Kyle Brodziak News

At the end in Chicago, Andrew Ebbett only broke a sweat chomping on pressbox popcorn.

ST. PAUL, Minn. - Under former Coach Jacques Lemaire, the Minnesota Wild were a fairly predicable team.

It's been a week for the Wild newcomers. Andrew Ebbett scored Wednesday, Chuck Kobasew got the hat trick Friday, and Saturday night, in only his second game in a Wild sweater, Guillaume Latendresse was just as advertised.

Guillaume Latendresse tied the score with 8 minutes, 46 seconds left in regulation, and Mikko Koivu and Andrew Ebbett scored in the shootout as the Wild beat the Avalanche 3-2 at Pepsi Center for a two-game, home-and-home series sweep of their Northwest Division rival.

With their best players sidelined by injury, the Wild are sculpting a winning combination out of grit and tenacity.

The Wild seem to be discovering the identity that for so long was so elusive. Three recent acquisitions have helped - Chuck Kobasew stepped forward with a hat trick to pace their 5-3 win over the Colorado Avalanche on Friday - but this team apparently has learned that it needs to bump and grind all game to be successful.

This text is replaced by the Flash movie. Chuck Kobasew scored three goals and the Minnesota Wild battled the division-leading Colorado Avalanche to a standstill for most of the afternoon before grabbing a 5-3 win during a matinee post-Thanksgiving game in front of 18,365 at Xcel Energy Center.

The signs that this is a new Wild team permeate not only the roster this season.

Since they were already sporting Wild sweaters, Twins stars Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau should strap on the skates next time.

Winning certainly cures all that ails a professional sports team, even if it is as small of a victory as breaking a four-game losing streak against the New York Islanders.

HKNWild-Ebbett,0105 Wild get center Ebbett off waivers from Blackhawks Eds: APNewsNow.

Jussi Jokinen recorded the lone score of the shootout, as Carolina blew a pair of three-goal leads but recovered to end its franchise-worst 14-game losing streak with a 5-4 decision over Minnesota at RBC Center.

The celebration after the Lightning's 4-3 victory over the Wild on Thursday night almost was playoff-caliber. Players poured over the boards, and the mob scene of hugs and gloved hands pounding heads slowly slid to the St.

After a putrid start to the 2009-10 NHL season, the Minnesota Wild are starting to show signs of life.

A weird season for Wild winger Owen Nolan added another peculiarity this week. Nolan, who led the Wild in goals with 25 last season, is a five-time all-star who has 409 career goals and once scored two within eight seconds during the NHL All-Star Game.

Wild forward Petr Sykora, with teammate Kyle Brodziak, is dealing with a concussion.

After feeling good for four off days after consecutive wins, the Western Conference-worst Wild returned to reality with a 5-2 loss Thursday to Vancouver.

2. Cal Clutterbuck, Wild: Scored first career shorthanded goal, had six shots, three hits and even played the power-play point on a 4-on-3. 3. Martin Havlat, Wild: No points, but best game of the season.

The Dallas Stars begin a four-game road trip tonight in Minnesota, where they will battle the Wild at Xcel Energy Center.Dallas hits the road after snapping a three-game losing streak with Friday night's 2-1 victory over Vancouver.

Tough guy Darcy Hordichuk and newly signed Matt Pettinger each scored their first goals of the season, forming an unlikely pair to lead the short-handed Vancouver Canucks to a 5-2 victory over the Minnesota Wild on Thursday night.