Wilderness Walk:Loser Point Edition

Escaping Los Angeles with a point is a victory in the context of the way the game was played.  Fortunately, the Wild get a day to recuperate after sleepwalking through the first 2 periods and showing wear from playing the night before.  There were still too many penalties, but the power play continued to be effective, scoring for the 4th consecutive game.  The PK also surrendered a goal, as the whole team was suffering from dead legs.

We did get to see our first official 3-on-3 overtime.  We learned that Mike Yeo is continuing the strategy he laid out in the preseason with 2 forwards and a defenseman on each unit.  There was some speculation that the coach may take a more conservative approach when the games counted, but it looks as though we will get to see the continued fireworks and excitement we saw in the preseason. Darcy Kuemper was also great and made a number of amazing stops and it would have been easy to say he stole the game if the Wild could have found a way to win.  After one game, it looks like he could handle the back up role competently, as long as he can carry over this performance into the next.  Great place to start though.

Next up is the Ducks, who were shut out for the third time in 4 games tonight by the Avalanche.  That game is Sunday in Anaheim.  Today's music is dedicated to Los Angeles for not losing for the first time this season.

Wild News

Kopitar scores in OT but Wild manages a point against Kings - StarTribune.com
LOS ANGELES – Darcy Kuemper had to feel like Tom Hanks in the movie, Cast Away, Friday night against the Los Angeles Kings: Stranded all alone on an island in the middle of nowhere.

Minnesota Wild: Ryan Suter's trash talk set off Coyotes' Downie - TwinCities.com
LOS ANGELES -- In the Wild's 4-3 win over the Arizona Coyotes on Thursday, Coyotes forward Steve Downie, a well-known agitator, was in rare form, even for him.

NHL season predictions: Wild are skating under the radar - TwinCities.com
As the regular season begins, few favor Minnesota to win a loaded Central Division, let alone the Western Conference.

Jason Pominville: A Career in Decline or Primed for a Rebound? - Articles - Articles - Homepage - Wild Xtra
In an attempt to find players who are comparable to Pominville and try to get a sense of what we can expect of him in the future, I looked back five years from him. Pominville was drafted in 2001, so beginning with the 1996 draft, I selected up...

Kuemper set to make season debut against winless Kings - StarTribune.com
Oooooh, that Downie....

Tending The Fields

Quad City Mallards 2015-16 Preview - Minor Leagues - Articles - Homepage - Wild Xtra
#QuackQuackQuack

On Frozen Pond

Big Ten Hockey Preview: Minnesota plays UMD...again (October 16-17) - SB Nation College Hockey
Minnesota plays UMD...again. Also Wisconsin heads to Boston, Michigan State goes to Denver and Michigan finally opens its season in this week's Big Ten non-conference slate.

Gophers Hockey: Hannah Brandt and Lee Stecklein turn on ice and offseason experiences into leadership - SB Nation College Hockey
Minnesota's newest captains, Hannah Brandt and Lee Stecklein, lead the way in a 4-0-0 start.

#14 Minnesota State at #12 St. Cloud State Preview - SB Nation College Hockey
Two teams with very different outlooks on offense meet in St. Cloud for an important non-conference series.

Off The Trail

Statistically Speaking: Price, Habs off to a strong start - Article - TSN
Matt Cullen

NHL Power Rankings: Small Sample Size Edition - Sportsnet.ca
The Montreal Canadiens will squeak past the San Jose Sharks and win the Stanley Cup. So says our NHL Power Rankings: Small Sample Size Edition.

Teemu Selanne picks Max Domi to win Calder Trophy - Sportsnet.ca
"Who will win the rookie of the year?" tweeted 1993 Calder winner Teemu Selanne. "My pick is the Great Tie Domi's son Max."

Why are the Blue Jackets such a disaster right now? (Trending Topics) | Puck Daddy - Yahoo Sports
From Yahoo Sports: As a general rule of thumb, you don't want to start your season 0-4 by being outscored 20-9.

Tomas Plekanec inks two-year, $12 million extension with Canadiens | Puck Daddy - Yahoo Sports
From Yahoo Sports: The forward inked a two-year deal on Friday, which according to Bob McKenzie will see him earn $12 million over that time.

Ovechkin scores in return; Caps win - Article - TSN
Crawford...Crawford...Crawford....

Penguins shut out Sens for first win - Article - TSN
Phil Kessel gets his first win in black and gold.

Sharks' Couture fractures leg, out 4-6 weeks - Article - TSN
Ouch.

Recaps