SUNRISE, Fla. \u2014 Nick Foligno said there was a time on the bench during Thursday\u2019s game where he just looked over at his younger brother, Marcus, and smiled.<\/p>\n
They were playing together in the NHL for the first time as teammates \u2014 and, in fact, linemates. It was their first time on the same team since high school.<\/p>\n
Surreal.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s like a dream come true,\u201d Marcus said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe kind of just had a moment where we laughed,\u201d Nick said. \u201cIt\u2019s really special for our family, for us. I think we appreciate it more at the ages we\u2019re at. But just knowing the opportunity we have in front of us, too, right? And we want to make the most of it.\u201d<\/p>\n
This was largely the reason why Nick told Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson around the trade deadline that Minnesota was his first choice of a destination, if a trade could be worked out. Nick, 38, in his 19th season, wanted to chase a Stanley Cup with his brother, Marcus, 35, who is in his 15th season.<\/p>\n
That it took about three extra weeks from the time Nick was acquired (for future considerations) until Marcus returned to the lineup from a lower-body injury only added to the anticipation. And the duo, paired with Yakov Trenin on the fourth line, wasted little time in making an impact. Three minutes into the second period, Trenin carried the puck wide into the Panthers zone, with Nick and Marcus both driving to the net. Trenin found Marcus, who slid the puck through the pads of Daniil Tarasov.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was awesome,\u201d Marcus said. \u201cIt was a special moment to be celebrating with your brother in the NHL. It was pretty cool. Hopefully there\u2019s a good picture of that one.\u201d<\/p>\n
Wild president of hockey operations and GM Bill Guerin watched the whole milestone moment unfold from the press box and smiled.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not why I did the deal,\u201d Guerin said, \u201cBut I\u2019d be lying to you if I didn\u2019t get some joy out of that. I think everybody does. It\u2019s really special.\u201d<\/p>\n
Marcus said the last time they had played together on the same team was in junior high\/high school. Hershey High School was having a game between the girls and boys hockey teams. The girls coach called Marcus and Nick\u2019s mother and asked if her boys would play on their sisters\u2019 team. Marcus was in the sixth grade, Nick in the ninth.<\/p>\n
\u201cNick was probably on the first line,\u201d Marcus quipped, \u201cAnd I was just surviving.\u201d<\/p>\n
Whether the Folignos continue to play on the same line remains to be seen, but Thursday\u2019s debut was encouraging. Nick\u2019s ability to play center gives coach John Hynes the flexibility to play up the middle, and pairing him with two menacing forecheckers in Marcus and Trenin, the NHL-hits leader, makes for a formidable trio.<\/p>\n
They had a team-best 78.26 Corsi-for percentage in 9 minutes, 22 seconds of 5-on-5 minutes, with the Wild outshooting the Panthers 15-2 when they were on the ice.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur forecheck is probably our bread and butter,\u201d Marcus said. \u201cI mean, really, we\u2019ve got to try to hold on to pucks, not throw pucks away It might not be one of the fastest lines. We\u2019re going to be good defensively. We don\u2019t cheat the game. But we want to be someone that a line can go over and lean on the team for 60 minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Said Hynes: \u201cI liked it \u2014 a big, strong heavy line. Really played to their strengths. They played a north-south game. They were strong on the forecheck. They had a nice goal. \u2018Trenny\u2019 drives it wide, attacks the D. Moose gets to the net front. I thought the trio did well.\u201d<\/p>\n
And, in the third, Marcus set up Nick for a great chance at a goal, sliding a pass across the crease, but Nick was denied.<\/p>\n
\u201cMan, I thought I scored, too. It just stuck right in there,\u201d Nick said. \u201cI was like sticky putty on the puck or something right now, but it was a nice play by Marcus. That\u2019s what we want to be, right? We\u2019re not just a bang and crash line. We\u2019re kind of a line that can create momentum, that can create opportunities, scoring chances, and we have the skill to put the puck in the net, and that\u2019s what we want to bring. It\u2019s so important, you can\u2019t just be a one dimensional line. You gotta have all facets, and I think we really take a lot of pride in that, even just in the short time we\u2019ve been together, and it\u2019s been a lot of fun.\u201d<\/p>\n