MINNEAPOLIS — The gap the Wild has to close in the Western Conference has been looming over the franchise ever since it was bounced out of the playoffs last season, fading in Game 7 after a burly first-round battle with the Golden Knights.
But the Wild has evolved to better withstand that standard of play and if its first impression following a significant trade deadline retool is any indication of what to expect this year, the team might make a different statement.
After acquiring a three-time Stanley Cup champion in goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury for one of the boldest moves in team history, the Wild responded with a clean 3-0 win on Monday in front of 17,498 at Xcel Energy Center fittingly against Vegas.