The Minnesota Wild took on the Nashville Predators for the third time this season and the first time on the road on Saturday, Jan. 18. It was a battle of fists from the drop of the puck as the Wild were looking to avenge Jared Spurgeon, who was hurt by a slew foot by Zach L’Heureux on New Year’s Eve.
The Wild were still battling injuries and illness, but they got on the scoreboard first against the Predators once the fights were over. However, they couldn’t find a way to keep things going, so the Predators took control for the rest of the game and secured the 6-2 win. In this article, we’ll take a look at how the Wild couldn’t get things done, starting with their lack of consistency.
Wild Need Consistency
The Wild started the game in control with quite a bit of energy, and after their first goal, things appeared to be heading in the right direction. However, it wouldn’t last, as the Predators scored just a couple of minutes later and took control shortly after that. The Wild have proven they can play strongly and score goals regardless of who is in the lineup, but they can’t find a way to do so consistently.
They let up at the worst times and allowed the other team, including the Predators, to climb back in. They need to dig deep and find a way to keep the intensity up even when the other team gets a goal or two. There’s no certain way to fix this, unlike a power play that needs more passing or a penalty kill that needs more blocks. Consistency is a team effort; they must figure it out for themselves if they hope to get out of this slump.
Wild Were Distracted
While the Wild clearly lacked consistent play, they were focused on getting back at L’Heureux for injuring Spurgeon. Head coach John Hynes had made it clear after practice on Friday, the day before the game, that the most important thing was to win, but instead, they let themselves get distracted. The whole game wasn’t about fighting, but it was too late when they got themselves focused again on winning.
There were three fights in the first half of the first period, with the initial one happening almost immediately. It was expected that L’Heureux would have to fight someone for what he did to Spurgeon, but it should’ve stopped after that. Then, two more unnecessary fights caused the Wild to lose focus, and again, they tried to regain it but couldn’t find that consistent play they started the game with until the end.
Hopefully, the Wild can regain their mindset before their game against the Predators and return to the strong play they had before. They can’t allow themselves to be distracted if they want to win games.
Wild’s Bright Spots
The Wild may have lost this game, but a few bright spots deserve attention, with the first being Liam Öhgren’s gameplay. He came in for the injured Marcus Johansson and had a pretty strong game after struggling earlier in the season. He had some good shots on goal and was confident when carrying the puck, again something he had some issues with earlier. If he remains in the lineup, hopefully, he can keep this up and get himself on the scoreboard.
Apart from Öhgren’s strong play, the Wild kept their power play scoring going for the second game in a row. This was a good step in the right direction because that goal on the power play gave them hope late in the game to get back into it. Although it didn’t work, most times it will, and when this team has everyone back, their power play could be lethal if they can keep the scoring going.
Related: Minnesota Wild Have Proven Themselves to be a Top Team
The final bright spot was Matt Boldy, who kept his scoring going as he tallied his sixth point in the past four games. When Kirill Kaprizov was first injured, they needed others to step up, and Boldy was one of those who was expected to be at the top. While it took him a little bit to find his game, lately, he’s been unstoppable, and the Wild will need him to keep that up if they want to get back to winning.
Wild Face Avalanche
The Wild’s first meeting against the Colorado Avalanche didn’t go well. They’ll be looking to avenge that loss when they head on the road to face the Avalanche on Monday, Jan. 20. They’ll need to be focused on their offense and playing consistently if they expect to get past them. Hopefully, they can get a big win on the road and get some crucial points in the playoff race.
