Hey, there are limits to how polite you can be to a teammate-turned-opponent.
So far, the Minnesota Wild are presenting a different take on “Minnesota Nice.”
On one hand, the franchise provided a great nod to Niklas Backstrom as he dresses for the Calgary Flames, acknowledging a run that made him the Wild’s franchise wins leader (among other categories):
Thank you Nik Backstrom, the #mnwild all-time franchise leader in GP (409), wins (194) and shutouts (28).https://t.co/UmmBA6HTG2
— Minnesota Wild (@mnwild) March 25, 2016
On the other, there’s the actual playing part, and the Wild simply can’t afford to do him a solid.
Zach Parise has been particularly effective so far against Backstrom, scoring two goals in less than a minute against the goalie he likely saw frequently in practice.
If the Flames don’t watch out, Backstrom might struggle to finish the night against his old cronies.
Update: Parise managed a first-period hat trick in this one. Harsh. You can see the videos at the top of this post.