Wild winger Nino Niederreiter's parents were able watch him play only once before returning to Switzerland after their visit, but Niederreiter sure put on a memorable performance when he finally got on the ice.
The 25-year-old scored his second career hat trick Thursday in a 6-2 blowout of the Sabres at Xcel Energy Center that sealed the team's fourth win in its last five tries.
"It's always great having them around here," Niederreiter said. "It was cool to have a chance to score a hat trick for them. At the end of the day, you always like to play in front of your parents."
This was Niederreiter's first game since sitting out five with a left ankle injury, and he made a smooth transition back into the lineup – converting his third goal only 4 minutes, 2 seconds into the second period.
"They wanted to see more games," said Niederreiter, who enjoyed home-cooked meals from his mom Ruth. "I spent some nice quality time with them, but I'm glad they had a chance to see at least one game."
Keep an eye on Niederreiter in a little over a month.
His dad Rene is back in mid-February.
Here's what else to watch for after the Wild's win over the Sabres.
