Wild Get Much Needed Victory @ Calgary

The Wild went into Calgary last night needing a win about as badly as a team can need one, this early in the season. A bevy of injuries has set them back in a way I’m not sure anyone saw coming. But, you get 82 games for a reason. The Wild will get healthier eventually and the reinforcements will come.

Until then, this team is good enough to float around playoff contention. Say what you want about Fletcher but the Wild are built with depth and experience. Having goalie play like they got last night, especially early on, always helps. On the latter end of a back-to-back, it was Alex Stalock who got his turn in between the pipes.

He dazzled. This is just one example:

The Wild got on the board first. It took a two-man advantage and more Chris Stewart magic but we will take it. Stewart now has 6 goals (8 pts) on the season, in just 6 games. What an incredible run. It helps to play with Zucker and Koivu who would probably make anyone better. But the run Stewart has been on to start the season, has been incredible.

Calgary’s first goal was a rare mistake by Ryan Suter, who had issues controlling the puck in the corner, allowing for Monahan’s goal. Everyone makes mistakes but we need Suter to be better than this. The Flames also got the 2nd goal off of a power play and it looked like this might be a season for the Wild, that you can compare to the 2010 Vikings…

Suter made up for his defensive lapse, earlier in the game, when he sniped this goal, glove side. The Wild were definitely trying to aim high-glove-side, when possible. The FSN TV broadcast mentioned that as a weakness of Mike Smith, as well. The game-winning goal came from another defenseman, Jared Spurgeon, and it definitely moved faster than the speed of sight. Gonna have to slow this one down. What a clapper… glove side again…

Newly signed Daniel Winnick added an empty netter and the Wild pulled out the win they needed. They head back to Minnesota where they will start their longest run of home games all season. The Wild will play their next 6 games at the Xcel Energy Center. They need a flurry of victories. It will start on Tuesday when the Canucks come to town. Could we see Mikael Granlund then?

Eric Strack
Minnesota Sports Fan
MinnesotaSportsFan.com  @RealMNSportsFan

Sources/Videos: NHL.com
Photos: Recaps – @MNWild, Title: JEFF MCINTOSH – ASSOCIATED PRESS