Postgame Hat Trick: Wild 4, Flames 2

Wild.com's Dan Myers gives three takeaways from the Wild's 4-2 win against the Calgary Flames at Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary on Saturday night:

1. Minnesota kept its winning streak alive.
Calgary, meanwhile, was returning home from the East Coast with its seven-game winning trend intact and boasting a five-point lead for the top spot in the Pacific Division.
Thanks to a gargantuan effort from goaltender Devan Dubnyk and a gutty third period against the NHL's best third-period team, it was the Wild that left town winners. It's five-game winning streak is now tied for it's longest of the season.
Playing without leading goal scorer Zach Parise, left back in Minnesota with an undisclosed ailment, it was Dubnyk that lofted the Wild on his shoulders, making 35 saves in a winning effort.
With the game tied at 1-1, the Wild's offense came from some unexpected sources.
First, it was Matt Read, getting a helping hand from Flames goaltender Mike Smith, getting credit for an unassisted goal at 4:13 of the third period.
Then, it was Ryan Suter scoring off the rush after a nice feed from Jordan Greenway, giving Minnesota a crucial insurance marker.
The victory moved Minnesota back into the second wild card spot in the west about an hour after Arizona had wrestled it away with a 3-1 win of its own.
The Wild will try and make it six-straight wins on short rest on Sunday night when it hosts the Nashville Predators at Xcel Energy Center.

2. A couple of point streaks were kept alive early.
The Flames came out with plenty of energy in the opening minutes of the contest (read below to see why), but to the Wild's credit, it weathered the early storm and got to the first TV timeout without giving up anything more than some quality zone time.
Once the game began again, it didn't take the Wild long to get on the board.
Credit Jason Zucker for some hard work behind the cage, winning a board battle and maintaining control of the puck before feeding it to the front of the net and the waiting stick blade of a wide open Eric Staal, who buried his 19th goal of the season.

Jordan Greenway also earned an assist on the play, but it was Staal and Zucker who kept their scoring streaks alive.
Staal now has at least a point in five consecutive contests, which is a season high. Zucker's four-game streak is also a season best.
Not to be forgotten... Ryan Donato, who extended his point streak to five games with a slap shot that eluded Smith with 1:42 left after Calgary had climbed back within a goal.
For Greenway's part, he surpassed the 20-point plateau on the season, making him the ninth first-year player in team history to reach at least 20 points as a rookie.
3. The Flames retired the No. 12 into the rafters of the Saddledome in honor of Jarome Iginla.
In a pre-game ceremony that lasted nearly an hour, 19,000 Calgarians packed the stands and cheered as one of the best players in franchise history became the third player to have his number hoisted to the ceiling here, joining Lannd McDonald and Mike Vernon.

Iginla played 16 seasons for the Flames and was a notorious Wild killer during that stretch. Minnesota and Calgary were Northwest Division rivals during most of his career with the Flames, and his final statistics against the Wild bear that out.
Iginla's 84 games against the Wild are second-most against any opponent (Henrik Sedin, 86), while his 39 goals are 14 more than any other opposing player, his 72 points also rank first all-time. His 33 assists are third-most, his 10 game-winning goals are three more than any other Wild opponent and his 12 power-play goals are second only to Milan Hejduk's 13.

In addition to his on-ice accolades, Iginla was viewed as one of the best leaders and humanitarians during his time in the League. How respected was he by members of the Wild? Its bench was packed with current players, who spent the entire hour watching the ceremony first hand.