Not only have the Minnesota Wild started 5-0-0, making them the only undefeated team in the NHL, they have held opponents scoreless in three of those victories. The Wild were outshot in two of them, but Niklas Backstrom and Josh Harding still blanked the opposition.

Backstrom was a terrific under-the-radar free-agent signing a year ago. The 29-year-old netminder, a veteran of the Finnish Elite League, took over for the injured Manny Fernandez near midseason and went on to lead the league in goals-against average. He was stellar in the season opener, a 1-0 win over Chicago despite a 27-24 shots advantage for the Blackhawks. Harding is a highly regarded 23-year-old rookie, who stopped 37 Anaheim shots Sunday in his only start of the young season. He now has three shutouts in eight career starts.

Not only did Backstrom and Harding make Fernandez expendable -- he was traded to Boston over the summer -- they are threatening the NHL team mark for October shutouts. Since the NHL began scheduling October games 65 years ago, at the start the 1942-43 season, no club has posted more than three shutouts for the month. The Wild still have seven October contests remaining to notch No. 4, including Tuesday night’s showdown with the Kings in Los Angeles.

Teams have recorded three October shutouts 25 times since 1942-43. The first was the 1950-51 Toronto Maple Leafs, and both the San Jose Sharks and New Jersey Devils matched that total last season. The Wild, who allowed the fewest goals in the league a year ago and have given up just four in five games this season, have more than two weeks to set the new standard for posting zeroes in October.