Five things we've learned at Wild camp

Minnesota hockey fans have been excited about the 2011-12 NHL season since the Wild hosted the NHL draft in downtown St.Paul at the end of June. General manager Chuck Fletcher made some aggressive trades on draft night and shortly after in an effort to make the give the team more scoring punch and depth, and a buzz has been building around the team since. Preseason games in all major sports are a source of frustration for many fans because they really never get to see a regular-season deployment of talent or intensity. However, with new coach Mike Yeo calling the shots, this years training camp which is now a week old has taken on a new level of importance. The Wild are off to a 3-0 start, and heres what weve learned since the team first gathered last Saturday: 1. The Wild are buying in: After guiding the Houston Aeros to the Calder Cup Finals last year, Yeo is an unknown when it comes to leading a team at the NHL level. After one week of camp, the early reviews are extremely positive. Winning the first three games was nice, but that doesn't tell the entire story. Key veteran players like Mikko Koivu and Nick Schultz have been very pleased with the atmosphere Yeo and his coaching staff have started to create, on and off the ice. "Guys are working hard and pushing each other, and as a team we are playing together as we learn this new system." Schultz said. "There is a good vibe around here, and everyone seems to be coming together nicely." 2. Niklas Backstrom looks ready in goal: After battling a pesky knee issue during the first couple camp skates, Backstrom shook off the dust to make his preseason debut Thursday night in St. Louis. Backstrom played the first two periods against the Blues and stopped all 18 shots he faced. He was asked to play behind a team comprised of mostly youngsters and players simply trying to claim a spot on the roster. "These guys played really well in Houston, and they came in here tonight and battled hard." Backstrom said. "Early on, I was a little rusty. It felt like I left my legs on the plane, but my knee feels better now and it's always nice to come out with a win." 3. The second line is building chemistry: Another interesting postgame note after the first preseason game in Edmonton on Tuesday night was the play of the Wild's second line. Matt Cullen, Guillaume Latendresse and Pierre-Marc Bouchard netted two goals in the game and had good flow throughout. This will be an area to watch all season as the Wild will need to show some offensive depth if they want to be a player in the Western Conference postseason picture. Latendresse was the biggest question mark coming into to camp, but he is in terrific shape and his goal-scoring touch would make a huge difference this season. 4. Josh Harding is healthy: Harding missed the entire season last year because of a terrible knee injury suffered during a preseason game in St.Louis. After a difficult year of rehab, he comes into this camp as a major question mark. If one preseason game can do anything, it can certainly reveal a goaltender's health. On Tuesday, Harding looked rock-solid, making many spectacular saves. He finished his duties midway through the second period having stopped 14 of 15 Oilers shots. He allowed three goals in Friday nights 4-3 win against Columbus, but he seems fit and ready to go. 5. Jared Spurgeon is here to stay: The little guy who made his Wild debut last year on his 21st birthday, Nov. 29 in Calgary, continues to sparkle on the ice. Earlier this week, Spurgeon scored two goals, including the game-winner, in a 4-3 preseason victory at Edmonton. He backed that up with another solid effort Thursday night in St.Louis as the Wild shut out the Blues, 1-0. "He looks really good," Yeo said. "He's just an incredibly poised player. He's just one of those guys who seems to make the right play with the puck. He has a good understanding of when to make the safe play and when he needs to make more of a skilled play."