"Preseason is pretty strange, in that, the better lineups don't win, quite frankly," Boudreau said. "The guys that are on tryouts or American League contracts try an awful lot harder than the veterans, it's just the way its been going."
2. Ryan Malone still has silky mitts.
The veteran NHL forward, who has been out of professional hockey the past two years, returned Monday and scored the game-winning goal in the shootout on a pretty shot that beat Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck
"I literally said, 'I hope I don't fall,' I think my feet were asleep, I told Bruce," Malone said. "I just tried to hit the net and it ended up working out.
Malone, a former St. Cloud State Husky and 10-year NHL veteran, is with the Wild on a tryout basis during camp and has impressed so far. He had 15 shifts on Monday and earned more than 11 minutes of ice time, taking one penalty and firing one shot on goal before Boudreau gave him a chance to score in Round 2 of the shootout
"I watched him in Da Beauty League scoring some goals like that," Boudreau said. "and he's put some in in practice, and I thought, 'Here's an experienced veteran, give it a try.' He wanted to do it."