Scouting the Enemy: Anaheim Ducks vs. Minnesota Wild

October 17, 2014; Anaheim, CA, USA; Minnesota Wild goalie Darcy Kuemper (35) blocks a shot against Anaheim Ducks left wing Matt Beleskey (39) during the second period at Honda Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

The Anaheim Ducks embark on a two-game road trip, starting with a visit to Minnesota to take on the Wild. The Ducks played the Wild in their home opener, completing a third period comeback during a 2-1 win in the fifth game of the season. The Wild are 14-9-1 and 10th in the Western Conference with 29 points in the standings, but they are 7-2-1 in their last 10 games and quietly gaining momentum. The Wild are on their third game of a four-game homestand, going 1-0-1 thus far. This is a strong defensive club: they have allowed the third fewest goals in the Western Conference and NHL (behind the Chicago Blackhawks and Nashville Predators).

The Wild have quickly become one of the stronger teams in the NHL and have many well-known players on their team. To get even more information on the Wild, I asked Dustin Nelson some questions regarding the team. Dustin is the editor at Gone Puck Wild, the site that covers the Minnesota Wild at the FanSided network. Here, he answers questions about the team’s talented young forward group, a potential jump in their scoring, their terrific young defense corps, and realistic expectations for this 2014-2015 season.