Wild Shutout Ducks, But Lose Brodin After Brutal Injury

Just when we start to feel good about the Minnesota Wild, our feelings come crashing down yet again.

During Tuesday night's game against the Anaheim Ducks, they absolutely crushed their opposition in just every way on the ice. A score of 4-0 that featured Kirill Kaprizov scoring on the power play and fresh rookie Marat Khusnutdinov earning his first career point, should be a nice little result in the Wild's current pursuit of claiming the final playoff spot in the West.

Unfortunately, in the third period, the Wild's most consistent defenseman Jonas Brodin, went down with a terrible-looking injury after getting hit and then tangled up and thrown around by Alex Killorn.

No official update has been made regarding Brodin's injury, but it just looked bad. The way he hit the ice, glove thrown aside and crumbled down clutching something, just left us with an extreme worry about his health. The Wild are already relying on star rookie Brock Faber to fill the hole Jared Spurgeon left behind, but to lose Brodin as well would be the gut punch of all gut punches.

Could a left side of a blue line that is Jake Middleton, Declan Chisholm, and either Alex Goligoski or Dakota Mermis, really earn enough points to climb in the standings? The Wild have earned points in their last eight games with him -- without, it might be a bit harder to continue that streak.

That's Wild

• Why is Marcus Johansson so frustrating to watch? The re-signed veteran has been an experience to have on our screens. [Hockey Wilderness]
• More on the Wild signing prospect Rasmus Kumpulainen to his three-year, entry-level deal. [The Hockey News]

Off the trail...

• Kyle Okposo has been on not-great teams his whole career. From a mediocre New York Islanders team to a basement-dwelling Buffalo Sabres squad. Now traded to the Florida Panthers, he has his eyes set solely on the Stanley Cup. [ESPN]
• Stanley Cup winner Chris Simon passed away at the age of 52 on Tuesday. [TSN]
• NHL GMs propose minor rule tweaks, additional coach's challenges, and more at the meetings this week. [Sportsnet]