The Minnesota Wild have had a rough streak, but they turned a corner on Saturday. After a rough first period, the Wild came back and won against the New York Rangers 5-4 in a shootout. Can they keep up the new look during their East Coast road trip?
Roster Changes
Matt Boldy has been back for a few games, and it looks like he’s made a difference. It especially helped revitalize things when Coach Dean Evason moved Boldy and Marco Rossi to the top line with Kirill Kaprizov.
Jared Spurgeon is still on Long Term Injured Reserve but has started practicing with the team. He is traveling with the team, and while it’s unlikely he’ll play on Tuesday against the New York Islanders, he may play during the back-to-back games on Thursday and Friday.
There was some concern on Sunday about Marcus Johansson. Appearing at the outdoor open practice in street clothes, there was some fear that he was injured. It was announced, however, that it was just a maintenance day for him. Johansson was back practicing with the team on Monday morning before the team left for the road trip.
Nic Petan has been recalled from the Iowa Wild as insurance during the road trip.
Keys to Success for the Wild
After a potentially season-changing win against the New York Rangers on Saturday, the Wild have a few things they need to try to do as they move forward in order to come home with a few points.
- Start strong right away—no more slow starts.
- The new all-forward power play unit could have great success.
- Kaprizov likes to pass, but now Rossi or Boldy will hopefully take the shot.
- If they get down, don’t quit. Play the full 60 minutes.
Tuesday 11/7 – at New York Islanders
The Islanders have a similar record to the Wild at 5-2-3. They are coming off of one win and two overtime losses last week. The Wild will need to strike quickly because the Islanders have outscored their opponents 10-3 in the first period. They have also scored first in 8 out of 10 of their games. Marc-Andre Fleury will be starting in the net. The Wild have had trouble with slow starts, even in their good games. Can they start off with good pressure and score first for once?
Thursday 11/9 – at New York Rangers
The Wild and the Rangers will meet again on Thursday. They met last Saturday in what ended up being a statement game by the Wild. The Rangers are 8-2-1. The Wild had great pressure during the last game, seeming to spend most of their time in the offensive zone. Can they keep that up during this game too?
Friday 11/10 – at Buffalo Sabres
The Wild’s three-game road trip will end with a back-to-back. The Sabres are currently 6-6-0 and they’ll have had three days since their last game. The Wild will have to keep up the pressure despite being tired. The Sabres have a few injured players, but they may be back by this game. The most interesting part of this game will be seeing Jordan Greenway in a Sabres uniform. Greenway has made a splash as a strong penalty killer and currently has 6 points on the season (2 goals and 4 assists).
How Many Points Can the Wild Come Home With?
Now, this part is just my opinion. I’m going to be very realistic and say 3. I’d love 4, but I think after the beginning of the season, 3 is more realistic.
Listen to Episode 4 of Her Wild Side Hockey Podcast to hear more.
