The past few weeks have been interesting for the Minnesota Wild, but now that they’ve put together two big comeback wins in the week leading up to the New Year, it’s time to see what resolutions they should have on their list. They’ll be heading into 2025 with a big win over the Nashville Predators, which also saw their captain Jared Spurgeon helped off the ice due to a slew foot.
Despite the wins, the Wild have some things to work on, and while they’ve shown some promise in certain areas, they need to get back to what they did at the beginning of the season if they want to continue to win. In this article, we’ll look at a few resolutions that should be at the top of their list, starting with their penalty kill, or lack thereof.
Wild Need a Penalty Kill
In the last few seasons, the Wild have always struggled on the penalty kill, and while at the beginning of this season, things looked to be headed in a different direction, they’ve lost their way. They looked strong against the Predators and the Dallas Stars, but then against the Ottawa Senators, they threw the puck to the other team and allowed them right in on the penalty kill.
They are facing a lot of injury issues right now, with one of those to a major penalty killer in Jake Middleton, and now they also may have lost Spurgeon for an indefinite amount of time, but they have to find a way to tighten up. Nearly every team goes through bouts with injuries, and the good ones find a way through; the Wild have to do the same.
They can be strong on the penalty kill; the discipline and details are there; they need to find their way back to it. Their structure has helped them through this season, and hopefully, they can regain it again despite all they’re up against, including not taking unnecessary penalties.
Wild Need More Depth
With top players out, the Wild need others to step up from the second line to the fourth. That also includes one top-line player who’s been in a funk lately, and the Wild could use him to get out of it, and that’s Matt Boldy. With Kirill Kaprizov injured, the Wild need more scoring, and he’s expected to step up.
Apart from Boldy, the Wild need more from players like Ryan Hartman, Ryan Johansson, Frédérick Gaudreau, and even players like Marcus Foligno. These players can step up and score goals but have been struggling this season. Hopefully, with these recent wins and getting assists on the board, these players can step up and be the light they need.
Also, the players who are brought up from the Iowa Wild of the American Hockey League, like Devin Shore, Ben Jones, and Brendan Gaunce, will need to continue playing as strongly as they have. Like their teammates, they’ve struggled to find the scoresheet, but their play away from the puck is just as important, and the Wild will need that to continue.
Wild Need Faceoff Improvement to Continue
The Wild have always struggled in the faceoff circle, but it has been very noticeable this season, especially on the penalty kill. With Joel Eriksson Ek back, things should get better, and in the last week or so, their faceoff percentages have improved, but again, they have to find a way to do so consistently.
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Eriksson Ek is their best centerman by far, and they’ll need his influence now more than ever to keep things headed in the right direction. He’s on the penalty kill and power play, so hopefully, the faceoffs in both areas will improve. However, they can’t rely just on him; their other centers need to step up and do what is expected.
They won’t win every single faceoff, but they can win more. Again, faceoffs are crucial to winning games, and if the Wild want to keep things going, they need to put up the faceoff wins. Hopefully, in 2025, they can show everyone their true potential.
Wild’s New Year
The Wild will enter 2025 with a comeback win over the Nashville Predators, and while some will argue that they should’ve won that game easily, the Predators played a strong game, as did the Wild. Hopefully, they can work on these resolutions in the New Year and come out stronger.
