Wild catches the fever for opener

This may be the state of hockey, but the Wild didn't mind accommodating dual loyalties on Tuesday. The team unlocked Xcel Energy Center at 4 p.m, more than four hours before the puck dropped on their home opener, so those hockey fans determined to will the Twins into the playoffs could indulge both of their passions in the same place.

Everybody from the ticketholders to the Zamboni guys to the concessionaires gathered around TV monitors to catch the end of the Twin Cities' grand athletic carnival: the boys of summer, followed by the boys on ice. Though they stood at opposite ends of their seasons, both the Wild and the Twins were thinking of the same place. As the Wild ended the first period against Anaheim, the Twins' magnificent late-season rally swept them into the playoffs for the fifth time this decade. The Wild took its first home-ice strides toward that goal, brimming with all of the hope and mystery that a new regime brings.

After Tuesday's morning skate, a staff member whistled the Twins' theme song as he tidied the locker room. Hours later, the Wild did its best imitation of the baseball team: It persisted through challenges, staged a dramatic late rally and pushed a rival to overtime before seizing victory. Center Eric Belanger even borrowed a Twins slogan, not a bad way to give a nod to a crosstown club worth emulating.

"We weren't happy about the way we played in the first two periods," said Belanger, who scored the tying goal with 2 minutes, 13 seconds left in the third. "It took a lot of pride and determination to come out in the third period and believe. And that's what we did. We believed."

The more Minnesotans have come to know the Twins, the more they love them. Their mastery of small ball and collection of plucky, unassuming players mesh with our Midwestern sensibilities -- and their success hasn't hurt, either.

The Wild has been harder to embrace. General Manager Doug Risebrough's cool manner, his ultraconservative philosophy and his reluctance to shake things up -- even after substandard seasons -- never played well with the Minnesota market. Coach Jacques Lemaire's defense-first style wasn't exciting enough to convert new fans. The face of the franchise, Marian Gaborik, was too often absent.

The hearts, though, are there for the taking. New GM Chuck Fletcher and native-son coach Todd Richards showed right out of the gate that they would take quick action in the pursuit of something better. Mikko Koivu heads up a likeable collection of players with an appealing mix of talent, grit and personality.

Richards thought he had missed something on the ice when he heard a roar late in the first period. It took him a moment to realize the cheers were for the Twins' victory. At the second intermission, though, he knew the boos were directed solely at his team.

The best way to get back into the crowd's good graces was to mimic a proven commodity. Andrew Brunette -- who spoke Tuesday morning about how much he admired the Twins -- said the players made a commitment before the third period to play their best for each other. Just like the baseball team across the river, a team that has consistently proven the value of that approach.

"Everyone played their part, from [goalie Niklas Backstrom] all the way through," said Brunette, who tucked in the winning goal. "We showed we're a team that's not going to quit. I wasn't sure if we had that. We had it tonight, and that's a trait of a good team."

When the Xcel scoreboard big screen switched from the Twins game to a Wild logo at 7:20 p.m., people booed and scrambled up the steps in search of a TV monitor. At 7:30, when the lights came up and the first blades hit the ice, all was forgiven.

The Wild didn't have the fans' full attention until after Carlos Gomez dived across the plate. It didn't have their full enthusiasm until much later, when it showed that drama is not the exclusive province of the Metrodome's men. The Wild still is seeking its identity, a process that will continue in the weeks and months to come. But borrowing a few ideas from their baseball compatriots is a pretty good place to start.

Rachel Blount • rblount@startribune.com