Continued: Former Badger seeking converts

The Border Battle boobirds never bothered Robbie Earl. Actually, he said, he found it fun to play the villain for Gophers fans during his three seasons at Wisconsin.

The winger took plenty of abuse from Minnesotans in those days. He did his best to win them over Sunday, when he scored his first two NHL goals in his second game since the Wild called him up Nov. 13. With a troublesome shoulder injury fully healed, Earl wants to seize the opportunity to transform his image on this side of the St. Croix River.

The goals aren't likely to continue at that pace, but Earl promised the effort would. In his first appearances in a Wild sweater, he flashed the same speed and feistiness that used to torment the Gophers -- qualities he'll need to display consistently to stay in the NHL.

"My role here is to bring energy," said Earl, who had one assist in nine career NHL games before last week's callup. "I don't expect to score two every night. I need to make plays when they're there and use my speed to my advantage.

"Last year, I battled injuries all year, and it was a long time since I'd been able to play in the NHL. Against Washington, it felt like my first NHL game all over again. Then I got my first goal, so a lot of things were very special this time around."

That could extend to tonight's game, when the Wild plays Phoenix at Xcel Energy Center. Earl has played there before, during a Badgers career that ran from 2003-06.

The last time came in March 2006, when his third-period goal helped the Badgers defeat the Gophers in the third-place game of the WCHA Final Five.

Earl capped that season -- and a career that ended with 58 goals and 63 assists in 125 games -- with an NCAA title. He was named most outstanding player of the 2006 Frozen Four after scoring three goals and an assist.

Earl was traded to the Wild last January after 2 1/2 seasons in the Maple Leafs organization. He lived up to his reputation as a big-game player with five goals and four assists in 20 playoff games for the Wild's AHL affiliate in Houston.

The shoulder injury kept him out of camp for a week, but he hoped his work ethic and persistence made enough of an impression to get a shot.

Wild coach Todd Richards liked the toughness and skating ability Earl showed in five minutes against Washington. Though Earl said his Wild debut was "nerve-wracking," he earned more ice time and a promotion to the top line at Carolina, where his second goal tied the score and helped the Wild salvage a point.

"He got the opportunity to play with good players, and he was able to finish," Richards said. "He's got ability. He has to be aggressive on the forecheck and reliable in his own end, and when he gets the opportunity, he's got to use his shot, because he shoots the puck very well."

And that, Earl hopes, will earn him some new admirers.

"For some reason, fans from a lot of schools didn't like me," he said, laughing. "That comes with the territory. It was fun, and there was nothing better than those Minnesota-Wisconsin games.

"Now I'm at a different place in life. I'm excited to have the chance to come here and help the team create some excitement for Minnesota fans."

• Injured forwards Petr Sykora, Chuck Kobasew and Benoit Pouliot will not play tonight. Pouliot (hand) and Kobasew (upper body) skated Tuesday, and Richards said both need more time to heal.

Sykora (concussion) worked out last week, but he stopped after a setback. Richards said Sykora is feeling better and hopes to resume workouts later this week.

• The Wild will hold a food drive during tonight's game. Nonperishable food and donations can be brought to the Toyota trucks at gates 1-4 starting at 6 p.m.