Wilderness Walk: Streaking

Frank “The Tank” would be proud.

The Wild and the Flames are both going streaking, and someone’s success has to come to a halt on Saturday at the Saddledome. The Wild have won four in a row, the Flames downed the Devils 2-1 to notch their seventh straight on Wednesday night.

The Wild have two more days to prepare for a tough stretch of games that will test the new roster pairings. Until then, let’s walk with news and notes around the State of Hockey and the NHL.

Wild News

The Great One delivers, Canada’s Miracle on Ice, Luongo’s epic night, 346 penalty minutes, and a Wild waltz in Denver – The Athletic
Craig Custance, Katie Strang, Michael Russo, and other NHL writers reveal the games that have stuck with them.

Fenton's vision for the Wild becomes clearer with trades - StarTribune.com
NHL Insider: Wild GM's moves at the deadline paint picture of renovation, not a rebuild.

Fiala quickly moves into high profile role with Wild - StarTribune.com
Kevin Fiala had never been traded before and felt nervous about joining the Wild even though he knew it was the right move for his career.

‘Give something back’: Kevin Fiala out to make Wild’s trade count; Parise injured? – The Athletic
This isn't the first time Paul Fenton has shown faith in Kevin Fiala, and that's not lost on the newest Wild player.

After a whirlwind day, Jason Zucker is still here to score a big goal for the Wild – The Athletic
Nearly dealt to Calgary, sources say, the Wild forward instead stayed and gave an immediate reminder Tuesday night why that's not so bad.

Minnesota Wild GM Ramps up Roster Rebuild as Playoff Chase Begins
The patience Minnesota Wild general manager Paul Fenton exercised last summer during his first off-season has yielded to a more aggressive approach.

Tending the Fields

IOWA DOWNED BY SAN JOSE 5-3 | Iowa Wild
Iowa Wild (28-17-6-5; 67 pts.) saw its eight-game point streak snapped as the team fell to the San Jose Barracuda (30-14-2-4; 66 pts.) by a score of 5-3 Tuesday night.

THE WILD WIRE - #19 | Iowa Wild
With 21 games remaining in the regular season, every game is crucial. That’s not exactly “breaking news” but let’s just keep it real here for a second.

Tourney Time

Drop the Gloves: What's better, the State Tourney or the Sections? - StarTribune.com
The Star Tribune's Joe Christensen and Randy Johnson debate which spectacle is better, leaning on their favorite high school hockey memories.

Eden Prairie puts away underdog Holy Family in Section 2 final
The Eagles got first-period goals from Mr. Hockey finalist Jack Jensen and Drew Holt en route to a 3-1 victory and a berth in the Class 2A state tournament.

On Frozen Pond

To Gophers coach Bob Motzko, Arizona State series has playoff feel - StarTribune.com
Minnesota finishes its regular season against an unfamiliar nonconference opponent that is in line to make the NCAA tournament.

Off the Trail

Origins of Every NHL Team: Western Conference
Looking at the NHL's Western Conference, learn the history behind the expansions and relocations that brought the conference to 15 teams.

As Tavares readies for return to New York, look back at five heated homecomings - TheHockeyNews
Get ready for the boo birds.

Hard to choose the best of the West after NHL trade deadline
A lot of teams in the Western Conference made trade-deadline acquisitions big and small, and in doing so tightened up what was already a fairly tight race at the top.

Giordano leads Norris Trophy race at three-quarters point
To mark the three-quarters point in the season, NHL.com is running its fourth installment of the Trophy Tracker series this week. Today, we look at the race for the Norris Trophy, the annual award given to the top defenseman in the NHL as selected in a Professional Hockey Writers Association poll.

Around the League

Flames edge Devils to win season-high 7th straight - TSN.ca
NEWARK, N.J. — Johnny Gaudreau set up two second-period goals and the Western Conference-leading Calgary Flames extending their season-high winning streak to seven games with a 2-1 victory over the New Jersey Devils on Wednesday night.

Boston Bruins Round Table: Trade Deadline Analysis
The Boston Bruins struck out on a few trades at the trade deadline but still came away with some key acquisitions. Was it enough though?

Brilliance of Blues’ Binnington can’t be ignored as St. Louis continues charge up standings - TheHockeyNews
St. Louis has skyrocketed up the standings thanks in large part to the play of Jordan Binnington, and the 25-year-old rookie netminder continues to look unflappable as the Blues barrel towards the post-season.

On Chara vs. Kane, rule 48.1 and 'vulnerable positions' - TheHockeyNews
Some suspension decisions are easier than others. This one was difficult. What saved Chara was Kane's split-second change in body position before impact.

Kane takes to twitter after report that Chara won't face discipline - TSN.ca
San Jose Sharks forward Evander Kane dropped the gloves with Zdeno Chara on Tuesday night after the Boston Bruins defenceman was not penalized for delivering what Kane called "a classic head shot."

Mueller taken off on stretcher in Devils game against Flames
Mirco Mueller was taken off the ice on a stretcher after the New Jersey Devils defenseman crashed headfirst into the end boards against the Calgary Flames at Prudential Center on Wednesday.