Monday Thoughts

Photo: Gerry Broome/AP

Good afternoon everyone. Good to see the squad pick up a shootout victory after we talked about the lack of goal scoring in shootouts on Saturday. Here are some thoughts as we head into a three game home stand:

• Clayton Stoner is out at least two weeks. That is rough news for Stoner, who is having a strong season thus far. The news is also rough because it means that there will be more Nate Prosser in the lineup, and it is becoming more and more evident as to why he has been the team's 7th defenseman for the past couple of seasons.
• Matt Dumba played his 10th game Saturday night, burning a year off his Entry-Level Contract. Good. Get the kid more experience here.
• If anyone wants to light a fire under Kyle Brodziak, please stand up now. Brodzy has been ice cold since Opening Night of last season. 
• You have to think Niklas Backstrom starts Wednesday night against Toronto. I'm all for riding the hot hand in Josh Harding, but if we hold him out any longer, I worry about how sharp he will actually be. You can't keep him sharp just by practicing.
• The Wild are opening up a three game homestand on Wednesday against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Minnesota is 7-1-2 at home on the year, and the combined road record of their opponents (Toronto, Florida, and Winnipeg) on this homestand is 8-15-2. 
• Speaking of Winnipeg, those Jets fans will be back in our house of Sunday. Lets hope I dont have to yell at our fanbase again.
• The Wild are off to their best start in franchise history, and yet that has only put them at fourth in the division. Four teams in the Central and four teams in the Pacific have 24 points or more so far this year. To compare, only one team in the ENTIRE Eastern Conference has 24 points or more (Tampa Bay). Yeah, the West is pretty stacked. 

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