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
Lines:
San Jose Sharks
E. Kane~Couture~Labanc
Balcers~Hertl~Marleau
Sorensen~Gambrell~Meier
Viel~Handemark~Donato
Ferraro~Burns
Knyzhov~Karlsson
Simek~Vlasic
Jones
Korenar
Minnesota Wild
Kaprizov~Rask~Zuccarello
Greenway~Eriksson Ek~M. Foligno
Fiala~Hartman~Johansson
Parise~Sturm~Bonino
Suter~Spurgeon
Brodin~Dumba
Cole~Soucy
Talbot
Kahkonen
Later this week is Earth Day, the day we’re supposed to figure out how to improve our environment and how to reduce our footprint. Honestly, this is an easy feat. For myself, when purchasing prepared foods at the store, I try to get things in metal cans or glass jars. Yes, plastic can be recycled, but not all plastics. Also, plastics can be recycled only so many times, whereas metal and glass, it’s pretty much limitless as to how many times they can be melted down and made into something else. This past year, as stressful as it’s been, the huge increase in working from home has been so good for the planet. Yes people, the reason why we say gas for 99 cents per gallon was because the demand was way down. Now that people are ignoring restrictions or feeling invincible because they’re vaccinated, more people are traveling, so gas prices are back up. For myself, I’ve really tried to replace single use food storage bags with those made with silicone, and food storage containers with those made with glass. One advantage for glass containers, is that glass doesn’t stain and doesn’t get those water spots in the dishwasher like plastic ones do. So yes, reduce, reuse, recycle.
The message of reduce, reuse, recycle is definitely a positive one. However, there are times that is reminds me of the classic “lather, rinse, repeat.” When things start to feel a bit monotonous, I start to think of both the recycling and hair washing mantras. With having just played a game last night only to turn around and have another one tonight, things are definitely feeling like things are on repeat. And having another game against San Jose tonight, I definitely feel that way. As I mentioned yesterday, I really don’t like games against the Sharks. Often, they don’t go the way you want or need them to go. With the first goal of the game by the Sharks just over three minutes in, I had that “oh here we go again” feeling. Thankfully however, the Wild found a way to turn things around. Heck, the positivity that was the second period alone was worth it to me. How many times have we complained over the years about the Wild’s inability to play a decent second period? Last night was not that feeling. Yet, when Evander Kane scored that goal just past the midway point of the third period, that “here we go again” feeling from the first period returned.
Tonight, we need a repeat, or a recycle, of last night. Yet I worry if they can go just that. I will say though, that sometimes this team surprises me. This would be a good time for those kinds of surprises. What helps that being a possibility, is that this team is finally scoring by committee. If you pull up the stats for Minnesota’s skaters, seventeen of them are in the double digits for points. Sure, compared to some teams, the numbers look a little less than impressive, but right now it’s something to appreciate. For far too long, we’ve been a team where we’ve had to depend on one or two players to make a difference. This season we’re seeing more contributions from pretty much all corners of the team. Sure, I’d prefer to have more than three players (Kirill Kaprizov, Kevin Fiala, and Joel Eriksson Ek) with double digit goals, but as they say, beggars can’t be choosers. At this point I’ll take what I can get. And the fact that Mats Zuccarello has had three goals in two games, he too should soon join the double digit goal squad. Heck, even Victor Rask and Marcus Foligno aren’t far from that stat either.
The fact that Minnesota kept both Erik Karlsson and Brent Burns from even tallying an assist last night, is proof of a good night for Minnesota. If they can somehow manage to do that two nights in a row, I would count that as a major accomplishment. I would consider tonight to be even more successful if they can keep Kane off the boxscore as well. Well, he’s free to take dumb penalties, so that Minnesota can take advantage of their recently improved power play. I’ll admit, I’m still in shock when the Wild score on the power play. I’ve become so accustomed to a two minute let down, that when they score I think I’m having some strange dream. But as long as the strange dream doesn’t turn into a nightmare, I’m perfectly content.
One of the concepts of being environmentally conscious, is not wasting what you have. The Wild need to find a way to not waste the opportunities before them. Tonight is a night where they need to use what is before them and repeat what they did last night.
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