Opening Night in St. Louis is finally here for the Wild

Opening Night in St. Louis is finally upon us.

The Wild is 9-4-2 in season-openers (includes a tie in 2001-02), the highest points percentage (.667) of any team in NHL history. None was more exciting than last year when the Wild scored the four fastest goals in team history (5:07 apart) in Denver to stun the Avalanche. Zach Parise had a hat trick that night.

The Wild's 4-0-1 in its past five season openers, but 1-3-1 when it opens on the road. Bruce Boudreau is 4-5 in season openers and Eric Staal and Teemu Pulkkinen will make their Wild debuts against the Blues, who were fantastic last night in a 5-2 win at Chicago. The Hawks barely could get through the neutral zone and were outshot severely.

Feature today is on Boudreau (click link). It's a run read that includes Wayne Gretzky talking to me about why Boudreau was his favorite player growing up.

Here are 6 keys to the Wild season

Here is Patrick Reusse's column on Tom Reid

Here is an article from Teemu Pulkkinen's first practice and his thoughts of being in Minnesota. Also, some funny Boudreau stuff.

My profile on Eric Staal

And an emotional read about Marco Scandella

Tonight's lineup expected to be

Parise-Staal-Coyle

Grandlund-Koivu-Pominville

Zucker-Dalpe-Pulkkinen

Suter-Spurgeon

Scandella-Dumba

Reilly-Brodin

Dubnyk in goal

Just a reminder, Auston Matthews, who scored four goals in his NHL debut last night, and the Maple Leafs are in Minnesota next Thursday. If you'd like to get the ticket package for that game that includes a Star Tribune Chalk Talk with Wes Walz and I and other perks, click this link.

I'll be on Fox Sports North during the pregame show tonight and on KFAN at 5:30 p.m.

The latest Russo Souhan Show will be up soon at this link.

2016-17 key dates