"Nick Schultz insists he wasn't attempting to send a message inside his locker room or to ignite his own game when he delivered an uncharacteristically terse and expletive-filled rant after the Wild's uninspired 4-1 loss in Toronto two weeks ago.

It just sort of spilled out.

"It's just something where you're frustrated after a game and still fired up," he said.

Coincidence or not, Schultz responded with two strong performances to help the Wild enter the NHL All-Star break in a positive frame of mind after a monthlong skid caused them to tumble precipitously in the standings. As the unofficial second half of the season begins Tuesday, the Wild needs more of that from Schultz and its group of veteran leaders and top players.

More solid play, that is, although a little salty language is fine too, if that's what it takes to get those guys going."