Playoffs are the family business

Marcus Foligno has been something of a role player since joining the Minnesota Wild, but head coach Bruce Boudreau says “he plays really hard and he’s been very effective.” 2009 of breast cancer. The boys have kept her memory alive through their performance on the ice and their philanthropy off it, with a foundation in her name created to fight the disease and support cancer victims. Nick and his wife also donated US$1 million to children’s hospitals in Columbus and Boston, where their nowfour-year-old daughter had a congenital heart defect repaired.

They play on for a greater purpose, with Mike keeping a keen eye on the boys.

“There are always things to do better. He sees it. He watches the game. He scouted for a long time, and he coached for a long time in the league,” Marcus said. “He just knows how we’re capable of playing, and that’s the biggest thing. He wants us to be the best players out there and be the best role players for our team.”

Nick has long had the more prominent role as a first-round draft pick by Ottawa and now the captain of the Blue Jackets, whose profile in the community includes pizza commercials and charitable endeavours. His 33 points was his lowest total in five seasons and he missed time with a lowerbody injury, but the 30-yearold’s versatility to play centre or either wing spot on any of the first three lines has been ever valuable to coach John Tortorella.

Marcus has been more of a niche player. He had a career-high 13 goals and 80 games for the Sabres last season, but after arriving in Minnesota in a trade last summer his adjustment at age 26 to a deeper team and a lesser role took several months. It included some healthy scratches.

“We all want to score 30 goals and be impactful,” Wild coach Bruce Boudreau said, “but he’s got a four-year deal, so in time he’ll get into that situation.”

The Wild trail the Winnipeg Jets 3-1 entering Game 5 on Friday, but their trouble has mostly been an unproductive series by some of their skilled forwards playing more minutes. Working the fourth line with Daniel Winnik and Joel Eriksson Ek, Marcus has found a groove down the stretch of the regular season and into the playoffs.

“Whether it’s 10 or 12 minutes, he gets out there, he plays really hard and he’s been very effective,” Boudreau said.

Marcus became a major figure in Game 3 for the Wild with a goal and his collision at the boards with Jets defenceman Tyler Myers that knocked his former Sabres teammate out of the game with a lower-body injury.

Nick was sorry to have missed the goal by Marcus since the Jackets were tangling with Washington that night, but was elated to hear his proclamation came true.

The brothers communicate almost daily, providing tips for each other along with standard pick-me-ups and sibling ribbing. After Nick took a puck to the face in Game 1, Marcus teased him by reminding him that goalie Sergei Bobrovsky was the one paid to get in the way of the pucks.

“You don’t realize how special it is, but I raced back after dinner to watch my brother play in the playoffs,” Nick said. “It’s a pretty cool feeling.”