The Minnesota Wild were not only looking to continue their win streak when they took on the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday, Dec. 16 but also some redemption after losing to them a week prior. Like against the Flames a few days earlier, the Wild started things off on the right track with a goal late in the first to take a 1-0 lead into the second period.
While the Wild have improved, they still make mistakes, and that’s precisely what happened in the early minutes of the second when the Canucks scored to tie things at one. Unlike their first game against the Canucks, the Wild stayed strong in the second, and although they couldn’t score, they kept it tied. It remained tied throughout the third period, and they went to overtime and a shootout for the second game in a row.
Once again, they were successful in the shootout thanks to a strong goal by Mats Zuccarello and huge saves by Filip Gustavsson, and they did this without Jonas Brodin and Jared Spurgeon, who are still injured. However, before we talk about Gustavsson, we have to go to the beginning of the game and talk about how Frédérick Gaudreau is beginning to shine.
Wild’s Gaudreau Improving
Like many of his teammates, Gaudreau struggled to find his offense at the beginning of the season, but again, since the spark of a new coach, he’s also found his jump. Since John Hynes took over, Gaudreau has had two goals and two assists for four points in the past nine games. It may not seem like much, but before those nine games, he had zero points and didn’t seem to have the same energy he does now.
Several other parts of his game have improved these past weeks, with the first being his shots on goal. He was getting shots at the beginning of the season, but now, he’s had shots in every game played, compared to several games with zero shots. Shots must be taken to score goals; Gaudreau is a clear example.
Gaudreau has also found some chemistry with Marcus Foligno, and their game is elevated when they’re together. They’ve done just that, despite seeming like two players who wouldn’t work well on the same line. Their passes have been crisp, and they’ve been able to find open ice to create opportunities. While the lines have shifted a bit, they should try to keep these two together as long as possible.
Wild Have to Watch Penalties
While the Wild did come out with the win in this game, they came close to throwing it away with the number of lazy penalties they took. They took five penalties overall; four could’ve been avoided, with the last being an accidental deflection out of play that couldn’t be helped.
The Wild have been getting themselves in penalty trouble in the past few seasons, and this season started the same way. They did find a way to slow it down, but against the Canucks it was not a good day; luckily, their penalty kill has gone from allowing goals on nearly every kill to being perfect. They killed off all five penalties they took despite some tired penalty-killers who wouldn’t give up and got their sticks in many passing lanes.
Their entire penalty kill deserves a pat on the back, but Brock Faber, Jake Middleton, Foligno, and Gaudreau all deserve extra mentions. At the beginning of the season, it looked like things would never get better, but in the past nine games, they’ve found ways to turn the penalty kill around and their overall play. They’ve found a way to play more consistently and stick to their identity, which will be crucial as they continue this season.
Wild’s Gustavsson Showing His Talent
Last season, Gustavsson shocked everyone with his strong play and push to become the number one goaltender. In the offseason, the Wild showed their trust in his talent by signing him to a new three-year deal. However, after the season’s first game, he struggled to find that talent along with the rest of his teammates.
Goaltenders are the last line of defense, so it’s hard for the rest of the team to do well when they’re having trouble. Like some of his teammates, he improved before Dean Evason’s departure but has found his way since Hynes arrived. He’s playing more confidently and believes in himself again, especially seeing his performance and excitement in the shootout.
Shootouts can be a goaltender’s enemy; they can be strong all game but then lose it in a shootout. However, Gustavsson looked like he became even better in these past two shootouts, and while they can be challenging, they can also be confidence boosters. Hopefully, these past two games will help Gustavsson continue to get back to his old game.
Wild’s Honorable Mentions & Road Trip
So many of the Wild’s roster was strong in this win, but several deserve honorable mentions for their efforts, and those players were Matt Boldy, Joel Eriksson Ek, and Marcus Johansson. Everyone has noticed the efforts of Boldy and Eriksson Ek, especially Boldy with his recent scoring streak and Eriksson Ek, who’s just been in beast mode for the majority of the season.
For the most part this season, Johansson has been noticed for his lack of production, even though he’s had several strong chances. He still hasn’t found his scoring stride, but he has assisted quite a few times. Against the Canucks he showed more confidence and solid efforts but couldn’t force the puck past the goaltender. Hopefully, he’ll continue to shoot, and the puck will eventually go in.
Related: Penguins Still Searching for Answers to Turn Season Around
The Wild will head out on the road for a brief back-to-back with the first game against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday evening, Dec. 18. There are a lot of big names they’ll have to find a way to stop including, of course, Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Jake Guentzel, and one of their new additions Erik Karlsson. Their offense must get past Tristan Jarry or Alex Nedeljkovic for goaltending. Hopefully, the Wild can continue to play the way they have with fewer penalties, and they’ll keep their win streak alive.
