Lemaire Not Content With Wild Win

I spent Saturday evening peering through the intermittent wipers as I headed south from Duluth toward the Twin Cities, fiddling with the radio tuner trying to located the Wild opener on some AM frequency. As part of my marriage vows, I promised to sometimes do things I don't particularly enjoy instead of doing things I really enjoy. That meant attending a wedding rather than in front of the television watching the Wild's first regular season game as defending Northwest Division champions. Somewhere near Hinckley, I found the game and was able to decipher a 4-1 Wild lead through two periods between the crackles.

The closer I got to the metro area, the faster the lead seemed to shrink. Lapses in defense led to two Marc Savard goals to bring the Boston Bruins to within a goal. To the Wild's advantage, time ran out and the crowd of 18,000 walked out of the 'X' breathing a sigh of relief.

After the game, Wild coach Jacques Lemaire had some good things to say, but in true Lemaire style, didn't hold back in his disappointment over a sluggish beginning and end to the game.

“I have to see more. I like the potential that we have. Now we’ve got to play together,” the former Montreal great remarked. He added that when the team begins its three-game road trip through the Southeast Division next week they will have to play more cohesively or they'll leave points behind.

A couple of newcomers made their marks in Saturday's victory. Wingers Anti Miettinen and youngster Colton Gillies both had a point. For Gillies, it was his first regular season game in the NHL.

“Did you hear me from the ice? Oh man, I was definitely screaming,” said Gilles, who fed the pass that led to one of Eric Belanger's two goals on the night.

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Coming out: Center Eric Belanger should be a name Wild fans here a lot of this season as the team will rely on its younger talent to put more pucks in the net. Belanger had a strong night, finishing with two goals on four shots.

Welcome back: Former Wild goalie Manny Fernandez returned to the Xcel Engergy Center on Saturday night as the netminder for the Bruins. Fernandez missed most of last season with an injury.

Foreshadowing perhaps? Wild right winger Marian Gaborik had a quiet night Saturday, finishing the game without a point and only two shots. There is rumor that the face of the franchise is on the trading block, the latest rumor the Slovak going to Ottawa. Stay tuned for more on Gaborik.

Up next: The Wild travel to Georgia to take on the Atlanta Thrashers (1-0-1) on Tuesday. The game starts at 6 p.m. on Fox Sports North.