Shortly after the NHL All-Star break, Eric Staal learned how many goals it would take to get his name into the Wild's record book. By that point, 42 — the franchise mark for goals in a single season — seemed well within reach, a prospect that left the veteran center surprised and delighted.
"Before the season, no, I didn't think that was a number I could get to," Staal said with a chuckle. "But when you get that confidence, and you're feeling good about your game, you can get to those levels. It's special to have tied it, and pretty cool, but the focus was to help our group get to the playoffs feeling good."
While he was pursuing that greater ambition, Staal equaled Marian Gaborik's record by scoring into an empty net Saturday at San Jose. Though the goal count has reset to zero for the NHL playoffs, Staal's approach won't change a bit as the Wild enters Wednesday's Game 1 at Winnipeg.
Staal ended last spring's brief postseason run in the hospital, where he was taken after a frightening headfirst crash into the boards during a Game 5 loss to St. Louis. He managed only one assist in that abbreviated first-round series despite reviving his career with 28 goals and 37 assists in the regular season. After building on those numbers in his second season with the Wild, Staal is committed to maintaining that production in the playoffs, firepower the Wild will need to keep up with the Jets' high-scoring offense.
"The end of last season was difficult and disappointing, and a little scary for me personally," said Staal, who suffered a concussion when he hit the boards. "Now, to get another chance, it's refreshing. It's exciting. It's going to be a lot of fun.
"I'm sure it will be contested and tight, and guys are going to be aware [of him]. But it's my job to find a way to get to those open areas and find some holes, to create some looks for myself and hopefully cash in. That hasn't changed over the course of my career, and it's not going to now.''
Signed to a three-year, $10.5 million deal as a free agent in 2016, Staal, 33, wanted to prove that last season was no fluke. He led the Wild in goals (42), power-play goals (11), points (76) and multipoint games (17) while converting on 17.4 percent of his shots, best among the Wild's regulars. He played in all 82 games for the second season in a row and scored 14 more goals despite having a rotating cast of linemates.
First-line pressure
Wild coach Bruce Boudreau pointed out that Staal improved his consistency, too. Last season, Staal had goal droughts of 12 and 13 games, and one string of 18 games in which he scored only once. His longest streak without a goal this season was six games, and he never went more than three games without a point.