The Minnesota Wild finished up their three-game road trip in Chicago on Sunday evening, Nov. 10, against the Chicago Blackhawks. They were looking to make it a perfect 3-0 on the trip, but the Blackhawks were ready to give the Wild a run for it, and they did. The Blackhawks got the early lead, and the Wild fought back to tie it, but they fell in overtime 2-1.
In this article, we’ll examine what went wrong for the Wild and what choices by head coach John Hynes showed promise. We’ll start with how the Wild struggled to play their game, and by the time they got their groove, it was too little too late.
Wild Struggle to Find Their Game
Many teams show signs of fatigue on the second game of a back-to-back, but the Wild had a back-to-back and a third game within four days, and it showed. It wasn’t just one line that struggled; it was every line. Their passes were off, their speed lacked, and although they got shots on goal, they couldn’t get any past the goaltender until late in the third.
Part of their struggle was also due to poor scoring on their power play. They found success in both games of their back-to-back, but against the Blackhawks, they ran out of spark. They had three chances, but despite having some strong shots, they couldn’t convert, which was another thing that cost them the game.
They must find a way to motivate themselves even when fatigued. They’ve proven they’re a team that wins games when they get the early jump, and that’s how they’ll have to play every chance they get.
Wild Need Their Discipline
The Wild’s power play wasn’t successful, but thankfully, this time around, their penalty kill was. Their penalty kill was becoming a problem, but against the Blackhawks, they were able to keep the puck out of the net. Shortly after the game started, it looked like the Wild would start marching to the penalty box as they took back-to-back penalties.
They reigned themselves in and only took one more penalty in the third. However, that penalty was at a crucial time in the game, which could’ve given the Blackhawks a two-goal lead. Luckily, the Wild’s penalty kill stood strong again, allowing them to tie things up and force overtime.
Three penalties aren’t a big number, but the Wild must keep themselves disciplined. For the same reason, they can’t take penalties at the beginning of the game to possibly put themselves behind or at crucial points late in the game. Sometimes, they have to take penalties, but timing is key.
Wild’s Hynes Knows What to Do
The one bright spot of the game outside of Wild goaltender Filip Gustavsson’s performance was Hynes’ ability to make changes. He made some small changes early on, but when things continued to go badly, he overhauled the forward core, which worked. His tweaks to the line combinations had near-immediate results.
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He put Kirill Kaprizov, Matt Boldy, and Joel Eriksson Ek back together, which created a spark, as well as putting Zuccarello on the second line. Even Ryan Hartman had some rekindled energy and strong scoring chances late in the third. Boldy and Kaprizov made it happen and helped secure a point for their team despite the loss. In the past, Wild coaches have been hesitant to make changes mid-game, but Hynes jumped right in, and it did work, just a little late. If he can do that sooner, they could turn games around that aren’t going in their favor.
Wild Head Home
The Wild finished their road trip with a 2-1-0 record and received five out of six possible points. While the loss to the Blackhawks is difficult, forcing it to overtime guaranteed a point rather than losing in regulation. Those points will be the difference between being in the postseason and on the outside looking in.
Hopefully, the Wild can learn from this loss and recreate the spark they found at the end of the game. The Wild will lose games occasionally, but if they can keep it from becoming a streak, they’ll maintain their path to the postseason. The Wild will host the Montréal Canadiens on Thursday, Nov. 14, and must come out with a jump if they want to win.
