The Minnesota Wild faced the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday night, Nov. 6, on the road in the first half of a back-to-back. The Wild’s injury list remained the same, but Mats Zuccarello was removed from injured reserve earlier in the week and traveled with them on the trip, although he didn’t play against the Hurricanes.
The Wild got things started first for the fourth straight game, but the Hurricanes fought back, and it was a back-and-forth affair for most of the game. The Hurricanes took the lead, and although the Wild had quite a few chances to force the game back their way, they fell 4-3. In this article, we’ll look at a few takeaways from the game, starting with any improvements the Wild have made.
Wild Improving But Still the Same
The Wild have shown some improvement over the past few games, and that included their start against the Hurricanes. They had more energy and played more like the team from last season, but then the mistakes started to creep in. They’re playing better with each game that goes by, but for some reason, they can’t seem to shake the same mistakes they’ve been making either.
They had a lead twice in the game, but failed to hold, and then the Hurricanes took over. They did start to block more shots and were making the smarter plays, but they still found themselves having to fight back. It seems like they’ve found a way to go a step forward in their game, only to go two steps back later on.
They have to find a way to make their better play stick and get rid of these mistakes. The Hurricanes had a lot of speed and were able to snatch the puck right off the Wild players’ sticks throughout the game. They have to find their speed and find a way to be consistent, something that continues to elude them this season.
Wild’s Buium Stands Out
It’s easy to see when watching Zeev Buium play that he’s a very talented young defenseman, and although he has to hone in his defense a bit, he is doing very well as a rookie. Mistakes are made, but that’s expected from a player that young; it’s how they learn and adapt their game. The Wild are allowing him to make those mistakes, and he’s been able to improve his game as he learns from them.
What really stood out against the Hurricanes was Buium’s ability to carry the puck, not just into the zone but around the Hurricanes players as well. He didn’t shy away from making the play in the offensive zone, and the Wild showed their trust in him by having him on the ice in the final minutes with the extra attacker.
Although they lost the game, he was a spark and was noticed all night for his plays. He wasn’t able to score, but because of him, his team had chances all night, and he even blocked several shots to help defensively.
Wild’s Top Players Finding a Way
Although the Wild lost this game, they had a chance to win because their top players continued to produce. Kirill Kaprizov had some chances and two shots on goal, but he couldn’t pick up any points; however, his teammate and sometimes linemate, Matt Boldy, did. He scored the first goal of the game to give his team the lead, and then he scored the third goal that tied the game at that point, and gave his team a chance once again.
However, it wasn’t just Boldy, but the Wild’s top defensemen got in on the action as well. Brock Faber scored the Wild’s second goal, which gave them their second lead of the game, and Jared Spurgeon assisted on Boldy’s second goal of the game, which helped them get back in the game. The Wild are getting better slowly but surely, and their top players are key to that continuing to happen.
Related: Keys to the Minnesota Wild Continuing to Win Games
The Wild may have lost this game, but they didn’t go down without a fight, and glimpses of the team they used to be are starting to come back. Hopefully, this effort will prove to them that they can be that team again, and they’ll get back on the winning track.
