Barring admission into Sunday afternoon’s preseason opener at the Xcel Energy Center, this was a first chance for many to see their Minnesota Wild take the ice in the new season. Filled with excitement surrounding a developing core, the wild faithful were hopeful to see the likes of Brandon Duhaime, Sam Steel, Tyson Jost, and others fill a larger role this season. The starting lineup showcased some of these new names in tandem with some familiar faces.
The action started just 19 seconds into the game when former Boston College Eagle found a rebound in front of the net as the Wild’s defense left new signee Filip Gustavsson out to dry very early in his Wild debut.