Wild Blog: A December to Remember
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- The Minnesota Wild will kick off December with a little time at home. It started Wednesday night at Xcel Energy Center against the Montreal Canadiens.
The last time these teams met was in Montreal, and the outcome wasn't great for the Wild with a 4-1 loss. But with the home ice advantage, the Wild was able to come out on top with a 2-1 victory.
For most of the game, the Wild dominated by keeping the puck in offensive zone and getting a lot of shots on goal. While that was fun to watch, I will admit the third period was a little scary. Montreal came out hard and kept the puck in the Wild zone for most of the 20-minute period, which was a big job considering the Wild had an extra man for five of those 20 minutes.
There's no question this team has to figure out their power play issues or they are going to be in big trouble down the stretch. It won't take long for teams to realize they can play tough, hit tough and take those penalties because the Wild won't make them pay for it.
Now let's talk about the fans reaction to that five minute power play (or lack thereof). I was watching from home and heard a lot of boos. No doubt the players on the ice heard it too. I'll be honest, I'm not a fan of booing the home team. I think as a fan it's our job to support the team during the good and the bad moments. I understand the frustration and I was feeling that too, but if we as fans took that energy and started cheering the team on during that struggle, we may just be able to spark something.
The Wild has shown they have what it takes to fight back and win when they need it most. They've won five of the last eight games, two of them in overtime, but that's probably not good enough.
I will admit the Wild need to learn to hang onto a lead. Take the Nov. 16 game against the Jets at Xcel Energy Center as an example. The Wild was up 3-0 going into the third period and before fans like me (I was there with my daughter) knew it, the game was tied and we were headed into overtime. Thankfully, Marco Scandella has a rocket of a shot and ended the overtime early and giving the Wild the win. I watched it over and was just as excited as I was when I watched it live. But I digress, the point is we (the fans) should have never been in that position. There really is no excuse for blowing a three-goal lead in the third period at home.
Next up for the Wild is the Anaheim Ducks, who the Wild played very tough during their first meeting in Anaheim. The Wild lost 2-1, but on home ice I think we've got a great shot at winning this one. With that said, I'd like to give you my top 5 Wild players to watch as we move into December:
1. Jason Zucker – he's a playmaker and has really grown in the past few years. His speed and puck control make him a real force on the ice.
2. Zach Parise – I know this is a tough pick right? But come on the guy is amazing. Just take some time to follow him during a shift, he never stops moving and always seems to know where the puck is going to be.
3. Nino Niederreiter – I just like his name! Just kidding, Nino leads the team with 11 goals and just seems to be getting better. Watch for him to really be a force, much like Zucker (who's 2nd on the Wild's scoring list with 10 goals), as the season goes on.
4. Marco Scandella – Not only can this kid play defense, how about his shot? He's not afraid to jump into the offense and he's got a hard shot. So far he's got 5 goals and 3 of them were game winners.
5. Jared Spurgeon – He may be small and quiet, but his game is anything but. Take some time to watch him on defense, it's amazing. He's half the size, but always seems to be in the right position and always plays a smart game. Much like Marco he too has a great shot and isn't afraid to let it rip when given the chance.
