We have been witness to the maturation and subsequent rise of Kevin Fiala over the last month and a half. Fiala has completely taken his game to an incredible new level which is something the Wild faithful have not seen since the glory days of Marian Gaborik. Of course the big difference is that Fiala is given the freedom to be creative in a system that is far less restrictive than the Jacques Lemaire clamp down system on which Gaborik played.
Last night Fiala continued his torrid pace scoring two goals including the game winner in the 3-on-3 OT period. It is not just the goals and plays that Fiala is making it is the overall confidence level and his ability to take over the game in ways that only the elite players can do on a regular basis.
Fiala was dominant in the OT period ultimately drawing the penalty that would lead to the man advantage that provided Fiala the stage to win the game with another wicked wrister.
Fiala now has 14 goals and 26 points over the last 18 Wild games. He has matched his career high in goals with 23 set two seasons ago with Nashville and has already surpassed his career best in assists 31 and points 54 with 13 games to play. His rise has been nothing short of meteoric but it is not just the goals and points that are making Fiala into a star. It is the on ice leadership where he is the first to tap his defensemen for the big play or his linemates for drawing a penalty or making a smart play. That emotion and team first mentality is what is driving Fiala and the Wild as a whole.
Last night was also notable as Saturday's loss in Los Angeles may have been one of Fiala's worst performances of the season where he saw his six game points streak end and worse than that was his -4. Fiala took it personally stating that he played poorly and needed to be better along with the rest of the Wild players after the 7-3 defeat.
There is a renewed spirit in the Wild locker room these days and that largely comes from the youth on this roster. For those that lump this Wild team into the same old same old when they think of the 2020 Minnesota Wild, I got news for you, they are nothing like those teams that went to the playoffs six straight seasons before that ended last year.
Yes the defense corps is still a strength led by Suter, Spurgeon. Brodin, and Dumba and they still have Koivu, Parise, and Staal, but this team is being powered by the next generation of Wild players like Fiala, Luke Kunin, Joel Eriksson Ek, Jordan Greenway, and Ryan Donato. There is a new found energy that has been missing before this season. New addition, Alex Galchenyuk scored the game winner in San Jose on Thursday night and his third period goal gave the Wild the lead and looked as if it would be two GW goals on the trip, before Christian Djoos tied it late with Ryan Miller on the bench for the extra attacker.
Today the Wild sit in 7th place in the Western Conference with 13 games to play. They do not play again until Thursday when they host Vegas. In all likelihood when they hit the ice for that matchup they will once again be on the outside looking in. That is why every game is meaningful and there is no margin for error.
For now the playoff position belongs to the Wild, the goal is for them to be in that position in four weeks. 13 games to play with 6 of the next 9 at home before a daunting 4-game road trip that goes to St. Louis, Islanders, Washington, and then ends with what could a play in game to end the regualr season in Nashville.
One game at a time for the Wild, one at a time, in their quest for points.
Minnesota Wild Blogger • 
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