Wild not as boring this season.

I know it's only one game and it was the first Wild game that I have been able to watch this season, however, after only one game I can say that the Wild are going to be a much more exciting brand of hockey to watch then they were last year under the defensive minded former coach Jacques Lemaire.

Personally, I don't watch hockey to see the neutral zone trap, I want to see attacking and counter attacking hockey and that was what the Wild did as they pushed the puck up and down the ice and created offensive opportunities all night.

This season with the Wild playing a more up tempo offensive style of play it will cause a higher risk/reward. There were a few instances last night where the Wild got caught up ice focusing on offense and not remembering where the defensive zone was.

Last night I thought defenseman Brent Burns had a poor game and looked like a pylon as there were numerous times he was caught up ice on turnovers in the neutral and offensive zone. None the less, I liked what I saw last night and it was a lot more exciting hockey to watch and I expect more of the same.

Helluva night in the Twin Cities, eh? I’m not about to compare tonight’s comeback at the X in Game 2 of an 82-game season with the Twins’ finish to win the division and advance to the playoffs, but if you happened to be one of the fans that actually attended this doubleheader, man, you won’t ever forget this night.

Wild down 3-zip. Playing absolutely hideously. Coughing up pucks. Giving up 2-on-1’s and 3-on-2’s and even an astonishing 4-on-1. Getting zero done in the offensive zone.

And then … a couple choice words during the second intermission and a fight, and the first-ever Wild comeback from three goals down in the third for a W.

Yes, I know there are people who hate fights, but tonight, there was an example about what a fight can do to a hockey game.

Kinda like when Stephane Veilleux got goaded into fighting Dion Phaneuf in Calgary once when the Wild was ahead 3-0, George Parros decided to fight John Scott. Well the 6-foot-8 Scott absolutely clocked the experienced fighter with a right uppercut. He went down, and for the first time in the game that wasn’t Carlos Gomez scoring at the Metrodome, the Wild fans had reason to cheer.

And, said Todd Richards, “It stirred up some emotion on the bench.” [Russo's Rants]