The regular season is winding down and the Minnesota Wild checked off another three games this past week. They came out with two very strong wins and one disappointing loss that pushed their ability to clinch a playoff spot back by at least one game. They took down the Seattle Kraken 5-1 at home in dominating fashion then they moved on to take down the Colorado Avalanche 4-2 on the road.
The one bump happened when they faced the Vegas Golden Knights to finish up their quick road trip and fell 4-1. The entire team seemed off against the Golden Knights but prior to that they had a lot of success and secured first place in their division. During the up-and-down week, the Wild had success and struggle from players throughout their roster.
Wild’s Boldy Not Alone
Matt Boldy has become a household name since Kirill Kaprizov has been out with an injury, and once again he led the Wild in scoring last week. In the past three games, he has scored four goals, which included his second hat trick in just over a week. The hat trick came in their win over the Kraken and his other goal came in their loss to the Golden Knights where he was the only one to find any offense.
This time around Boldy wasn’t alone at the top of the Wild’s scoresheet, he was joined by Joel Eriksson Ek who also recorded four points. All of his points were assists and came throughout all three games. He’s had trouble finding the back of the net lately but he didn’t have any trouble setting up his teammates. The same can be said about the final member of this list, Marcus Johansson.
Since joining the Wild at last month’s trade deadline he’s been like a new player and this past week he added three points (1g, 2a). His single goal got things started in their big win over the Avalanche while his two assists came against the Kraken earlier in the week. The Wild continue to have players throughout their lineup stepping up in the offensive category and hopefully, it will continue through the remaining games in the regular season and especially into the playoffs.
Wild’s Zuccarello Leads Struggling Forwards
The Wild may have some forwards stepping up and contributing offensively but there are other top players who need to step up. Mats Zuccarello is the first player that comes to mind and while it’s understandable he’d have a little trouble adjusting without his best buddy Kaprizov, he has to be able to play with other players and produce. This past week he did record a single assist but only five shots on goal and nothing on the power play.
In the 11 games that Kaprizov has been out, Zuccarello has tallied just two goals and four assists for six points. He’s not the only player who seems to have hit a brick wall when it comes to scoring, the next player on the list is Brandon Duhaime. He’s not known for his scoring but he seemed to have found a slight scoring touch when he returned from his latest injury. That didn’t last as he’s been pointless in the last five games including the two he played this past week.
The final player on this list is Connor Dewar, who like Duhaime, isn’t known for his scoring touch unless it’s while the Wild are shorthanded. He’s had short bursts of offense and shown a lot of potential recently but can’t get anything past the opposing goaltenders. The Wild need more offense and Dewar stepping up would be a big boost to a lineup that has thrived when its fourth line has been successful.
Wild’s Upcoming Week
The Wild are going to have their hands full this week as they’ll face the Golden Knights for the second time in three days and then they’ll take on the Pittsburgh Penguins and St. Louis Blues. They’ll be at home for their games against the Golden Knights and Blues but will head out east for their final meeting with the Penguins.
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They’ll have to keep players like Jack Eichel, Chandler Stephenson, Jonathan Marchessault, Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Jake Guentzel, Jordan Kyrou, Brayden Schenn, and Justin Faulk off the scoreboard but that’s not all. Their offense will have to find ways past Laurent Brossoit or Jonathan Quick, Tristan Jarry or Casey DeSmith, and finally Thomas Greiss or Jordan Binnington. Things could get interesting if Binnington gets the start as he and Marc-André Fleury have some unfinished business from their last meeting, but it may not be wise with playoffs around the corner.
The Wild have some pressure on their shoulders as they still need to clinch a spot in the postseason and they’ll need everyone to dig deep and come out of this week with three more wins. To do that they’ll need their offense to continue to step up and a scoring streak from their fourth line would be a big boost. Hopefully, they can do those things and come out of this week with a playoff spot clinched.
