Minnesota Wild (2-0-0) 4pts (1st in Northwest)
2.50 Goals For per Game (11th in the NHL)
1.00 Goals Against per Game (4th in the NHL)
19th ranked Power Play (20%)
1st ranked Penalty Kill (100%)
Top 5 Scorers:
1. #15 Dany Heatley ~ 2G 1A = 3pts
2. #11 Zach Parise ~ 1G 2A = 3pts
3. #96 Pierre-Marc Bouchard ~ 1G 1A = 2pts
4. #9 Mikko Koivu ~ 0G 2A = 2pts
5. #64 Mikael Granlund ~ 1G 0A = 1pt
Top 3 PIM's:
1. #28 Zenon Konopka ~ 7 PIM's
2. #20 Ryan Suter ~ 4 PIM's
3. #9 Mikko Koivu ~ 2 PIM's
Top Goaltender(s):
1. #32 Niklas Backstrom (1-0-0) 2.00GAA .926%SP
2. #37 Josh Harding (1-0-0) 0.00GAA 1.00%SP 1 SO
Vs.
Nashville Predators (0-0-2) 2pts (4th in Central)
2.50 Goals For per Game (14th in NHL)
2.50 Goals Against per Game (14th in NHL)
5th ranked Power Play (42.9%)
25th ranked Penalty Kill (50%)
Top 5 Scorers:
1. #27 Patric Hornqvist – 1G 3A = 4pts
2. #10 Martin Erat ~ 1G 2A = 3pts
3. #12 Mike Fisher ~ 1G 1A = 2pts
3. #4 Ryan Ellis ~ 1G 1A = 2pts
4. #74 Sergei Kostitsyn ~ 0G 2A = 2pts
5.
Top 3 PIM's:
1. #6 Shea Weber ~ 9 PIM's
2. #22 Scott Hannan ~ 5 PIM's
3. #11 David Legwand ~ 4 PIM's
Top Goaltender(s):
1. #35 Pekka Rinne (0-0-2) 2.31GAA .925%SP
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I'll admit, I'm still at a point in this early, albeit abbreviated season, to know what to talk about. There aren't a whole lot of things to talk about yet, as this is only game number three. The fact that the Wild are 2-0 on the season is nothing to write about. Nor is the fact that we're in first place in the Northwest Division. Although I'm sure there are those of you who are saying, "but what about Zach Parise and Ryan Suter?" Yes, what about them? Like I said, it's still early in the season and I'm going to withhold judgment at this time. You see, I've been following this team long enough to know that just upgrading the talent level necessarily mean we're going to get a huge boost in scoring.
However, I do have some things to talk about. First, let me start with the Parise and Suter signings. Seriously, can we move on from that? Fox Sports-North is driving me nuts with their continual reminders that we signed them. Yes, we know. Most of us were "here" when they were signed. We still remember the shock that not only did we acquire one of them, but we got both. I don't need Anthony Lapanta and Mike Greenlay stumbling over themselves to continually blather on and on about them. To continue on with this, what is essentially nothing more than idol worship, will simply make other teams and their fans hate us even more than they already do. Now, I will be working tonight during the game, but I just know that those two will go on and on about Ryan Suter tonight simply because we are playing his former team. Trust me, Nashville fans do not need any additional reminders. It's a sign of low class to rub the salt in the wounds like that.
The other thing that has highly annoyed me about the start of this season, is what one fan on the Wild's official message boards has dubbed "The Wild Apology Tour." I am sick and tired of the what comes off as insincere apology style PSA's by players. What have they done for the servers, ushers, box office staff that lost their jobs during the lockout? Have they ponied up the money those people lost? Did they help them when they were dealing with the three ring circus one encounters when applying for unemployment? Did they personally apologize to a kid who had to go to school this fall in clothes that were a little small or worn? So stop with the apology PSA's already.
Hopefully, they continue with the wins to counteract that bitter taste that is in the mouths of many fans. If they want to improve their relationship with the fans, they need to continue playing, and more importantly, winning.
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