How can the Minnesota Wild get back on track after losing the first two games of the season?
To say that the Minnesota Wild’s start to the season has been a disappointment could be an understatement. They entered the campaign as a projected 100-point team and a virtual lock to make the playoffs, yet they’ve failed to win any of their first two contests.
Of course, going 0-2 to start the season is no reason to sound off the alarms. But the Wild are set to host divisional rivals and reigning champions Colorado Avalanche for the third of their four-game homestand, and dropping another contest could take a major hit on their morale.
Needless to say, facing such a dominant divisions rival isn’t exactly what the doctor ordered to turn the tables early in the campaign, especially after allowing seven goals in both of their losses. So, here, we’ll discuss just how can the Minnesota Wild get back on track after losing the first two games of the season.
Fleury Needs To Step Up
NHL legend Marc-Andre Fleury has been brutal to start the season. He is definitely not in the list of best Minnesota Wild players of all time. Through two games, he’s got a horrid .776 save percentage and an 8.37 goals-against average. He was pulled out after giving up four goals to the Los Angeles Kings in their last meeting, making avoidable mistakes and putting his team in a tough spot.
That was just the second time in 151 games that Wild coach Dean Evason pulled his goalie for non-injury-related reasons. That’s how bad Fleury looked out there, so clearly, things don’t look good for the veteran right now.
“So f**cking stupid,” Fleury said of one of the goals he allowed before smacking his stick in frustration. “I was just looking to see what was coming — I knew he was far away — to see where guys were at. Then I looked back at the shot, and it was already in. Just stupid, stupid.”
The fans, who usually greeted the legendary goalie with flowers, compliments, and love, showered him in boos as he was pulled out of the game. Notably, Fleury actually agreed with the jeers and the curses.
“I don’t blame them. I’d boo myself,” the goalie admitted. “I was not good. I feel bad for the fans. I feel bad for my teammates. I’ve got to be better. I’ve got to step up and give our team a chance to win. There’s some tough goals. A few of them. Still, I’ve got to make some saves. Especially the stupid last one there.”
The Defense Hasn’t Been Any Better
It’s easy to put the blame on goaltending when things go south as drastically and as they’ve gone for the Wild. However, it’s not like their defensive front has done anything to put their goalies in a position to succeed, either.
“You can’t expect to win games when you let in 14 goals in two games,” Matt Zuccarello said after the loss to the Kings. “Sometimes we play defense like we’re a junior team,” the veteran added.
The defense has been shaky, inconsistent, and non-physical. They’ve allowed just too much pressure and are averaging 34.5 shots per game, the seventh-worst figure in the National Hockey League right now. They also have the ninth-worst Penalty King percentage at just 72.73%.
There’s Still Plenty Of Time Left
But as brutal as Fleury and the defense have been, it’s been just two games of a long season. There will be multiple ebbs and flows throughout the campaign, and the Wild have more than enough depth and talent to overcome their early-season shortcomings.
“We’re not worried,” coach Evason said after the loss to the kings. “Are we disappointed that some goals went in? He’s obviously extremely accountable. But he’s a pro. He’s going to fight his way through it. It’s a situation where he’s probably like everybody. He’s probably trying to do a little bit too much, and sometimes when you do that you get a little out of position and you’re not yourself. It’s not just him. There’s a lot of guys pushing to do a little extra as opposed to just doing their job.”
Good teams have short memories, both after wins and losses, and that’s the approach the Wild oughta take here. It’s one game at a time, and they’re not out of the playoff picture for dropping two or three of their first games.
They need to find more consistency and have already proven that they can light it up in the offensive zone, averaging 4.5 goals per game, which is the third-highest mark in the National Hockey League thus far. The Wild won’t win many games when they allow 7 goals per contest, but it’s still way too early to sound off the alarms at Xcel Energy Center.
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