Historic Start to Season! Wild Wednesday
The Wild capped off the second week of the season with two more victories against the Columbus Blue Jackets and Florida Panthers, bringing their record to 4-0-2. This is the Wild’s best start since the 2008-09 season and they still have yet to trail in regulation through six games. They now hold the title for the second longest streak of never trailing in the NHL, just behind the 1969-70 Boston Bruins team who hold the current streak of seven games. The Wild, Jets, Flames and Rangers are the only four teams remaining that have yet to lose in regulation.
So, what is bringing this unexpected success to the start of the Wild’s season? The short answer would be goaltender Filip Gustavsson. Through five starts, Gus now leads the NHL with a .952 save percentage and has a GAA of 1.40. He ranks second for most wins behind Connor Hellebuyck of the undefeated Winnipeg Jets who has five wins. I think it is safe to say that whatever funk Gus was in last season is completely past as he has been lights out since game one.
The Wild’s top players are also to thank for the early season success as Kirill Kaprizov is currently on pace for a 136-point season with 10 points through six games. Both Mats Zuccarello and Matt Boldy recorded a goal and an assist in last night’s 5-1 victory against the Florida Panthers tallying Zuccarello’s season total to seven points and Boldy’s to eight.
The Wild continue to dominate in the Sunshine State as last night’s victory marked the third consecutive win against the reigning Stanley Cup Champions. The Wild now hold an overall record of 21-9-4 against the Florida Panthers. The teams next meet on Dec. 18 in St. Paul.
Tomorrow’s matchup marks game five of a seven game road trip for the Wild where they will face the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Wild hold an overall record of 20-10-4 against the Lightning, but unlike the Panthers, the Lightning have won the last three contests against the Wild.
The Wild then travel to Philadelphia to face the Flyers on Saturday and conclude the road trip against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday.
Kelly Rivard
Kelly is a Minnesota native and a proud Gopher alumna who enjoys making people laugh and spending time with family. Her skills include going 5/6 on parlays, managing multiple incredibly great (fantasy) sports teams and throwing 30 mph fastballs. When she’s not at the X, Target Field or US Bank Stadium cheering on her favorite teams, you can find her pouring drinks for customers at her hometown pub.
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