Vanek, Wild look to keep rolling against Hurricanes
The Minnesota Wild have surged out of the gates to start the 2015-16 campaign, and they aim to keep rolling Thursday night in Carolina.
Mike Yeo's club carries a 9-3-2 overall mark with 20 points into the matchup with the middling Hurricanes, and Minnesota is starting to reach rarefied air with regard to its brief franchise history.
The last two times the Wild had accumulated 20 points this early in a season they qualified for the postseason.
WILD, MOST TEAM PTS. EARNED THROUGH 14 GAMES, ALL-TIME
| SEASON | POINTS | W-L-T/OTL | MADE PLAYOFFS? |
| 2002-03 | 20 | 9-3-2 | Yes |
| 2006-07 | 20 | 10-4-0 | Yes |
| 2015-16 | 20 | 9-3-2 | ??? |
| 2008-09 | 19 | 9-4-1 | No |
| 2011-12 | 19 |
8-3-1 | No |
Of course, Minnesota has designs on far more than simply reaching the postseason in 2015-16. And, with the continued stellar play of veterans like Thomas Vanek, the Wild's grand goals seem more attainable by the day.
Vanek, the 31-year-old former Gopher, is in the midst of an eye-opening re-emergence. On Tuesday, for example, the left wing registered two goals, six shots and a plus-2 rating, as Minnesota soundly beat rival Winnipeg, 5-3. It was the seventh such game of Vanek's career, but his first since April 10, 2010 at Ottawa.
There were 2,040 days between those two games for Vanek.
With the Wild's leading scorer, Zach Parise, out for at least a few more games due to a sprained knee ligament, the club will continue to turn to Vanek for offensive production. He hasn't disappointed so far this season, with six total goals.
Considering the brutally tough nature of the Central Division in 2015-16, the Wild know they can't afford to use Parise's injury as an excuse to ease off the accelerator. Even with their stellar record -- Yeo's troops are 6-3-1 in their last 10 contests -- the Wild are still stuck in a tie for third place in the Central.
But, if Minnesota can continue its disciplined overall play for the foreseeable future, another postseason berth should remain within reach. The Wild haven't allowed their opponent more than two power-play opportunities in a game since Oct. 16, at Los Angeles.
The Hurricanes (6-9-0, 12 points) also don't commit a lot of penalties, and haven't accumulated more than eight penalty minutes in a game all season.
One man Minnesota must be wary of in Raleigh is South St. Paul native Justin Faulk. The 23-year-old has developed a reputation as one of the game's more accomplished American-born defensemen -- just like Wild counterpart Ryan Suter, who hails from Madison, Wis. Faulk leads Carolina with five goals so far this season.
MOST POINTS BY U.S.-BORN DEFENSEMEN SINCE 2014-15
| PLAYER |
POINTS |
| John Carlson, Washington | 67 |
| Keith Yandle, N.Y. Rangers |
61 |
| Justin Faulk, Carolina | 58 |
| Justin Byfuglien, Winnipeg | 54 |
|
Ryan Suter, Minnesota |
50 |
The man entrusted with keeping Faulk and fellow Hurricanes star Kris Versteeg off the scoreboard Thursday: Devan Dubnyk. The Wild netminder will be looking for his fifth consecutive win when playing on exactly one day of rest. Dubnyk, who has a .905 save percentage, seeks his 10th overall win of the season.
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