Wild!!!

[PierBridge]

Huge win 3-1 ...

[maros91]

Nice quality road win. PMB with a couple helpers.

[OnAFly]

OK, so if we sweep a road trip, I think that counts as turning a corner

[Bryce]

Solid win. Really can't put it to words but Backstrom makes me nervous as to how far this team can go. Hope I'm wrong.

[Bear55]

Hit the hay early but very happy to wake up to a 3-1 win! Yoe put Zucker back on that 2nd line, yes PBM had a good game or two but I like that line a lot better with Z on it.

Pier I would go Suter, Parise is good but he isn't Suter good.

[MN BassFisher]

Awesome win last night! Especially over the Canucks. Brodin's goal was awesome on that screen and Coyle's deflection out of mid air was impressive! I like the way PMB is playing and excited to see a little spark in his step.

[RK]

Nice win in a pretty hard fought game last night. I don't know if there's a team I enjoy seeing the Wild beat more than the 'Nucks.

Another great night for Brodin, especially since he kind of struggled early - the forecheck was kind of a weird 2-1-2 with a lot of weak side pressure where they were almost sending 3 in, but pretty impressive that he adjusted to it and ended up having a strong game. Really fun seeing him get more comfortable jumping into the offense a little bit. Keep that up and he'll put up some numbers, because he has a pretty heavy shot. That goal was a bomb.

Nice to see Coyle get one too. PMB isn't making Yeo's decision on who to sit when Rupp comes back an easy one. Said it before, but what a nice problem to have for once. "Which good player who's producing do I sit out?" vs. "What shlub to we toss in there this time?"

As always with the Canucks - my God do they dive... Sedin acted like he'd been shot when Suter cross-checked him...Burrows is the Vlade Divac of the NHL. Amazes me that refs keep buying it. Have to question it as a strategy too... "Yeah, let's get that 1 for 35 PP on the ice!"

On to the Wings. No Bertuzzi - sounds like he might be done for good?

[RK]

Forgot to mention the faceoffs. My word. 44 of 65. Kenopka was 10 for 10. That's insane. One of Vancouver's glaring weaknesses is up the middle, and it showed last night. They're supposed to be a puck control team, but can't control it if you don't have it.

[hoppe56307]

Great win last night. PMB is really playing well. Should be easy to move if they want, and how about Seto tied with Parise in goals.

[MN BassFisher]

First time we've won in Detroit since 2006. That was a very nice win, especially with all the traveling that team has been doing as of late. PMB with two more helpers, that's going to make for some tough decisions if they don't trade him. Seto with 2 more, he's catching a little fire lately too. Fun game to watch and a big win!

[schmitty3]

I kept hearing we hadn't won there since 2006, but didn't we win there last year? It was the game Koivu gave his exploding shoulder to Kronwell and Setoguchi scored the game winner. Are they not considering that a win cause in was in OT? I don't get it.

[MN BassFisher]

I kept hearing we hadn't won there since 2006, but didn't we win there last year? It was the game Koivu gave his exploding shoulder to Kronwell and Setoguchi scored the game winner. Are they not considering that a win cause in was in OT? I don't get it.

Yes, you are correct. The stat I heard and read was that we hadn't won in Detroit in regulation since 2006. I forgot to state that!

[CaptainMusky]

Overall a very good game. There was like a 5 minute stretch in the first where they couldnt get the puck out of the zone, but managed to avoid getting scored on.

PMB, Settugucci, and Suter are all playing really well right now.

I am super impressed with Brodin. That kid looks like he has been in the league for 10 years.

Coyle seems a bit lost at times so he needs more seasoning.

I would almost like to see Zucker with Parise and Koivu.

They hadnt won in Vancouver for a long time and now last night they accomplished the same feat in Detroit. Thats a great stretch. Upcoming we have Dallas which we havent won there in a while either.

[RK]

That was a pretty impressive win in a building that has been a house of horrors for them the last several years. Just got the feeling after the weathered the first period that Detroit just wasn't going to be able to keep up with the Wild. You can just see the confidence in how they play right now compared to early in the season.

Backstrom was awesome last night. Rebound control was stellar. Seto/Cullen/PMB line was great, and I thought the first line had a good game too - Koivu's goal started with some great work on the wall back in the defensive zone by Coyle. Coyle sure got his "welcome to the NHL - now keep your head up" introduction last night from Kronwall. Youch. Sounds like Kronwall won't even get a phone call from Sheriff Shanny either. Kind of surprising as it was a pretty good shoulder to the head. I bet if Coyle doesn't pop right back up it's a different story. His quote after the game was pretty funny - "woke me right up." He's lucky it didn't put him to sleep.

Brodin and Suter - what can you say? They may be the best D pair in the league right now. Watching them shut down Datsyuk and Zetterberg shift after shift was amazing. Was cool to hear Emryk and McGuire rave about Brodin. About time he gets some national attention the way he's played.

Now to see if we can finally beat Dallas at Dallas...

[BartmanMN]

We are rolling. Anyone one know what type of Rookie contract Brodin has and/or when they can extend a long term offer?

[RK]

Since he's on his entry level deal, he's up in 2015, and in the NHL CBA you can only resign/extend during the final year of a contract.

Mike Russo, the Star Tribune Wild beat writer, has a really good piece on the Wild's future in terms of contracts for its young players (Brodin, Zucker, Coyle, Larsson, Granlund, Phillips, etc.,) in today's paper.

Even as good as they're playing right now, that's what's so exciting about this team going forward. They are just unbelievably loaded with talent in the pipeline. Johan Larsson is the real deal, Granlund will be good, Phillips, Dumba, Haula, Lucia, Bulmer, Grovac, plus Hackett, Kuemper and Gustaffson in goal... Remember when Tyler Cuma was the top prospect in the entire organization? He isn't even in the conversation really anymore. Compare that to teams like Vancouver, Calgary, San Jose and Dallas that are where we were a while back - Aging and ordinary, with very bare cupboards.

They make a playoff appearance this season, however well or poorly that goes, it will get Coyle, Zucker and Brodin and some of their other young D some playoff experience, so they've really got something to build on for the next few seasons.

[schmitty3]

Forget just making the playoffs for the experience. No reason we can't make a run after the cup this year.

[bbfenatic]

This House is on Fire! Clicking on all cylinders at the moment....hope they keep it up....might need to get backstrom some extended rest at some point soon IMO.

[CaptainMusky]

This House is on Fire! Clicking on all cylinders at the moment....hope they keep it up....might need to get backstrom some extended rest at some point soon IMO.

Agree 1000%. Backstrom has been the rock for this team for several years now. He typically gets injured during the season. Granted this is an abbreviated one, we certainly want him at his best come playoff time.

I would bet one of the young pups play at Dallas. Thats what I would do, but then again, Im only paid medium/large dollars and not to manage professional athletes.

[Bear55]

We're on a roll and the future looks bright! Gotta love what Fletcher has done and some insane timing and luck being able to nab Parise and Suter.

Captain agreed about Coyle, I love him and he will be a good one and when he has a good game he looks like a beast out there but we need to get him off the top line. They should be producing more and it just isn't happening with Coyle out there.

[fishing tech]

With the other lines producing why switch Coyle? I think Backstrom is in the last year of his contract. Could he be trade bait? I doubt it but it might be interesting to see what you could get for him right now. The team is playing well with speed and aggressive for check. I like that. Why give the other team time.

[CaptainMusky]

Switch coyle to get more out of the first line. I think adding could to the 3rd line you don't see a drop off in that lines performance but add zucker to the first you would see an increase. Granted that's 3 lefties on a line but often offside wings get great angles for shots

[schmitty3]

If it ain't broke don't fix it. No need to be switching lines IMO. We are playing great hockey right now, and don't need to be doing anything that could disturb that.

[knoppers]

brodin has a great shot a rookie of the year. I think it just took some time for these lines to gel, now they are rockin' and backstrom knows he's the man in net almost every night.

[RK]

We must be seeing different things, because I think Coyle is great on that line. Playing big and playing really hard on the puck which is what he's there for. Koivu's goal in Detroit happened because Coyle won a battle along the wall in the defensive zone and made a really nifty backhand pass to Brodin busting up the middle. He isn't producing like he will eventually - he's still a rookie - but he's been effective, he isn't a liability in either zone, and the experience he's getting on that line is huge. Keep that line together for a while and it could really be something.

Brodin *should* be in the conversation when it comes to the Calder, but seems like rookie of the year is usually a beauty contest where the flashiest or most hyped or highest scoring forward wins. Granted Tyler Meyers from the Sabres won a couple years back but it's rare for a D to win it. Unfortunate, because you'd have a hard time finding a rookie with a bigger impact on his team. Huge minutes, plays in all situations against the other team's top lines... I think eventually he'll have some Norris trophies to make up for not winning the Calder though if he keeps getting better. Shoot - even if he never gets better he's still a high caliber D.