The Minnesota Wild have found a lot of success early on this season, and while they’ve been producing offensively, their defense has been stepping up in big ways to help with this success. Of course, goaltending is the first thing that comes to mind, as Filip Gustavsson and Marc-André Fleury have both been brick walls in the net.
The goaltending has been outstanding and has helped them earn many wins this season. Besides the goaltending, the defensive corps has been solid and has found ways to help win games, and lately, they’ve done so without one of their best: Jonas Brodin. They’ve found ways to contribute outside of the normal defense, and it’s been a big factor in their success. In this article, we’ll look at how the defense has produced and which defensemen have contributed, starting with their captain.
Wild’s Captain Leads the Way
For those unfamiliar with the Wild, seeing Jared Spurgeon wearing the captain’s “C” may be a surprise. He’s not one of the bigger guys on the team or the team’s leading scorer; he doesn’t make big, captivating plays like a couple of his teammates, and he doesn’t get into scrums or yell at other players. He seems more like an average hockey player than the typical NHL captain, which makes him so good at it.
Spurgeon has stepped up multiple times this season with goals, including the game-winning goal in back-to-back games for his first goals. Those goals were crucial in his team’s win and also appeared to give him a little confidence in his game. Since those goals, he’s been more eager to jump into the offensive zone and contribute shots on goal.
In terms of defense, he’s always been a strong presence, blocking shots and even throwing a hit here and there. Recently, he’s been trying to use his body more, and while it’s good to have that, he also needs to be careful because he’s been injured quite a bit in the past, and the Wild need him healthy. Hopefully, he can keep up this offensive production and keep himself healthy.
Wild’s Middleton/Faber/Chisholm Being Offensive
Jake Middleton, Brock Faber, and Declan Chisholm are together because they’ve all contributed similarly. Middleton and Faber are defensive partners and tend to have the same style of play, which has shown a more offensive flair than it used to. Middleton and Faber will carry the puck into the offensive zone, but they won’t stop at the blue line. They’ll carry it in as far as possible and even rifle off a shot.
The Wild’s defensive corps never used to take risks like that; they’d always play it safe and dump it into the zone to let the forwards handle it. This defensive group has a different mindset, and although they don’t score on every attempt, it’s been working and giving them strong chances.
This type of play has been the most noticeable with Middleton and Faber, but Chisholm has also been getting involved. He’s shown he has great hands with the puck, and although his one goal this season was a slapshot from the blue line, he’s given himself and his teammates many chances by carrying the puck the way he has. The Wild need these three to continue this style of play, as it will keep giving them chances to score.
Wild’s Merrill & Bogosian Proving Themselves
The final members of the defense who deserve recognition are Jon Merrill and Zach Bogosian, who, at the end of last season, didn’t look like they would fit on the roster for this season. They stuck around, and they’re doing much better this season. Bogosian had a decent last season, but this season, he’s been more confident and jumping into the plays like his teammates.
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Merrill didn’t have a great last season and was the odd man out quite a few times; however, he’s been more confident this season. Last season, he seemed lost and would flounder the puck often, but this season, he’s controlled the puck and even made a few scoring attempts. He’s become a valuable asset to the team, and although he’ll likely return to rotating when the injured return, he’s earned himself a roster spot.
Wild Need Entire Defensive Corps
Last season, the Wild had a few members of their defense who were more of a liability than a necessity at the time, but now every member of their defense has stepped up in a way they need. Their defensive corps has been vital in winning games, and hopefully, they can continue to step up as the season goes along, keeping them on the winning track.
