SAINT PAUL, Minn. – The “Cautious Optimism” is gone in Minnesota, and if the team is not pressing the panic button, they are certainly ensuring they know where it is. There are few positives to hang on to as the team dropped all five games on an eleven day west coast road trip, and the team fell to 29th in the NHL with a 1-6-0 record through seven games.
No one expected this team to start the season 7-0. No one expected the first road trip to be perfect. With a new GM, a new coach, and a new system in place, the expectations were certainly tempered. However, no one expected it to be this bad for this long. At some point, the system and new coach can no longer be blamed, and the players need to execute and just play hockey.
The team defense has been dreadful, with an almost terror of being caught playing too defensively. As coach Mike Ramsey said, “The defensive system has not changed.” The players are simply missing their assignments or not getting back into the defensive zone. The defensemen continue to cede territory in front of Niklas Backstrom without a fight. The forwards are not dropping below the circles in the defensive zone to support the defense and win the battles in the corners. The offensive system does not work without the puck.
There are certainly other situations on which blame could be placed. Incoming superstar winger Martin Havlat has been held to one goal, and has now missed two games with the dreaded groin injury that has plagued his career. The entire second line for the Wild is out with injury. Pierre-Marc Bouchard has been diagnosed with a concussion and has been place on the Long Term Injury list. Petr Sykora has missed time with a groin injury, and Cal Clutterbuck is on the injured reserve (IR) list with a high ankle sprain.
With the team’s offensive corps out of the line-up, it would be expected that the goal production would drop. Games would hinge on being tight in the defensive zone and playing a flawless game. That has not happened. After going up 2-0 against San Jose, the Wild surrendered four unanswered goals, including a back-breaking goal just nine seconds into the third period. Twice the Wild pulled within one goal of the Edmonton Oilers, only to give up two goals in the third period of that game and lose 5-2. In Anaheim, they spotted the Ducks three goals early and game back a bit to only lose 3-2, but the final goal came from Andrew Brunette with just nine seconds remaining in the game. They lost an abysmal game in Los Angeles 6-3.
The best game of the road trip game in the last game, and against arch-rival Vancouver, though they still lost 2-1 after leading 1-0 after the first period. The game was tightly played and physical, as are most games between these two teams. The play of the Wild did improve, but the Canucks have played only slightly better hockey than the Wild, and are missing several key pieces of their line up as well. While the team needed a moral victory, and may have gotten one in Vancouver, they need points more, and they did not earn those.
The season is young, and the situation could certainly change should the Wild find their stride. If they are going to do so, they have their work cut out for them. They rank dead last in 5-on-5 hockey, with a Goals For / Goals Against ratio of just .33 (The Buffalo Sabres lead the league with a ratio of 2.40). They have been outscored 21-7 in 5-on-5 play. Only two players on the roster have a positive rating on the season (Brunette and Eric Belanger), and the teams top defenseman, Brent Burns, is tied for the worst rating in the league at -9.
There are some positives in Minnesota. Brunette is leading the team in goals with five, and is tied with Belanger for the team lead in points with eight. This could seem like a negative, but if they continue to score, and the guys who should be scoring start to score, the offense will be greatly improved. Niklas Backstrom is playing better than his stats would describe, making highlight reel saves, and keeping his team from being completely embarrassed in several games.
The power play is ninth in the league, operating at 24.2%, and the penalty kill is third in the league, killing off 89.3% of penalties. The team is winning 50.4% of face-offs, an improvement over last season. The defensemen have activated in the offensive zone and have started to pick up on when to go and when to stay on the blue line.
Suffice to say, the list of positives is nowhere near the size of the list of opportunities in Saint Paul. The Wild now come home to play red-hot Colorado on Wednesday before going back on the road to Saint Louis. They get six of their next nine at home, and will look to build on the positives and gain some success. The season is young, and the Wild do not look to be a team built to give up. Vets like Owen Nolan, Brunette, and Mikko Koivu will attempt to keep the team focuses on the positive, keep them working hard and trying to pull out of the current funk.
Team Notes: – GM Chuck Fletcher traded AHL forward Craig Weller, the rights to prospect Alexander Fallstrom, and the Wild’s second round pick in the 2011 draft to the Boston Bruins for RW Chuck Kobasew. – Defensemen Jamie Sifers was placed on waivers to send in him to the AHL Houston Aeros.
The author can be reached at bryan.reynolds@prohockeynews.com
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