Yes. A ‘Moose’ sighting in downtown St. Paul on Saturday night

Believe it or not, there was a moose sighting in downtown St. Paul on Saturday night as the Minnesota Wild took down the Chicago Blackhawks in an overtime thriller.

Now I know what you’re thinking, a moose sighting in St. Paul?

Okay, technically not an actual moose, but the two-legged version that wears the ‘A’ on the sweater for the Wild:  Marcus Foligno.

Throughout last night’s game, Foligno’s nickname of “Moose” truly did live up to its expectations.

Gritty all game, getting the pucks deep, defending his teammates after a hard, sometimes cheap hit, and of course sending the  Blackhawks back to Chi-town in dramatic fashion. This team never gives up, and the leadership on this team shined bright last night on Minnesota’s most treasured day of hockey.

With the way the third period ended, it was clear the  Wild had the momentum going into the three-on-three frame.

The crowd was loud, the team looked energized on the bench, and I swear I caught a glimpse of Dean Evason smiling. It wasn’t long, but I’m 80% sure I saw it.

Anyway, with just a few plays completed in the extra period, Kirill Kaprizov and the Blackhawks Patrick Kane got tied up in the offensive zone sending them both to the sin bin. This was unfortunate for both teams as their top stars were now unable to partake in the open skate. This, however, turned into what would lead to arguably the greatest ending in Hockey Day Minnesota history.

A little over a minute remaining brought Moose, Jordan Greenway, and Alex Goligoski to the ice against a set of Blackhawks players who played on their heels. The trio of wild skaters looked smooth, focused, and ready to celebrate as the clock continued to tick. And that’s exactly what happened.

The clock hit 39 seconds as Greenway set up Foligno perfectly in the middle slot as he brought the puck stick side and sent her home. All 19,000 plus fans jumped to their feet and you would think we had just won our first cup, and here I can say for certainty that Evason smiled.

It was the win the Minnesota Wild deserved, and it was the magic of Hockey Day Minnesota that brought a moose sighting to the heart of the State of Hockey!