One of the early season surprises this year have been the emergence of the upstart Minnesota Wild atop the Northwest Division. With Monday night’s victory of the Chicago Blackhawks, Minnesota remained the only team in the NHL with a perfect regulation record, improving to 6-0-1. This surprising start in a crowded Western Conference is made even more impressive given the fact that star winger Marian Gaborik has not played in four games, and has made it clear that he no longer wants to play in Minnesota.
In Gaborik’s absence, the Wild may have found a new star in an old face. Finnish center Mikko Koivu has a team-high 13 points, with a league-leading 12 assists. Koivu had three more assists on Monday, singlehandedly changing the game for the Wild. With Mikko leading the way and Niklas Backstrom playing great in net, the Wild look poised to have a great season. Backstrom currently leads the Western Conference in GAA and save percentage.
Minnesota’s success has also come from their defense. With Backstrom solid between the pipes, Minnesota’s D has not given up a single powerplay goal, and is giving up and average of only two goals a game. With complete team play like that, Minnesota could be the surprise team to watch for in the Western Conference this year.