Ear protection in focus as errant shot injures Wild’s Sturm

What Wild coach John Hynes noticed more than anything was the silence. A net-bound shot by Minnesota captain Jared Spurgeon hit a crowd in front of the Vegas net on Monday night. In that crowd was teammate Nico Sturm, and the puck struck the Wild winger in the head, dropping him to the ice. The normally notable crowd noise inside Grand Casino Arena stopped abruptly, like someone had hit a mute button somewhere. Sturm lay motionless on the ice near the Golden Knights goal crease. Actually, the rink was like dead silent when that went on, Hynes said after the game in which Sturm left and was taken to a nearby hospital with what was officially termed an upper-body injury. Sturm did not travel to Winnipeg for the Wild s Tuesday night clash with the Jets, and earlier in the day, Minnesota called up Winnipeg native Justin Kirkland to have on hand if needed. For the Wild players — even those used to the danger that comes from going to the front of the net — the inj