Isn't it amazing what three games can mean in this league? Just like that, as Minnesota head home from their New York road trip, they do so as the lone holder of third place in the Central Division.
Wild net-minder, Devan Dubnyk, had the following to say on the team's current standing:
“It’s nice to look at but it doesn’t mean a lot right now. It’s the first time in a lot of months that we’ve been able to jump in there. We have been working and chipping away at getting in the top three of our division and we’ve made it there. We just have to work to continue to climb.”
But the real story within the Wild's 4-1 win at Madison Square Garden was yet another stroke of genius by coach Bruce Boudreau. The man has the magic touch right now and pairing Mikael Granlund with Eric Staal saw each of them rack up four points in the game.
"It's nice to see it working every now and again."
Boudreau is too humble. He's a genius, we all know that's the right answer.
Granlund slotted home the first goal of the game sixteen minutes into the first period. New linemate Staal's forechecking saw the puck come out in front of the net where an opportunistic Granlund smoked it home over the rookie goaltender in net.
It was 2-0 Minnesota by the time the buzzer sounded to end the first period, as Granlund was first thought to have got his brace early, but closer inspection saw the goal awarded to Staal after the slightest of redirects.
"I don't think it ever hit me."
After getting his second later on, Granlund wasn't interested in trying to claim the beautiful goal that came after a slick, one touch passing sequence between Parise, Granlund and finally Staal. Red hot and deserving of goal of the game status.
New York pulled a goal back early in the second period through Jesper Fast scored a slick one timer from JT Miller, but Minnesota got straight back to work and Staal soon restored the Wild's breathing room while on the power play.
Minnesota rounded off the scoring with the only goal of the third period being scored by Granlund after yet another Staal assist. A nice goal at the end of a cute 2 on 1 breakaway that highlighted just how in tune these new linemates already were.
After sweeping the New York road trip with wins in Brooklyn, New Jersey and then Manhattan, Staal summed things up neatly.
“It was a solid week for us. I mean, three wins, I don’t care where they are in the standings. To get three wins out of those three barns is good for us. We will take it.”
Just like on the ice, it seemed Staal and Granlund's off ice comments were also in sync with one another.
“It was really, really nice. Lately, we’ve been pretty good on the road. A few games ago we weren’t good at all on the road. We wanted to change that and we’re really going in the right direction right now.”
Minnesota now return home to St. Paul for a Sunday match-up with the San Jose Sharks.
See you then!
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