The Minnesota Wild played their second game of the preseason Wednesday night, Sept. 25, against the Dallas Stars in Dallas and lost 5-2. Things didn’t go as well as their first game when they beat the Winnipeg Jets 5-2, but there were some promising signs. The Wild had a young lineup, while the Stars had most of their veterans playing.
It was clear there was quite a difference between the two teams, but the Wild held on to the best of their ability. They tried to stick to their game plan, and while they made mistakes, they also shined in some areas. In this article, we’ll look at who stood out for the Wild, what good things they did, and what they must work on. We’ll start with who stood out.
Wild’s Lauko Roster-Worthy
If anyone thought Jakub Lauko wasn’t worthy of a roster spot, they won’t be thinking that after seeing his performance against the Stars. He was effective all night, and although they ended up behind early, he pushed all night. He’s a veteran NHL player with 83 games under his belt over two seasons, and he showed that against the Stars.
He scored the Wild’s first goal and orchestrated the whole thing by continuously attacking the Stars’ defense. He picked off the breakout pass by the Stars’ defense and didn’t waste time before taking a quick shot that caught Jake Oettinger off guard and put the Wild back within one. He has a dangerous shot and he used it well.
Also, watching the penalty kill throughout the night, he played within the system they’ve been working on in training camp and was more aggressive, which resulted in a block that he didn’t get credit for. He’s an all-around player who can produce offensively and defensively, and it will be interesting how the Wild work him into their roster because he definitely earned it.
Wild’s Strong Points
While this roster was mainly young players who won’t make the final cut, it was still important to see the good they did. First, they played against a roster of mostly NHL veterans like Matt Duchene, Matt Dumba, Miro Heiskanen, Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin, Mason Marchment, and Roope Hintz. While they did lose, they put up a great fight and sometimes showed some strong offense throughout the game.
They pressured on the penalty kill, which they struggled to do last season, and they kept the Stars off the scoreboard through three penalty kills. Even though they didn’t have a big comeback, they also had a stronger second period, which is an period they also had trouble in last season.
The final two areas they succeeded in was breaking the puck out of their zone; while it wasn’t great against the Stars, it was improved. They didn’t try to make too many pretty passes; they just got the puck and moved it out as efficiently as possible, which is something they’ve worked hard on in training camp. The second area was Filip Gustavsson’s goaltending, which improved as the game went on. He was at a disadvantage for the first goal, which he had no chance of seeing, and the same can be said about the second goal, but the others he’ll have to improve his play to stop in the future.
Wild Have Areas to Improve
Teams always need to improve in certain areas, and this early in the season, it’s usually quite a few items. They need to continue to fix their defense, which means they need to stop standing around in front of their netminder and work on pushing the opponents away from the crease. Their goaltender couldn’t see because of the Stars’ players’ screens, and that can’t continue.
The other areas go hand-in-hand, and that is the Wild have to work on making the most of the opponents’ mistakes. When the other team fumbles the puck, they have to capitalize and take it rather than just watch and give the opposition time to regain the puck. Second, they have to finish the play when they have the puck.
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They’ll have possession, but they won’t give it all to end the play, and instead, they’ll lose the puck on a sloppy pass. When they have the puck, they need to efficiently make a play and end it with a shot on goal rather than a sloppy play that doesn’t end up in the offensive zone. However, they are still working on this and will improve as the season goes on.
Wild’s Next Game
The Wild’s first two preseason games were on the road, and now they’ll be able to head home and see their hometown fans for the first time this season. They’ll take on the Winnipeg Jets on Friday evening, Sept. 27, and several veterans are expected to grace the lineup. It’ll be interesting to see how a more veteran lineup plays compared to the mostly young roster they’ve had the past two games. Hopefully, they’ll work seamlessly and show the crowd what they have to look forward to this season.
