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Tonight could very well have had a whole different aura as the Wild take on the Flames in Calgary.
As we know, Jason Zucker, was nearly dealt to the Flames right at the deadline last Monday, and tonight would have marked his first game against the only NHL team he has ever played for.
Of course the other storyline, which cannot be overlooked is the Matt Dumba injury that stems from the fight he had with Matthew Tkachuk the last time the teams met back in early December.
Dumba has been out of the Wild lineup since and the fortunes of the Wild headed South as a direct result.
The fight was ignited as retribution for a clean Matt Dumba hit late in the previous contest a week earlier in Calgary, that injured Flames forward Mikael Backlund. Dumba then had to endure a mugging from Flames thug, Ryan Lomberg.
That apparently was not enough so Matthew Tkachuk picked the fight with Dumba in the first minute of the rematch in St. Paul. The result Matt Dumba's Norris Trophy candidate season came to a scratching halt.
I do not expect the Wild to look for retribution on Tkachuk tonight, as they continue to fight for a playoff spot in the tight Western Conference.
So Zucker is still wearing the Forest Green, Iron Range Red, and Harvest Gold of the Wild looking to build on his strong performance in Winnipeg Tuesday night, tying the game late with his 16th of the season.
The Wild have had a few days of practice to get the new acquisitions some familiarity with the rest of the team and a chance to build some chemistry.
It is very clear this is not the same old Wild and they are now playing with a lot more energy led by the youngsters.
Ryan Donato has been nothing short of amazing in his first four Wild contests scoring once (the OT game winner vs. S. Louis) and dishing out five assists.
Joel Eriksson Ek has turned his game around a full 180 degrees and looks like a completely different player going to the net with authority.
Luke Kunin continues to get better with each game and we are beginning to see the complete player that he is, while Jordan Greenway establishes himself as the power forward the Wild envisioned when they selected him in the second round of the 2015 draft.
The prize in the Mikael Granlund trade. Kevin Fiala, looked very good in his Wild debut. The speedy winger moved the puck quickly and has a shooters mentality a staple that Wild GM is making a priority in his moves.
A lesser know transaction was the Brad Hunt add from Vegas for essentially nothing as the Wild received a sixth round pick in addition to Hunt for one of the Wild's 2019 fifth round picks (they own Washington's pick). In 11 games with the Wild he has scored 3 goals playing limited minutes. The bigger factor is what Hunt has brought to the Wild transition game and powerplay. The kid has game and is a real find by Fenton filling a void without having to sacrifice an asset.
If the Wild are going to make the playoffs they will have to earn it as their remaining schedule is about as tough as it could possibly be, beginning tonight in Calgary and then a quick turnaround tomorrow at home for the front end of a home and home with the Predators.
What a difference a week makes as the Wild have won four straight after losing five in a row, before they dealt Charlie Coyle to Boston and then Granlund to Nashville. It is a new Wild team playing with an energy and level of compete that we haven't seen un a while. Whether or not that is enough to get them to the dance that remains to be seen.
One thing that is certain is that this new look Wild team is a whole lot more engaged and for those that are expecting the same old Wild it could be a ride awakening.
It's Always Hockey Day in The State of Hockey!
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