Minnesota Wild: Frustration Beginning to Boil Over
Dec 17, 2014; Saint Paul, MN, USA; Minnesota Wild forward
Zach Parise(11) looks on following the game against Boston Bruins at Xcel Energy Center. The Bruins defeated the Bruins 3-2 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports
The Minnesota Wild lost again last night. Boston prevailed in overtime in St. Paul to extend the Wild’s exceptionally mediocre start to the season. The most frustrating part was that the Wild clearly outplayed the Bruins during regulation, yet lost anyway. A large part of that was a horrendous overtime period, in which the Bruins put the Wild out of their misery quickly.
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Last night’s game actually reminded me more of many games from last season and season’s past than ones so far this year in that the Wild were generally the more aggressive team, but could not finish. There were many flurries in front of the Boston net, but most came up empty. Three posts and a bunch of other near misses and close calls, and when it was all said and done they fell short. It’s hard for me to say it was due to a lack of effort, but if this team wants to match and improve upon last season, it needs to start winning in a hurry.
This is not a new season anymore. The Wild have already played 30 games, and are barely over a point per game. They are already seven points behind the pace they were on at this stage last season, and they didn’t exactly set the world on fire last regular season either. There was a reason the Wild were on the road for the majority of the playoffs.
What’s frustrating – well, everything is frustrating right now, but still – is that the Wild are finding every way to lose right now. They have blown huge leads, lost close ones, and even had games like Tuesday night in Chicago where they had a great comeback only to give up a late goal after a questionable penalty was called. The best teams find ways to win, and the Wild simply are not doing enough of that at this point.
Of course, there are some legitimate reasons for some of their struggles. For one, last night marked only the fifth time all season the team’s top four defensemen were all heathy enough to play in the same game. The Wild are also only one of five teams in the NHL to be stricken with the mumps. This whole mumps thing is mind-blowing to me. Isn’t everyone inoculated at a young age for the mumps? How is everyone getting it? Is the Bubonic Plague II or a reoccurrence of Polio next? So yes, there are some excuses with validity for this team, but they are still deep enough where they should be able to overcome whatever injuries/illness/pandemics come their way.
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The Wild are a far too talented team to have the record they do at this point in the season. Furthermore, the Western Conference and more specifically, the Central Division, is far too competitive to keep treading water. A playoff berth will be earned, not given, and to this point in the season, the Wild have not earned anything. As Dan Barreiro likes to say, big knockers gotta knock. Zach Parise and Ryan Suter have generally played well, but to get out of this funk, the team needs them along with Jason Pominville, Nino Niederreiter and our other best players to lead the way.
They also absolutely have to get more production out of Thomas Vanek. NBC Sports’ Mike Milbury absolutely trashed him for his effort last night, and while I don’t think it’s been quite as bad as Milbury made it sound, he has to play better and definitely needs to start putting the puck in the net. The whole idea behind bringing him aboard was that our team does not score enough goals or have enough finishers. He needs to start bringing that element as fast as possible.
There is still time, but the Wild can’t act like they know that. If they coast on talent and past results, they will miss the playoffs. Right now, I am of the opinion that the Wild will pull it together and at least get to the postseason, but it is far from a certainty. I hope everyone in the locker room realizes this as well.