Wild 5, Colorado Avalanche 3; Kobasew nets trick; Skippers win big

Want to hear about the Wild's big win first or Minnetonka's season-opening trouncing of Duluth-Marshall?

I'll give you the Wild first. You waited long enough.

Chuck Kobasew, promoted to the first line with Mikko Koivu and Andrew Brunette because of Antti Miettinen's illness, registered his second career hat trick today. Both hatters have come against the Avalanche, interestingly enough.

You can read this stuff in the gamer when it gets online at startribune.com/wild, but it was the 14th hat trick in Wild history. He was the fifth player -- Marian Gaborik had nine. Brian Rolston had one. So did Mark Parrish. Antti Laaksonen had the first. And in my first-ever game as the Wild beat writer -- Opening Night 2005 -- Marc Chouinard got one.

Mikko Koivu assisted on three goals, Owen Nolan had one, Andrew Brunette had the winner, and an assist. Derek Boogaard had his first assist since last December.

Brunette's goal was his team-leading ninth, and sixth on the power play. As you can read in the notebook on the startribune.com/wild, remember, he couldn't get his stick on the potential winner in overtime the other night.

Koivu has 17 points in the last 15 games and a point in seven of the last nine games.

Owen Nolan, the former No. 1 overall pick of the Avs/Nordiques, scored his seventh goal and 20th of his career vs. his initial franchise.

The Wild worked relentlessly, and in was a very entertaining game. As Brunette said, "We brought it today."

Kobasew was the player Chuck Fletcher advertised when giving the scouting report upon his arrival via trade Oct. 18. Energy, went to the net, good shot. Guillaume Latendresse, for a guy who only skated once since Monday, had to fly here Thursday and never stepped foot onto the ice with his new teammates before warmups, was physical, brought energy and skated better than you'd think for a guy who's not the fleetest of foot and hasn't skated in awhile.

How 'bout that for a long sentence?

The Wild is definitely starting to get better and perhaps find that identity with the pickup of hard workers like Kobasew, Latendresse and Andrew Ebbett, but Brunette and Backstrom were hesitant saying so because usually when the Wild seem to be getting it, an egg is laid.

But real quick, Minnetonka, the No. 2 AA boys' team in the state as ranked by Let's Play Hockey's Warrior rankings, crushed Duluth-Marshall 6-zip tonight in the season opener over in Woodbury.

That's the reason for the tardy blog.

After writing for the paper, I hustled out of the X because I wanted to see my cousins' Andrew Prochno and Michael Prochno play their season-opener.

Andrew, a sensational defenseman who'll play at USHL Waterloo next year before heading to St. Cloud State, assisted on FIVE of the six goals. Andrew can absolutely fly up the ice, and he's got a real nifty stick in all three zones. Michael, a sophomore making his varsity debut, was very poised on the back end and even got to play three shifts partnered with his older brother. That was real exciting.

Thomas Schutt followed in Chuck Kobasew's footsteps and registered the hat trick, Gophers-bound Max Gardiner, a phenomenal forward and little bro of Wisconsin's Jake Gardiner, had at least one and one and goalie Jim Kruger pitched the shutout.

The Skippers, who have five sophomores and a freshman, can move the puck, especially from the blue line. Their defensemen, just get the puck, get it out and get it moving. Justin Holl, the big, good-skating defenseman heading to the Gophers, is a player too. Big shot, physical.

So, that was a fun time. Lots of pro scouts in the house, including Jad Ramsay, the Chicago Blackhawks' scout. I chatted with Jad for awhile. He's the son of respected Bruins assistant coach Craig Ramsay, the former terrific longtime forward of the Buffalo Sabres who's one of the sport's great assistant coaches.