Couture ~ 14G 12A = 26pts 4. #28 Timo Meier ~ 9G 17A = 26pts 5. #88 Brent Burns ~ 6G 20A = 26pts Top 3 PIM's: 1. #9 Evander Kane ~ 40 PIM's 2. #71 Viktor Knyzhov ~ 39 PIM's 3. #88 Brent Burns ~ 26 PIM's Top Goaltenders: 1. #31 Martin Jones (15-12-3) 3.19GAA .898%SP 1SO 2. #32 Josef Korenar (0-2-0) 3.06GAA .896%SP

Kaprizov Strikes Twice in Wild's 4-2 Win Over Los Angeles I would agree with the assessment that Mark Parrish did a great job as analyst for this game. I love how he backtracked his comment about Talbot's play being Vezina worthy as the Kings scored just seconds later by saying, "maybe I shouldn'tve said Vezina." Kaprizov gets the team started and the 4th line steps up with some offense again. I have a full game recap, a feature on available centers in this summer's draft and prospect news too. And to @EmptyShelf hit me up on Twitter and we can talk about whatever your 'issue' is to your hearts content.

https://thesportsdaily.com/?p=1202996 Minnesota Wild (29-13-3) 61pts 3rd in Honda West 3.11 Goals For Per Game (12th in the NHL) 2.60 Goals Against Per Game (8th in the NHL) 17.9% Power Play (24th in the NHL) 83.7% Penalty Kill (6th in the NHL) Top 5 Scorers: 1. #97 Kirill Kaprizov ~ 19G 19A = 38pts 2. #22 Kevin Fiala ~ 16G 13A = 29pts 3. #36 Mats Zuccarello ~ 10G 18A = 28pts 4. #18 Jordan Greenway ~ 6G 21A = 27pts 5. #14 Joel Eriksson Ek ~ 14G 9A = 23pts Top 3 PIM's: 1. #21 Carson Soucy ~ 49 PIM's 2. #18 Jordan Greenway ~ 44 PIM's 3. #24 Matthew Dumba ~ 40 PIM's Top Goaltenders: 1. #33 Cam Talbot (16-6-3) 2.35GAA .925%SP 2SO 2. #34 Kaapo Kahkonen (13-7-0) 2.66GAA .910%SP 2SO Vs. Los Angeles Kings (17-20-6) 40pts 7th in Honda West 2.72 Goals For Per Game (20th in the NHL) 2.95 Goals Against Per Game (18th in the NHL) 21.0% Power Play (12th in the NHL) 84.9% Penalty Kill (3rd in the NHL) Top 5 Scorers: 1. #11 Anze Kopitar ~ 10G 34A = 44pts 2. #8 Drew Doughty ~ 8G 24A = 32pts 3. #23 Dustin Brown ~ 16G 11A = 27pts 4. #19 Alex Iafallo ~ 11G 15A = 26pts 5. #9 Adrian Kempe ~ 13G 11A = 24pts Top 3 PIM's: 1. #22 Andreas Athanasiou ~ 23 PIM's 2. #44 Mikey Anderson~ 22 PIM's 3. #8 Drew Doughty ~ 20 PIM's Top Goaltenders: 1. #40 Cal Petersen (8-11-4) 2.67GAA .920%SP 2. #32 Jonathan Quick (8-9-2) 3.06GAA .890%SP 2SO

Cam Talbot Stops 39 Shots As Wild Sweep Arizona with 4-1 Victory It was sure an ugly start. Talbot kept the Wild close and that's all they needed. Time to get the legs and minds going and Talbot kept his team in the game. 3-goal 3rd period...sure why not! Great game by Foligno, Sturm...and Rask is doing all he can to get Bjugstad back in the lineup. But Talbot is really looking great (knock on wood). I'd guess he's going to split starts in their back to back on Friday / Saturday especially when you consider travel is involved between the Kings & Sharks. I have a game recap, a feature on the team's balanced scoring, an Iowa Wild report and prospect news too! Enjoy!

https://thesportsdaily.com/?p=1202991 Minnesota Wild (28-13-3) 59pts 3rd in Honda West 3.09 Goals For Per Game (12th in the NHL) 2.64 Goals Against Per Game (9th in the NHL) 18.0% Power Play (24th in the NHL) 84.2% Penalty Kill (5th in the NHL) Top 5 Scorers: 1. #97 Kirill Kaprizov ~ 18G 19A = 37pts 2. #22 Kevin Fiala ~ 15G 13A = 28pts 3. #36 Mats Zuccarello ~ 10G 17A = 27pts 4. #18 Jordan Greenway ~ 6G 20A = 26pts 5. #14 Joel Eriksson Ek ~ 14G 8A = 22pts Top 3 PIM's: 1. #21 Carson Soucy ~ 47 PIM's 2. #18 Jordan Greenway ~ 44 PIM's 3. #24 Matt Dumba ~ 40 PIM's Top Goaltenders: 1. #33 Cam Talbot (15-6-3) 2.40GAA .922%SP 2SO 2. #34 Kaapo Kahkonen (13-7-0) 2.66GAA .910%SP 2SO Vs. Arizona Coyotes (20-21-5) 45pts 4th in Honda West 2.61 Goals For Per Game (23rd in the NHL) 3.13 Goals Against Per Game (22nd in the NHL) 19.9% Power Play (18th in the NHL) 78.7% Penalty Kill (20th in the NHL) Top 5 Scorers: 1. #81 Phil Kessel ~ 16G 18A = 34pts 2. #9 Clayton Keller ~ 13G 19A = 32pts 3. #6 Jakob Chychrun ~ 13G 19A = 32pts 4. #83 Conor Garland ~ 10G 22A = 32pts 5. #8 Nick Schmaltz ~ 10G 18A = 28pts Top 3 PIM's: 1. #67 Lawson Crouse ~ 42 PIM's 2. #6 Jakub Chychrun ~ 36 PIM's 3. #15 John Hayden ~ 33 PIM's Top Goaltenders: 1. #35 Darcy Kuemper (8-8-2) 2.47GAA .910%SP 1SO 2. #32 Antti Rantta (5-4-2) 3.20GAA .913%SP 3. #31 Adin Hill (7-7-1) 2.89GAA .908%SP 1SO 4. #50 Ivan Prosvetov (0-0-0) 5.00GAA .813%SP

https://thesportsdaily.com/?p=1202985 Minnesota Wild (27-13-3) 57pts 3rd in Honda West 3.05 Goals For Per Game (12th in the NHL) 2.65 Goals Against Per Game (10th in the NHL) 16.9% Power Play (25th in the NHL) 84.1% Penalty Kill (5th in the NHL) Top 5 Scorers: 1. #97 Kirill Kaprizov ~ 17G 19A = 36pts 2. #36 Mats Zuccarello ~ 10G 17A = 27pts 3. #22 Kevin Fiala ~ 14G 12A = 26pts 4. #18 Jordan Greenway ~ 5G 20A = 25pts 5. #14 Joel Eriksson Ek ~ 14G 7A = 21pts Top 3 PIM's: 1. #21 Carson Soucy ~ 47 PIM's 2. #18 Jordan Greenway ~ 44 PIM's 3. #24 Matt Dumba ~ 40 PIM's Top Goaltenders: 1. #33 Cam Talbot (14-6-3) 2.42GAA .922%SP 2SO 2. #34 Kaapo Kahkonen (13-7-0) 2.66GAA .910%SP 2SO Vs. Arizona Coyotes (20-20-5) 45pts 4th in Honda West 2.62 Goals For Per Game (23rd in the NHL) 3.09 Goals Against Per Game (21st in the NHL) 20.0% Power Play (17th in the NHL) 79.7% Penalty Kill (15th in the NHL) Top 5 Scorers: 1. #81 Phil Kessel ~ 16G 18A = 34pts 2. #83 Conor Garland ~ 10G 22A = 32pts 3. #9 Clayton Keller ~ 13G 18A = 31pts 4. #6 Jakob Chychrun ~ 13G 18A = 31pts 5. #8 Nick Schmaltz ~ 10G 18A = 28pts Top 3 PIM's: 1. #67 Lawson Crouse ~ 42 PIM's 2. #6 Jakob Chychrun ~ 34 PIM's 3. #83 Conor Garland ~ 24 PIM's Top Goaltenders: 1. #35 Darcy Kuemper (8-7-2) 2.39GAA .914%SP 1SO 2. #32 Antti Raanta (5-5-2) 3.36GAA .905%SP 3. #31 Adin Hill (7-7-1) 2.89GAA .908%SP 1SO 4. #50 Ivan Prosvetov (0-0-0) 5.00GAA .813%SP

Marathon on Ice, an incredible love letter to the Greatest High School Hockey Game Ever Played I share my thoughts on this new documentary that was just released this weekend that covers the 1996 Semi-final game between Apple Valley and Duluth East. I know we discuss the tourney here, but if you have any memories of this game I'd love to hear it.

https://thesportsdaily.com/?p=1201110 Minnesota Wild (26-13-3) 55pts 3rd in Honda West 3.00 Goals For Per Game (13th in the NHL) 2.67 Goals Against Per Game (11th in the NHL) 16.7% Power Play (25th in the NHL) 83.8% Penalty Kill (6th in the NHL) Top 5 Scorers: 1. #97 Kirill Kaprizov ~ 16G 19A = 35pts 2. #22 Kevin Fiala ~ 14G 12A = 26pts 3. #36 Mats Zuccarello ~ 9G 16A = 25pts 4. #18 Jordan Greenway ~ 5G 19A = 24pts 5. #14 Joel Eriksson Ek ~ 13G 7A = 20pts Top 3 PIM's: 1. #21 Carson Soucy ~ 45 PIM's 2. #18 Jordan Greenway ~ 44 PIM's 3. #24 Matt Dumba ~ 38 PIM's Top Goaltenders: 1. #33 Cam Talbot (14-6-3) 2.42GAA .922%SP 2SO 2. #34 Kaapo Kahkonen (12-7-0) 2.69GAA .909%SP 2SO Vs. San Jose Sharks (18-21-4) 40pts 6th in Honda West 2.58 Goals For Per Game (25th in the NHL) 3.30 Goals Against Per Game (28th in the NHL) 16.4% Power Play (26th in the NHL) 80.9% Penalty Kill (13th in the NHL) Top 5 Scorers: 1. #9 Evander Kane ~ 17G 19A = 36pts 2. #48 Tomas Hertl ~ 13G 14A = 27pts 3. #39 Logan Couture ~ 14G 12A = 26pts 4. #28 Timo Meier ~ 8G 17A = 25pts 5. #88 Brent Burns ~ 5G 20A = 25pts Top 3 PIM's: 1. #9 Evander Kane ~ 40 PIM's 2. #71 Viktor Knyzhov ~ 37 PIM's 3. #62 Kevin Lebanc ~ 24 PIM's Top Goaltenders: 1. #31 Martin Jones (15-11-2) 3.14GAA .899%SP 1SO 2. #32 Josef Korenar (0-1-0) 3.07GAA .882%SP

https://thesportsdaily.com/?p=1201105 Minnesota Wild (25-13-3) 53pts 3rd in Honda West 3.00 Goals For Per Game (13th in the NHL) 2.68 Goals Against Per Game (12th in the NHL) 17.1% Power Play (25th in the NHL) 83.7% Penalty Kill (6th in the NHL) Top 5 Scorers: 1. #97 Kirill Kaprizov ~ 16G 19A = 35pts 2. #22 Kevin Fiala ~ 14G 12A = 26pts 3. #36 Mats Zuccarello ~ 8G 16A = 24pts 4. #18 Jordan Greenway ~ 5G 19A = 24pts 5. #14 Joel Eriksson Ek ~ 13G 7A = 20pts Top 3 PIM's: 1. #21 Carson Soucy ~ 45 PIM's 2. #18 Jordan Greenway ~ 44 PIM's 3. #24 Matt Dumba ~ 38 PIM's Top Goaltenders: 1. #33 Cam Talbot (13-9-3) 2.43GAA .923%SP 2SO 2. #34 Kaapo Kahkonen (12-7-0) 2.69GAA .909%SP 2SO Vs. San Jose Sharks (18-20-4) 40pts 6th in Honda West 2.60 Goals For Per Game (25th in the NHL) 3.31 Goals Against Per Game (28th in the NHL) 16.5% Power Play (26th in the NHL) 80.4% Penalty Kill (13th in the NHL) Top 5 Scorers: 1. #9 Evander Kane ~ 16G 19A = 35pts 2. #39 Logan Couture ~ 14G 12A = 26pts 3. #48 Tomas Hertl ~ 12G 14A = 26pts 4. #28 Timo Meier ~ 8G 17A = 25pts 5. #88 Brent Burns ~ 5G 20A = 25pts Top 3 PIM's: 1. #29 Kurtis Gabriel ~ 50 PIM's 2. #9 Evander Kane ~ 40 PIM's 3. #71 Viktor Knyzhov ~ 37 PIM's Top Goaltenders: 1. #31 Martin Jones (15-10-2) 3.14GAA .900%SP 1SO 2. #32 Josef Korenar (0-1-0) 3.07GAA .882%SP

Wild's Power Play Strikes 3 Times in Minnesota's 5-2 Win Over Arizona Sounds like they came to play, and its a good win to get against a club that is trying to chase them. The two bounces on the last two power play goals were a bit fortuitous, but you get those kinds of bounces when you're doing the right things. I have a full game recap, a Kahkonen feature, an Iowa Wild report, prospect updates and a college hockey summary too! Check it out! Its 'meaty' as Russo would say.

https://thesportsdaily.com/?p=1201092 Minnesota Wild (24-13-3) 51pts 3rd in Honda West 2.95 Goals For Per Game (13th in the NHL) 2.70 Goals Against Per Game (12th in the NHL) 15.1% Power Play (27th in the NHL) 84% Penalty Kill (5th in the NHL) Top 5 Scorers: 1. #97 Kirill Kaprizov ~ 16G 18A = 34pts 2. #18 Jordan Greenway ~ 5G 19A = 24pts 3. #36 Mats Zuccarello ~ 6G 16A = 22pts 4. #14 Joel Eriksson Ek ~ 13G 7A = 20pts 5. #38 Ryan Hartman ~ 6G 11A = 17pts Top 3 PIM's: 1. #21 Carson Soucy ~ 45 PIM's 2. #18 Jordan Greenway ~ 44 PIM's 3. #24 Matt Dumba ~ 38 PIM's Top Goaltenders: 1. #33 Cam Talbot (12-6-3) 2.45GAA .922%SP 2SO 2. #34 Kaapo Kahkonen (12-7-0) 2.69GAA .909%SP 2SO Vs. Arizona Coyotes (19-19-5) 43pts 5th in Honda West 2.63 Goals For Per Game (23rd in the NHL) 3.07 Goals Against Per Game (20th in the NHL) 19.6% Power Play (20th in the NHL) 82.1% Penalty Kill (10th in the NHL) Top 5 Scorers: 1. #81 Phil Kessel ~ 15G 18A = 33pts 2. #83 Conor Garland ~ 10G 21A = 31pts 3. #9 Clayton Keller ~ 12G 18A = 30pts 4. #6 Jakub Chychrun ~ 12G 17A = 29pts 5. #8 Nick Schmaltz ~ 10G 16A = 26pts Top 3 PIM's: 1. #67 Lawson Crouse ~ 42 PIM's 2. #6 Jakub Chychrun ~ 32 PIM's 3. #83 Conor Garland ~ 24 PIM's Top Goaltenders: 1. #35 Darcy Kuemper (7-7-2) 2.41GAA .914%SP 1SO 2. #32 Antti Rantta (5-4-2) 3.20GAA .913%SP 3. #31 Adin Hill (7-7-1) 2.89GAA .908%SP 1SO 4. #50 Ivan Prosvetov (0-0-0) 5.00GAA .813%SP

https://thesportsdaily.com/?p=1201080 Minnesota Wild (24-13-3) 51pts 3rd in Honda West 2.95 Goals For Per Game (14th in the NHL) 2.70 Goals Against Per Game (12th in the NHL) 15.1% Power Play (27th in the NHL) 84% Penalty Kill (5th in the NHL) Top 5 Scorers: 1. #97 Kirill Kaprizov ~ 16G 18A = 34pts 2. #18 Jordan Greenway ~ 5G 19A = 24pts 3. #36 Mats Zuccarello ~ 6G 16A = 22pts 4. #14 Joel Eriksson Ek ~ 13G 7A = 20pts 5. #38 Ryan Hartman ~ 6G 11A = 17pts Top 3 PIM's: 1. #21 Carson Soucy ~ 45 PIM's 2. #18 Jordan Greenway ~ 44 PIM's 3. #24 Matt Dumba ~ 38 PIM's Top Goaltenders: 1. #33 Cam Talbot (12-6-3) 2.45GAA .922%SP 2SO 2. #34 Kaapo Kahkonen (12-6-0) 2.69GAA .909%SP 2SO Vs. St. Louis Blues (19-16-6) 44pts 4th in Honda West 2.85 Goals For Per Game (16th in the NHL) 3.07 Goals Against Per Game (21st in the NHL) 18.5% Power Play (23rd in the NHL) 76.2% Penalty Kill (26th in the NHL) Top 5 Scorers: 1. #57 David Perron ~ 13G 27A = 40pts 2. #90 Ryan O'Reilly ~ 17G 22A = 39pts 3. #10 Brayden Schenn ~ 12G 16A = 28pts 4. #25 Jordan Kyrou ~ 10G 15A = 25pts 5. #68 Mike Hoffman ~ 11G 12A = 23pts Top 3 PIM's: 1. #13 Kyle Clifford ~ 28 PIM's 2. #10 Brayden Schenn ~ 25 PIM's 3. #47 Torey Krug ~ 23 PIM's Top Goaltenders: 1. #50 Jordan Binnington (12-11-5) 2.65GAA .910%SP 2. #35 Ville Husso (7-5-1) 3.43GAA .887%SP

https://thesportsdaily.com/?p=1199975 Minnesota Wild (24-12-2) 50pts 3rd in Honda West 2.97 Goals For Per Game (13th in the NHL) 2.69 Goals Against Per Game (12th in the NHL) 14.5% Power Play (27th in the NHL) 84.4% Penalty Kill (5th in the NHL) Top 5 Scorers: 1. #97 Kirill Kaprizov ~ 16G 18A = 34pts 2. #22 Kevin Fiala ~ 14G 11A = 25pts 3. #18 Jordan Greenway ~ 5G 19A = 24pts 4. #36 Mats Zuccarello ~ 6G 16A = 22pts 5. #14 Joel Eriksson Ek ~ 13G 7A = 20pts Top 3 PIM's: 1. #21 Carson Soucy ~ 45 PIM's 2. #18 Jordan Greenway ~ 44 PIM's 3. #24 Matt Dumba ~ 38 PIM's Top Goaltenders: 1. #33 Cam Talbot (12-6-2) 2.44GAA .923%SP 2SO 2. #34 Kaapo Kahkonen (12-7-0) 2.69GAA .909%SP 2SO Vs. St. Louis Blues (17-16-6) 40pts 5th in Honda West 2.85 Goals For Per Game (16th in the NHL) 3.10 Goals Against Per Game (22nd in the NHL) 18.1% Power Play (23rd in the NHL) 76.6% Penalty Kill (24th in the NHL) Top 5 Scorers: 1. #57 David Perron ~ 13G 26A = 39pts 2. #90 Ryan O'Reilly ~ 16G 22A = 38pts 3. #10 Brayden Schenn ~ 12G 15A = 27pts 4. #25 Jordan Kyrou ~ 10G 15A = 25pts 5. #47 Torey Krug ~ 1G 21A = 22pts Top 3 PIM's: 1. #13 Kyle Clifford ~ 28 PIM's 2. #10 Brayden Schenn ~ 25 PIM's 3. #12 Zach Sanford ~ 23 PIM's Top Goaltenders: 1. #50 Jordan Binnington (12-11-5) 2.65GAA .910%SP 2. #35 Ville Husso (6-5-1) 3.58GAA .883%SP

https://thesportsdaily.com/?p=1199978 Minnesota Wild (24-12-2) 50pts 3rd in Honda West 3.03 Goals For Per Game (13th in the NHL) 2.53 Goals Against Per Game (9th in the NHL) 14.8% Power Play (26th in the NHL) 84.9% Penalty Kill (3rd in the NHL) Top 5 Scorers: 1. #97 Kirill Kaprizov ~ 16G 18A = 34pts 2. #22 Kevin Fiala ~ 14G 11A = 25pts 3. #18 Jordan Greenway ~ 5G 19A = 24pts 4. #36 Mats Zuccarello ~ 6G 16A = 22pts 5. #14 Joel Eriksson Ek ~ 13G 7A = 20pts Top 3 PIM's: 1. #21 Carson Soucy ~ 43 PIM's 2. #18 Jordan Greenway ~ 42 PIM's 3. #24 Matt Dumba ~ 38 PIM's Top Goaltenders: 1. #34 Kaapo Kahkonen (12-5-0) 2.29GAA .921%SP 2SO 2. #33 Cam Talbot (12-6-2) 2.44GAA .923%SP 2SO Vs. St. Louis Blues (17-16-6) 40pts 5th in Honda West 2.69 Goals For Per Game (20th in the NHL) 3.15 Goals Against Per Game (23rd in the NHL) 17.5% Power Play (24th in the NHL) 76.3% Penalty Kill (25th in the NHL) Top 5 Scorers: 1. #57 David Perron ~ 13G 25A = 38pts 2. #90 Ryan O'Reilly ~ 13G 21A = 34pts 3. #10 Brayden Schenn ~ 12G 14A = 26pts 4. #25 Jordan Kyrou ~ 10G 15A = 25pts 5. #68 Mike Hoffman ~ 9G 12A = 21pts Top 3 PIM's: 1. #13 Kyle Clifford ~ 28 PIM's 2. #47 Torey Krug ~ 23 PIM's 3. #10 Brayden Schenn ~ 23 PIM's Top Goaltenders: 1. #50 Jordan Binnington (11-11-5) 2.71GAA .909%SP 2. #35 Ville Husso (6-5-1) 3.58GAA .883%SP

Fiala's Hat Trick Lifts Wild to 8-3 Rout of Colorado Good start and they wavered a bit in the 2nd but didn't completely give up the ship. Yet the power play struck 4 times, and seems to be working pretty well with 6 goals in the last two games. Nice statement game, and now for the St. Louis Blues and more Blues. Great to see Luke Johnson get rewarded with a goal, he and Kyle Rau were providing great energy and hustle out there. Fiala's confidence is growing and Kaprizov's Kaprizov...fun game! I have a full game recap, a power play feature, an Iowa Wild report, prospect news and boys HS awards too! Check it out!

https://thesportsdaily.com/?p=1199861 Minnesota Wild (23-12-2) 48pts 3rd in Honda West 2.89 Goals For Per Game (15th in the NHL) 2.51 Goals Against Per Game (8th in the NHL) 12% Power Play (30th in the NHL) 85.7% Penalty Kill (3rd in the NHL) Top 5 Scorers: 1. #97 Kirill Kaprizov ~ 14G 17A = 31pts 2. #18 Jordan Greenway ~ 5G 18A = 23pts 3. #22 Kevin Fiala ~ 11G 10A = 21pts 4. #14 Joel Eriksson Ek ~ 12G 7A = 19pts 5. #25 Jonas Brodin ~ 5G 11A = 16pts Top 3 PIM's: 1. #21 Carson Soucy ~ 41 PIM's 2. #18 Jordan Greenway ~ 40 PIM's 3. #22 Kevin Fiala ~ 35 PIM's Top Goaltenders: 1. #34 Kaapo Kahkonen (12-6-0) 2.34GAA .920%SP 2SO 2. #33 Cam Talbot (11-6-2) 2.41GAA .924%SP 2SO Vs. Colorado Avalanche (25-8-4) 54pts 1st in Honda West 3.61 Goals For Per Game (1st in the NHL) 2.26 Goals Against Per Game (2nd in the NHL) 23.6% Power Play (10th in the NHL) 86.1% Penalty Kill (2nd in the NHL) Top 5 Scorers: 1. #29 Nathan MacKinnon ~ 14G 31A = 45pts 2. #96 Mikko Rantanen ~ 21G 23A = 44pts 3. #92 Gabriel Landeskog ~ 15G 22A = 37pts 4. #49 Samuel Girard ~ 5G 25A = 30pts 5. #72 Joonas Donskoi ~ 15G 13A = 28pts Top 3 PIM's: 1. #91 Nazem Kadri ~ 28 PIM's 2. #27 Ryan Graves ~ 26 PIM's 3. #29 Nathan MacKinnon ~ 24 PIM's Top Goaltenders: 1. #31 Philipp Grubauer (24-7-1) 1.83GAA .926%SP 5SO 2. #35 Joonas Johansson (1-0-1) 2.89GAA .898%SP

It is funny because in my feature I give my credit for Fiala persevering through the frustration and I think it was evident that on Saturday he was pretty damned annoyed. So obviously, its still a work in progress.

This is another good test for the Minnesota Wild, to see if what we saw in Vegas was something to get really excited about or kind of an illusion. The Avalanche are scoring more and giving up less lately, which is hardly a good combination for the Wild. But if you want to be the best, you've got to beat the best!

https://thesportsdaily.com/?p=1199857 Minnesota Wild (23-11-2) 48pts 3rd in Honda West 2.86 Goals For Per Game (15th in the NHL) 2.44 Goals Against Per Game (5th in the NHL) 10.8% Power Play (30th in the NHL) 86.2% Penalty Kill (4th in the NHL) Top 5 Scorers: 1. #97 Kirill Kaprizov ~ 14G 17A = 31pts 2. #18 Jordan Greenway ~ 5G 18A = 23pts 3. #36 Mats Zuccarello ~ 6G 16A = 22pts 4. #22 Kevin Fiala ~ 10G 10A = 20pts 5. #14 Joel Eriksson Ek ~ 12G 7A = 19pts Top 3 PIM's: 1. #21 Carson Soucy ~ 41 PIM's 2. #18 Jordan Greenway ~ 40 PIM's 3. #22 Kevin Fiala ~ 35 PIM's Top Goaltenders: 1. #34 Kaapo Kahkonen (12-6-0) 2.34GAA .920%SP 2SO 2. #33 Cam Talbot (11-5-2) 2.26GAA .928%SP 2SO Vs. Colorado Avalanche (25-8-4) 54pts 1st in Honda West 3.57 Goals For Per Game (1st in the NHL) 2.22 Goals Against Per Game (1st in the NHL) 23.4% Power Play (9th in the NHL) 87.1% Penalty Kill (2nd in the NHL) Top 5 Scorers: 1. #96 Mikko Rantanen ~ 21G 22A = 43pts 2. #29 Nathan MacKinnon ~ 13G 30A = 43pts 3. #92 Gabriel Landeskog ~ 14G 22A = 36pts 4. #72 Joonas Donskoi ~ 15G 13A = 28pts 5. #49 Samuel Girard ~ 5G 23A = 28pts Top 3 PIM's: 1. #91 Nazem Kadri ~ 28 PIM's 2. #29 Nathan MacKinnon ~ 24 PIM's 3. #27 Ryan Graves ~ 24 PIM's Top Goaltenders: 1. #31 Philipp Grubauer (23-7-1) 1.76GAA .929%SP 5SO 2. #35 Joonas Johansson (1-0-1) 2.89GAA .898%SP

There were 3,950 apparently at the game on Saturday night.

He's been better as a winger than as a center. It doesn't hurt that he could play it if he has to. However, it will be interesting to see how he performs with a suddenly hot Iowa team.