LOS ANGELES – Their reputation for igniting offense only seems to be getting more prominent, as they continue to rack up goals and points at a steady pace.
But the productivity from the Wild defensemen isn't only indicative of the pucks they are funneling toward the net.
The outburst is also reflective of the havoc forwards are creating as screens, net-front pressure that's helping stoke the offense from the defense.
"It's our job just to get [the puck] past the first guy, and they got to work after that," defenseman Jared Spurgeon said.
After a two-goal, three-point effort Tuesday night in a 4-3 loss at San Jose, the Wild's blue line boasted 34 points and the unit's 14 goals ranked second in the NHL — this after the defensemen amassed a franchise-record 200 points last season, the second-highest total in the league.
Output like that doesn't happen without defenders winding up, but the effectiveness of those shots can be enhanced by the traffic between them and the crease — obstruction supplied by the forwards.
"Bigger guys going to the net and just bringing another defender with them, it makes it a lot harder for [goalies] to see," Spurgeon said.
While getting a piece of point shots for a redirection is on the mind of forwards, their priority is clogging the goaltender's line of vision. The price of admission to that spot can be steep, as players jostle with the opponent's defense for space, but players keep paying it to try to reward defensemen for hurling pucks on net.
