Blue-liners? More like black-and-blue liners as Wild defenders amass shot blocks

SUNRISE, Fla. – Jonas Brodin had the impression of a Mats Zuccarello shot tattooed on his hamstring for three weeks after getting hit in training camp.

“I had a big mark,” the Wild defenseman recalled.

But sometimes Brodin doesn’t even notice when he gets pelted with a puck.

Of the 16 shot blocks he’s already amassed through five games, only one hurt — when he went down on a knee to intercept Columbus’ Yegor Chinakhov after a faceoff late in the first period of the Wild’s 3-1 win last Saturday.

“That one last game was panic,” said Brodin, who explained shots to the feet and the inside of the knee are the worst. “I have to do it. But sometimes I’m just standing in the lane, and they shoot at me. I don’t even want to block it, but I block it.

“That usually happens if you’re a D-man and you play a lot of minutes.”

Intentional or not, the Wild blue line has alleviated goaltender Filip Gustavsson’s workload substantially in recent games, and that willingness goes hand in hand with the team’s 3-0-2 start and its run of 300 consecutive regulation minutes without trailing.

That streak to open the season is already the fourth-longest in NHL history, but the Wild can pass the 1990-91 Bruins (301:41) and 2015-16 Canadiens (324:47) when their road trip resumes Tuesday against defending Stanley Cup champion Florida.

The 1969-70 Bruins hold the record at 457:21.

“You kind of build momentum off it, too,” said Jake Middleton, whose 19 blocks are one back of the NHL lead. “Once you see one guy do it, the other guys will start diving in front of them. So, the buy-in has been great.”

Not all blocks are the same.

While some are acts of desperation, like Brodin’s vs. the Blue Jackets, others are indicative of strong structure — like getting in front of a point shot.

“You’re eliminating tips, rebounds, secondary chances,” coach John Hynes said. “So, it’s something that the guys have done a really good job of.”

This skill is especially helpful on the penalty kill.

During a four-minute power play for Columbus on Saturday, the Wild had four blocks, including two by Middleton just eight seconds apart. Overall, the Wild finished with 20 shot blocks that night after registering 23 in their previous game, the 4-1 victory at St. Louis last Tuesday.

Gustavsson was in net for both wins and was named the NHL’s third star of the week after also scoring the Wild’s first ever goalie goal and the 18th all-time in the league.

“You probably don’t think,” said Middleton, who is “on call” with his wife, Natalie, set to give birth any day now. “You just think to get in front of it and shut your brain off after that. Hopefully, the pain receptors turn off a little bit, too.

“It’s probably the hardest part of starting the year is getting used to those bumps and bruises again from stepping in front of 90 miles-per-hour shots. But once you get through the first couple blocks, you get back into the groove a little bit.”