The Minnesota Wild had a different jump in their game when they took on the New York Islanders at home on Monday, Jan. 15. After their unacceptable 6-0 loss to the Arizona Coyotes on Jan. 13, they had a team closed-door meeting after the game and then a quick press conference by general manager Bill Guerin less than an hour before their start against the Islanders.
That closed-door meeting seemed to get the team going, and they had one of the best starts they’ve had in weeks. Some of that had to come from getting one of their best defensemen back, Jonas Brodin. They proved right off the bat that they would play a different game with a goal two minutes in and kept the lead through the end of the period.
In the second period, they found more of their scoring power with not one but two goals to extend their lead to three goals. The Islanders tried to force their way back into the game, but the Wild held their lead. In the third, things stayed the same; they kept the Islanders off the board, added two more goals to seal things 5-0, and finally got Marc-André Fleury to win number 552. They won by coming out with a changed mindset, and that’s where we’ll start.
Wild Had Enough & Found Their Game
The Wild were in a very tough spot, missing a lot of players to injuries, but even as they got most of their lineup back, they still couldn’t pull themselves out of their funk. However, after an embarrassing 6-0 loss to the Coyotes, they appeared to hit their breaking point and came out looking like a nearly new team against the Islanders.
Guerin’s overall message at the midseason: He still likes and believes in the #mnwild and they need to stop wasting time.
“I expect this team to win every night. I expect us to compete for a playoff spot. … We don’t have time to waste.” pic.twitter.com/UQ3c777bc7
— Michael Russo (@RussoHockey) January 15, 2024
They were energized, won puck battles, skated hard, and obviously, they had a different mindset than before. Sometimes all a team needs is to hit rock bottom to find success again. They made some slight changes, such as their line combinations, and it worked, especially putting Marco Rossi with Kirill Kaprizov and Mats Zuccarello, as did the Joel Eriksson Ek, Matt Boldy, and Marcus Johansson combination.
Now that they have a win under their belt, they can’t let up; they have to keep this mindset going. They need to keep acting like every game is a must-win situation. They can’t allow themselves to fall back into the funk they were in, or the playoffs will be long gone.
Wild’s Special Teams Bounce Back
After a very rough night that resulted in no power play success and an even worse penalty kill, the Wild were able to bounce back and have not just one but two power-play goals, with the first by Zuccarello, who was also playing in his 800th career game. The second power-play goal was scored by their power-play master, Eriksson Ek.
It was just the sixth time they had a multi-power-play goal game this season. On the other hand, when it came to penalties, they still took too many, but this time, they were able to kill them all off. To make it even better, Eriksson Ek, who already had a power play goal, added to his list by scoring while shorthanded as well.
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Having Kaprizov back on their power play definitely helped, and giving him a game to settle back in also worked. He assisted on Eriksson Ek’s goal by setting up a perfect pass right to him, and he didn’t directly assist on Zuccarello’s, but he did help contribute to the play. Hopefully, this performance will be the spark they need to keep their special teams heading in the right direction.
Wild’s Fleury Gets #552
It finally happened; after what seemed like a month instead of nine days, Fleury got his 552nd win to officially take over second place in all-time wins for NHL goaltenders. He played hard all night and protected the Wild’s lead multiple times throughout the night. He saved all 21 shots he faced and recorded the 74th shutout of his career.
Looking over Fleury’s career, he has so many accomplishments, but this is by far one of the biggest ones. With how his career has gone, it’s only fitting he would snatch such a prestigious win with a shutout. In the final minutes, despite being up by four and then five goals, the team worked hard to block shots and secure his shutout.
While they didn’t have time to have an official celebration after the game, it was announced shortly after that they would have a night dedicated to Fleury’s win on Feb. 9 when they host his former team, the Pittsburgh Penguins. It’s only fitting that the team he won his three Stanley Cups and played most of his career with gets to participate in his special night.
Wild’s Road Trip
The Wild ended their homestand with Fleury’s 552nd win and now will hopefully carry that momentum as they head on the road. They’ll be on the road for three games in the southeast of the United States, where they’ll face the Tampa Bay Lightning, Florida Panthers, and finally, the Carolina Hurricanes.
They’ll have to be ready for Nikita Kucherov, who’s already amassed 72 points, including 28 goals. However, he’s not the only scorer to be on the lookout for; Brayden Point, Steven Stamkos, Victor Hedman, and Brandon Hagel are also very capable. The defense will be put to the test against these guys, but the offense will be busy as well. They must figure out a way past Andrei Vasilevskiy or Jonas Johansson.
If the Wild want to get back into a postseason position, they can’t afford to lose any more games. They must put their heads down and work as hard as possible. If they can come out with the jump they had against the Islanders and keep their special teams going, they’ll put some more wins on the board.
