Wild about another win

The fact that it was the second largest regular season crowd at the Excel Energy Center speaks volumes to how people are feeling about the team. The strike to start out the season made me wonder how fans would react. The answer an overwhelming Wild support as we are watching this team continue to grow and the team is working their way higher in the tough west.

I throw out a thought which I believe was the turning point of the game. The penalty shot by San Jose only to get stopped by hot goaltender Niklas Backstrom was my difference maker of the day. Yes, it was early in the game but what if San Jose would have scored?

I also throw the name Cal Clutterbuck as an unusual maybe top 2 player of the game. The feistiness he presented along with 2 shorthanded rushes resulting in shots on goal but no goals as a result. His hustle and getting under San Jose’s skin was fun to watch.

Wild Goalie Backstrom played his best game of the year and as a result got his first shutout of the year.  The guys stop 30 of 30 shots including an amazing stop against ex-Wild player Brett Burns. You wonder if Backstrom is going to wear down but so far the answer is no. He seems to get stronger which is great for the team and Wild supporters.

The 2 goals scored by Zach Parise and Jared Spurgeon were the fastest goals I think I have ever seen. I do not mean fast as far as seconds but the speed of the shots making the puck go in the net so fast it almost seemed like they did not go in.

The one timer by Spurgeon was awesome as well as the first goal of the game when it seemed like Mikko Koivu made a no look pass and then end result a Parise blast high in the corner.

I loved the penalty kill by the Wild today and of course the Wild power play is looking better. It is the penalty kill that gets my attention. This just might be the best part of their game. Team hustle and just hard work is showing.

I loved the fight involving the Wild’s Torrey Mitchell. I also loved the camera on Zenon Konopka smiling as Mitchell left the ice.

I was concerned with one aspect of the game and that was the amount of hits Backstrom took by the Sharks today. It makes the shutout even that much more special with the hits he took and yet stood tall enough to stop all 30 shots.

It is another big win but now the team goes south to Dallas where the Wild have lost 16 in a row there. First Vancouver then Detroit now how about Dallas? Are they next? Yes, I believe another streak will come to an end.

Thanks for reading

Purplestick