After a flat and ugly start to the game by the Wild left it down 1-0 following the first period Sunday, it felt like things were starting to turn in Minnesota’s favor a few minutes into the second. Still, it didn’t seem to have found a real rhythm yet, as it was getting isolated chances but failing to solve Detroit’s Jimmy Howard, and the team had yet to sustain pressure for any length of time.
Say what you want about fighting in hockey, but there is no question that Sunday’s game finally turned because Nick Seeler endured a brutal and old-school face-punching contest with heavyweight Luke Witkowski.