Wild Blog: Home Ice Advantage
For this year's Wild team, home ice advantage isn't just a saying you'll hear on their TV commercials, it's really happening. The first two games they played at Xcel Energy Center this year were shutouts, and on Saturday they killed Tampa Bay by a score of 7-2. There's no question the Wild seem to do better in St. Paul where they've got 18,000 screaming fans in their corner.
Those 18,000 fans that know the game of hockey and understand and appreciate the little things it takes to win. Saturday's win was definitely a team effort, seven goals from six different people. Marco Scandella got things started with a power move to the net that was a ton of fun to watch in person. From there, the team just kept rolling with goals from Mikko Koivu, Erik Haula (whom I had the chance to meet this year at the State Fair, see photo) Jason Zucker, and that was just the first period.
In the second period, Zach Parise and Jared Spurgeon got on the board, but the best play of the game, in my opinion, came in the third period during a penalty kill when Zucker got his second goal of the night, a shorty.
If you didn't see it, take some time to watch it here.
His speed and control of the puck are amazing! I feel pretty lucky that I was one of those 18,000 fans on Saturday that got to see that in person. It was my first game of the year, and it was a good one.
The energy in the building was amazing. If you haven't been to a Wild game at the X, you are missing out. The atmosphere is electric, and you won't find a bad seat in the house. Even if you aren't a die-hard fan like me, I guarantee you'll have a good time.
The excitement of the fans and the players is infectious. The Wild are on the East Coast right now for a couple games before they come back home on Thursday. The team will play the New York Rangers Monday night, and then they're off to Boston on Tuesday. It sure would be nice to get a couple of road wins under our belt and show all the doubters that the Wild are much more than a team that only wins at home.
Say it with me fans, Let's Play Hockey!!