14 October 2023
TORONTO — The Wild’s new fourth line made a nice debut in last Thursday’s 2-0, season-opening victory over Florida, showing coaches and fans a little of what they can bring to the ice this season.
The line with wingers Brandon Duhaime and Pat Maroon on either side of center Connor Dewar made its presence felt in both zones, which is exactly what head coach Dean Evason and his staff want to see.
Acquired from Tampa Bay for a seventh-round draft pick, Maroon replaces Ryan Reaves, who was on the other side of the ice Saturday when the Wild played the Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena. An imposing presence who can control the puck, and has won three Stanley Cups in 12 NHL seasons, Maroon seems to be a good fit with the young, speedy forwards.
“We went through our scoring chances and they were all over it,” Evason said. “Didn’t result, obviously, in goals, but the opportunities they had, they were all around it.”
The offensive chemistry was best displayed in the third period, when Maroon pulled a puck out of a corner and sent a centering pass to Dewar, who was charging the crease with Duhaime. The two traded passes before Duhaime wound up to send a shot at Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky.
“I got the shot off and I think it got blocked by a guy coming off the back side there,” Duhaime said. “I had no idea he was coming.”
It was a pretty play, though, showing how Maroon can make time and space in the offensive zone for his new linemates. “With his hands and his vision, he created a lot for us,” Duhaime said.
“It’s a lot of talk, right?” Duhaime said. “He’s coming back to the bench (and) he’s seen so much and he can shed some of that wisdom on you. He sees a lot and he puts it on us.”
The line combined for three hits, two shots on goal and two attempts blocked against a quick, aggressive Florida attack, with no chance for a breather against a Maple Leafs team that won its opener over Montreal 6-5 last Wednesday.
“When we play hard, we’ll get the chances,” Dewar said. “That’s when our ability is going to come to the forefront.”
Gopher vs. Gopher
Last spring, Brock Faber was playing in the NCAA championship with teammates Matthew Knies and Logan Cooley. After losing to Quinnipiac in the final, each left school for the pros — and all are on NHL rosters this fall.
Faber, the Big Ten defenseman of the year who left as a junior to join the Wild last spring, was getting set to face Knies, a Hobey Baker finalist as a sophomore last season, for the first time on Saturday.
“It’s crazy, but we both made that decision and it’s fun that we get to face off this early, too,” Faber said. “It will be fun.”
Faber scored his first goal, his first NHL point, in Thursday’s victory. Cooley, a Hobey Baker finalist as a freshman last year, has two assists for the Arizona Coyotes. Knies had an assist in three games last season.
“We’re all so close. That’s a brotherhood that will last forever,” Faber said. “To see Cools (do that), it’s no surprise. He’s a tremendous hockey player, same with Kniesey, the way plays. It’s fun. It’s cool to see. But obviously, when you’re playing against them, they’re not friends.”
Meritocracy
Evason has said goaltenders Filip Gustavsson and Marc-Andre Fleury will earn their starts this season, so it was no surprise Gustavsson was in net Saturday after stopping all 41 shots he faced from the Panthers on Thursday.
“Obviously, we want to get Flower going, as well,” Evason said.
Fleury, 38, is playing what might be his last NHL season, and Tuesday night’s game in Montreal seems like a perfect opportunity for his first start this season. Fleury, a Quebec native, is close to a handful of career milestones, including passing Patrick Roy (551) for the second-most wins in NHL history.
He needs only seven to catch Roy.
Briefly
Defenseman Jared Spurgeon is not with the team on this trip, Evason said, and still hasn’t skated since suffering an upper body injury after being checked into the boards during an Oct. 4 preseason game in Chicago.