Nick Foligno has no idea where Marcus learned that punch

Last night was something special and I’m not talking about the absolute insane finish that involved a called-back empty-net goal, a game-tying goal in the dying minutes, and a hat trick completed via an overtime game-winner. No, I’m talking about Marcus Foligno freaking superman punching Brendan Dillon in the face.

Yes, while Foligno was sizing up his opponent, he decided to take one move right out of the octagon and on to the ice. Not even just the gall to attempt it, but to successfully do it without falling on your ass as you land back on the ice, is incredible.

Well, Foligno’s brother Nick saw it all the way in Philadelphia — where his Boston Bruins team is set to face the Flyers on Wednesday — and was completely taken aback.

“Oh yeah,” Nick said, “I still don’t know where that came from. Pretty funny. One thing about Marcus is when he snaps, he snaps. So I don’t think that was pre-meditated, I think he just went with it.”

And of course, Nick reached out to Marcus to get the details on why the hell he thought of doing that.

“I went, ‘What the hell was that?’ And he goes, ‘I don’t know, I blacked out.’ ...I probably did it to him, that’s probably where he learned it.”

Nick taking credit aside, the other Foligno brother — that the Wild were reportedly close to signing this summer — is overall appreciative of Minnesota and how they play, including the multi-game performance coming from Marcus.

“It was good to see him get that win, it was a pretty wild game, I ended up being able to watch it. Pretty crazy finish,” Nick continued. “What’s neat for me, especially as his brother, is to see how much he’s meant to that team. I think the way he’s played to start the year, he’s been a big pulse to that team. Whether it’s fighting or scoring a big goal to get them back in the game, he’s kind of done it all for them.”

Marcus, has indeed, done it all. After reaching a career-high in points during the shortened previous season, Foligno is off to a roaring start with two goals and an assist in the first three games, contributing to the Wild’s 3-0-0 start.

When asked if they fought as kids, Nick let everyone know just how far it went sometimes and how that potentially shaped him to be the player he is today.

“Absolutely. I think actually sometimes my family would move the furniture and let us have at it. Just to kind of let us get it out of our system. So I take credit for why Marcus is so tough now. I think that’s what brothers do. I have two boys now and my wife yells at me all the time, ‘Is this normal?’ and I say ‘It’s very normal, trust me.’ I think it creates that bond. Marcus and I; we’re four years apart but we’re very close, we’re good friends, obviously as much as we’re brothers, but it was pretty funny growing up. I think we definitely hate a love/hate relationship but now it’s grown into a respect for one another and I love seeing what he’s doing.”

The two brothers will have a reunion opportunity when the Bruins host the Wild on Jan. 6.