Minnesota and Vancouver came into their Thursday matchup both desperate for points, but for two different reasons. The Minnesota Wild has found themselves engaged in a battle for home ice with a red hot St. Louis Blues club, while the Vancouver Canucks has found themselves in contention (albeit barely) for the final Wild Card in the Western Conference.
With desperation being a common theme, the matchup was primed to be a good one. With Cam Talbot in between the pipes for Minnesota and Thatcher Demko in the crease for Vancouver, the puck was dropped and the game got underway.