Wild Snap Skid, Beat Lowly Sabres

Nov 13, 2014; Saint Paul, MN, USA; Minnesota Wild forward Kyle Brodziak (21) celebrates his goal during the first period against the Buffalo Sabres at Xcel Energy Center. Mandatory Credit: Marilyn Indahl-USA TODAY Sports

Anytime an NHL team goes on a losing streak, they should be allowed to emergency order a game against the Buffalo Sabres. They truly are the magic elixir to cure all of your team’s woes. Less a professional hockey team than a flaming train wreck careening off of a cliff into a pit full of napalm, the loss plummeted the Sabres record to 3-13-2. Eight points in 18 games. Averaging fewer than half a point per game is virtually impossible, and yet the Sabres are somehow managing just that.

Things could not have started much worse for the home team last night. Buffalo scored two goals on their first two shots, leading to Darcy Kuemper getting the quick hook. In the lengthy history of hockey, I’m sure that has happened before, but I cannot remember any instances of it. It’s pretty tough to play in a game and leave with a save percentage of .000, but Kuemper did it. I still think Kuemper is a quality goaltender but his inconsistency is maddening. Most championship-level NHL teams have very good to great goaltending night in and night out. Last year, the Wild got lucky by having not one, not two, not three but four goalies all play well when pressed into service. The odds of that ever happening again are slim, so whether it is Kuemper, Niklas Backstrom or eventually Harding, someone will need to take the reins and make the job his.

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Still, a win is a win, and this was a badly needed one for the Wild. As everyone is keenly aware, the Wild went from 7-3 to 7-7 after Zach Parise went down with a concussion. Losing the best player will hurt any team, but the Wild’s supposed strength is their depth, so hitting the skids like that was disappointing. It will not be easy going forward either, with Parise still out and Jonas Brodin and Marco Scandella missing time due to the mumps of all things. However, this recap has been way to depressing after a win, so let’s get to the good stuff.

El Nino is all that is man! Nino Niederreiter netter the first hat trick of his career. With the injuries and illnesses the team has been stricken by, someone needed to step up, and that someone was Nino. He has a knack for coming through in the clutch and is making the trade Chuck Fletcher made to get him look better and better all the time. As much as Cal Clutterbuck was loved in these parts, he could not make the impact Neiderreiter does. Hopefully he, along with the rest of the non-walking wounded, can keep making plays. The other positive is that after giving up two quick ones, the Wild’s defense clamped down, and Backstrom held Buffalo to only one more goal.

Beating a terrible team at home is nothing to throw a parade over, but it is definitely good to get off of the snide.