The Minnesota Wild have made many improvements to their game this season compared to last. Some have been a lot more noticeable than others, like their goaltending, specifically Filip Gustavsson, which has been lights out. Their power play has scored in nearly every game they’ve played, and their penalty kill, while it struggled in the beginning, has been strong lately.
Almost every aspect of their game has improved, and something that has made a big impact is their composure level. It’s been mentioned in several game takeaway articles, but the Wild struggled with their frustration in past seasons, and it would affect their game poorly. If they had penalty calls or goal calls go against them, and they argued, they would allow it to affect their mental game.
This season that hasn’t been the case, and they’ve been the most focused I’ve seen them in a long time. Certain players have also improved their focus and have not allowed missed calls or big hits to ruin their mental game. It’s been a team effort, and in this article, we will break down how the composure level has affected their overall game, starting with penalties.
Wild Stay Away From Box
For the last couple of seasons, it seemed like once the Wild got a penalty in a game, it was over, and they’d be constantly marching to the penalty box the rest of the game. In 82 games played last season, they had almost 1,000 penalty minutes, the fourth most in the league, and they missed the postseason. The season before that, they made it into the postseason despite having 935 penalty minutes, but those penalties also ended their postseason in the first round.
This season, the Wild have spent only 26 minutes in the penalty box, making them one of the least penalized teams in the NHL. That has been a big help to them, as their penalty kill has been improving. However, it can take all the help, which means staying out of the penalty box. Surprisingly, unlike in seasons past, Marcus Foligno is not the most penalized player on the team; Yakov Trenin is.
The Wild have stayed composed to stay out of the penalty box. However, when they have been penalized, they accept it and head to the box. This has helped this team win their games and stay focused on what needs to be done. They must keep this attitude as the season progresses and avoid getting overly frustrated.
Wild’s Focus Impeccable
As stated multiple times throughout this article and this season, the Wild’s focus level has been unwaveringly stable. It seems like nothing rocks them, and even when things go against them, they find a way to push through and stay focused. Not only do they stay focused, but their ability to stick to what they’ve practiced and execute their plays has also been impressive.
Many teams will fall back on old habits, but luckily, the Wild haven’t done that much this season. Their consistency in practice has translated to their gameplay, and it’s worked out well for them. There are things to work on of course, as every team can always be better, but in terms of focus, even their goaltending has been outstanding in that area. This was head coach John Hynes’ first training camp with the team, and he made the most of it. Everyone appears on the same page; even the newcomers fit right into the systems.
The only concern area, being it’s so early in the season, is their consistency. The Wild have always struggled to keep doing good things consistently, and with just seven games played, it’s too early to tell if this is something they can keep up, but hopefully they can.
Wild Have to Keep This Going
The Wild obviously have to keep winning to make it into the postseason but to keep winning; they must keep doing these things consistently. As mentioned above, consistency can be a problem for the Wild. However, with this season’s team, things do seem different. Nearly every aspect of their game has changed for the better, and they aren’t immediately falling back into old habits.
Related: Keys to the Wild Extending Their Winning Ways
The Wild have had the talent and ability to win games like this for a while, but they’ve never been able to piece it all together. With Hynes in charge, their constant attention to detail and hard work have benefitted them. They haven’t been fully tested yet, and it will be interesting to see how they step up when those difficulties arise.
They have found a way to come from behind once this season, despite having some chaotic play before getting themselves back on track, so they have faced minor tests and succeeded. Hopefully, when the bigger tests fall on this team, they’ll rise to the challenge and come out on top with more wins.
