Marcus Foligno's First Hat Trick Pushes Wild Past Maple Leafs

At the age of 34 in the NHL, there's not many firsts left for most players. But veteran winger Marcus Foligno managed to score his first career hat trick against the Toronto Maple Leafs Monday night as the Minnesota Wild topped them by a score of 6-3.

It wasn't necessarily the most beautiful collection of goals, but two tip-ins and an empty-netter is just about as Marcus Foligno as you could make a hat trick. Maybe if there was a garbage goal in there or somehow the puck went in off his stick as he was working harder than anyone on the ice, would be a more apt hat trick but we certainly can't complain.

And it came at the perfect time. The Maple Leafs were surging a little bit as they are trying to fight their way into a playoff spot after a disastrous first half of the season. And for the Wild, before they managed to earn an overtime win in Buffalo, they were floundering with some unfavorable losses to certain opponents. But thank goodness for Marcus Foligno.

The Wild have now leaped up into second place in the Central, two points ahead of the Dallas Stars but have also played one more game than their southern rivals.

That's Wild

• More on Marcus Foligno's first career hat trick and the game overall up in Toronto. [StarTribune]
• From Trocheck to Stamkos, looking at specific trade fits for the Wild as a little miniature and soft trade deadline is coming up with the Olympic break next month. [The Athletic]
• The Wild are obviously suffering key injuries right now, so it is on Kirill Kaprizov to return to MVP form to carry his team through this stretch. [Hockey Wilderness]
• He just said it. Quinn Hughes was very blunt Monday and before facing the Leafs in Toronto, had to stress that the Wild are just a better team than his former Canucks. [Sportsnet]

Off the trail...

• A goalie fight!! Sharks' Alex Nedeljkovic and Panthers' Sergei Bobrovsky got right to it during a scrum Monday night and dropped the gloves for what feels like the first goalie fight in the NHL in a while. [Sportsnet]
• The Vancouver Canucks are continuing their teardown and the latest move is Kiefer Sherwood going to the San Jose Sharks of all teams for a pair of second-round picks. [NHL.com]