“The Man-child,” as 20-year-old Brandon Saad is respectfully called by his teammates, was overjoyed by his coming of age just in time for the playoff series against the Wild.

“We are happy for him,”  teammate Marian Hossa said after Tuesday’s thrilling OT victory. “We just had that ‘little talk’ with him and we think he is ready to sport some serious facial hair.”

Other teammates laughed insinuating that there was much advice given to the young left wing that may not be suitable for publication. Saad has been long admired for his mature approach to the sport of hockey and for his aggressive game play that is beyond his years.

“Once we ween him off the comic books and video games,” Coach Joel Quenneville said, “we have no doubt his best years are ahead of him.”

TomC