Sarah McLellan's Wild hat trick

1. Friendly foes: Winger Ryan Donato shared the ice Thursday with a familiar face, longtime best friend and Coyotes forward Conor Garland. The two grew up together in Scituate, Mass. "It's a blessing, really, to be able to have a friend who went through the same journey in the same areas as you," Donato said.

2. Early-bird special: Saturday's puck drop vs. the Hurricanes is at 1 p.m. Afternoon games have recently agreed with the Wild. The team secured its first victory of the season during a matinée (Oct. 14 in Ottawa on Canadian Thanksgiving), but last season the squad went 7-4 in day games.

3. Loving life: The Wild's poor play hasn't stopped Bill Guerin from enjoying his first stint in the general manager chair. During a state-of-the-team address Monday in Los Angeles, Guerin raved about his transition into the community and the working relationships he has developed within the organization. "We have a ton of support," he said. "We have everything that there is to build a winner. We just need to move forward and try to build a stronger team. But I've loved it. It's been awesome."