Spurgeon's 1000th Game: Wild Fall to Rangers

0:00With the NHL today, March 15th, the Minnesota Wild faced the New York Rangers on Saturday March 14th, and the first of a home back-to-back, marking Captain Jared Spurgeon's 1, 1000th career game. The night included St. Patrick's Day festivities around town, but a big snowstorm rolled in near the end. Despite a late push, the Wild lost 4-2, with Philip Gustafson back in net after their previous defeat. The lineup saw Nico's stern return, but the team was still missing Marcus Felino and Bobby Brink. The Rangers jumped ahead early, and though the Wild generated plenty of chances, they couldn't overcome the deficit. Igor Shestakin stood tall for New York, stopping 46-48 shots. Fans are celebrating Spurgeon no matter the score. The longtime captain has proven doubters wrong since Day 1, rising from questions about his size to become a steady leader over 16 seasons. Known league-wide for a sportsmanship, he's up for the Ladybind Trophy twice and rarely takes penalties, sitting at just 14 minutes this year, in 67 games.

1:04The Wild showed more effort than lately, firing 48 shots and improving as the game were on. Still, early mistakes hurt them, and they need to bring that energy from the start to mash their solid season form. Their power play remains a bright spot, clicking often thanks to Matt Boldy, finding the net on the man advantage. They kept them in the game early, and as playoffs near, that unit could be key to turning things around.