A few quick thoughts on last night's game from a Wild fan's perspective:
-I can't recall watching a more entertaining game than last night's battle in the nation's capitol. Really a nice, fast game. Up and down. Back and forth. Good shots. Great goaltending. And the Caps crowd was into it the whole time it seemed, knowing that their team always has a shot at coming back which they did given a blown call by the refs on a pick they ran on Brodin.
-Josh Harding has arrived. It's one thing to beat cupcake teams at home. It's an entirely different matter to take that show on the road. I challenged one of my readers yesterday for assuming the Caps are a better team than their record. Be careful of the Caps. Despite their record, they are, in fact, a VERY good and capable team.
-During the Wild's timeout, the tv camera was showing Ovechkin listening to Coach Oates. That is a very good sign for Washington fans and speaks doom for a lot of Eastern Conference teams who have to regularly battle Washington throughout the season.
-I thought the most interesting comment from Mike Yeo's post-game presser was that the Wild will be as good as their young players become this season. That seems right on par as to what the advanced stats guys were saying despite putting the Wild as the 2nd worst team in the NHL. It's the same reason Parise and Suter chose to both sign in Minnesota. While Heatley's play is down, the young guns are stepping up and taking over the positions that the older guys can't do anymore, which is the way it should be in my opinion. Good on the GM for restocking the shelves with very good young talent for Minnestoa.
-One of my favorite readers pointed out that the Wild have yet to score in a shootout and/or record a save. While I'm not so sure about the latter part of that comment, given my lack of time to research that point, it speaks to the bigger issue of the Wild trying to protect a lead in the 3rd period as opposed to enhancing their lead, as well as a lack of true goal scoring talent on this club which is only highlighted when you go to a shootout where it's player against goalie. The Wild can ill afford to continue being ok with just getting one point. They need that killer instinct to put teams away in the 3rd period and/or in overtime. I was extremely disappointed that the Wild could not pot the game winner in O.T. given that they were on the power play and, in the NHL, that usually spells doom for the penalized team when it puts them in a 4-on-3 situation. I can't even remember the last time the team in that situation on the power play didn't win.
-Perhaps its time to hand the shootout roles over to some of the younger kids like Granlund.
-Suter is a freaking machine logging the kind of ice time he logs.
-With all the injuries that Wild defensemen are seeing, I think Dumba is probably a lock, sooner or later, to get his 10th NHL game and beyond.
-Hopefully Parises injury to his hand from the shot he blocked late in the game is only a temporary and short lived injury. Sure would have been nice to have him uninjured for the shootout. But, what a stud for taking that first blocked shot and then stepping in front of another shot after sustaining the original injury.
-Lastly, how nice is it to have a team that you can say they should win this game or that game and they do; that they can play with this team or that team and they do? I can't remember a prior season where my confidence in the Wild was at this level. Ever.
-The only question is whether they can sustain this sort of effort or whether they will pull another fade away routine once they get gassed?
Thats all that comes to mind for me. What else was there that I missed from last night?
On to Carolina on Saturday night. Wes Walz commented that the Canes are a good home game. Notwithstanding, I am still expecting a Wild win.