The Wild played a very good game Saturday night in their 2-1 victory over the Penguins. It was most likely their best 60 minute effort of the season to date.
That said there are still issues that need to be addressed as always. It is only the first month of a very long season, and nothing about October makes any difference come playoff time. But points gained in October mean just as much as those gained in February and March, and just getting into the playoffs is all that matters in today's NHL.
For the Wild the start has been a bit rocky, but with Saturday's win they have climbed above the .500 mark for the first time this season and will look to build on the two game win streak tomorrow when they host the Jets.
Goaltending and defense have been shaky so for the Wild, but both Devan Dubnyk along with the Wild D unit, looked more like themselves on Saturday night. It is however, just one game, and we all knew the Wild would be up for the, defending Stanley Cup Champion Penguins.
A lot has been made of Matt Dumba's play this season, and how he has not taken that next step in the progression and may have actually regressed a bit.
Every team in the NHL has a scapegoat defenseman. Just go to any visiting rink in the league and you will find out exactly who public enemy number one on the respective blue line corps is within the first five minutes of the game, I can assure you.
Here in Minnesota, that player is Matt Dumba, and it really does not matter how well he may play, the naysayers will absolutely never give him credit, but will scream from the roof tops whenever he makes a miscue and say that is the norm with Dumba.
I have heard and read so many people saying to trade Dumba. Ok, let's think about this.
If Dumba is so bad, who would want him?
Oh, he isn't as bad as you think or say he is, now.
The next thing I hear is in every trade scenario Dumba is being moved for a forward. If that were to happen, just look at the Wild defense then. Suter, Spurgeon, and Brodin along with Quincey, who is a 6th or 7th defenseman at best, and Mike Reilly and Gustav Olofsson, two highly inexperienced defenseman.
With a defense like that the Wild would struggle to make the playoffs and surely would be out in round one if they did get in.
I agree Matt Dumba needs to get his game going but he has the skill and ability to be a difference maker. Something that none of those aforementioned defenseman have.
Mike Reilly is definitely better this season and playing with a whole lot more confidence, but he does not have the same skillset and certainly does not possess the skating ability nor vision of a Matt Dumba.
I am not going to defend Dumba here, as he clearly must step his game up, but I do believe that he has not been nearly as bad as his detractors would lead you to believe.
On the injury front, the Wild offense should get another boost tomorrow, when it is expected that Nino Niederreiter will be back in the Wild lineup. Niederreiter has missed the last six games with a high ankle sprain.
In Nino's absence, the Wild have gotten some valuable contributions from their organizational depth. The player that has been the biggest contributor has been, Luke Kunin, who just keeps getting better every game.
Kunin has played six games, scoring a goal and adding 2 assists, but has been a big factor killing penalties and in the physical play departments. We knew Kunin was going to be up with the big club at some point this season, but no one expected it to be this early in the season. As game 10 approaches for Kunin, Chuck Fletcher will have quite a difficult decision to make. Does he keep Kunin and burn the first year of his entry level contract, as he was forced to do late last season with Eriksson Ek, when the Wild faltered down the stretch.
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