5 Things We’ve Learned About the Wild in the First Two Games
By Derek Felska
As a teacher, I often do not know how to feel about my classes until a few days in. Once you finally begin the school routine do you find out which students can’t handle sitting next to one another or those that might be a bit sketchy about turning in homework. Every class or has its own identity, its own vibe. Its the same thing in sports. You find out who are your best athletes, what players don’t mind being physical or which ones need a lot of work. You find out which groups of athletes have synergy and which combinations are ineffective. Two games into the Wild season, I think we’ve all learned a few things about the Wild we didn’t know a week ago.
I realize we’re just two games into an 82-game season, but the Wild have already made some tangible progress from last season. The Wild only defeated Colorado once during the regular season last year. That may or may not make a big difference this season, but it is something they were unable to do a season ago. Heck, even Yahoo!’s Puck Daddy is talking about what they learned about the Western Conference here. So what else have we learned in these first two games of the season?
Oct 9, 2014; Saint Paul, MN, USA; Minnesota Wild forward Zach Parise (11) in the Avalanche zone during the second period against the Colorado Avalanche at Xcel Energy Center. Mandatory Credit: Marilyn Indahl-USA TODAY Sports
1. This team is more potent offensively at even strength – The Minnesota Wild’s nice start was without the benefit of any goals scored on the power play. 8 even-strength goals in just two games against a quality opponent makes one do a bit of a double-take. The goals have been spread throughout their lineup so far with 7 different Wild skaters lighting the lamp. This is a sign of the Wild’s depth but when you consider the fact Thomas Vanek, Mikko Koivu and Mikael Granlund are not among those goal scorers the potential is there for even more offense. The top line of Granlund (5 shots, 2 assists)), Zach Parise (19 shots. 2 goals and 2 assists) and Jason Pominville (7 shots, 1 goal and an assist) are where the majority of shots and points have come so far is a pesky line that gives opponents fits and there is enough scoring from the rest of the lineup to believe this team can score closer to 3 goals per game than it did a season ago. Rounding out your top 9 you have a combination of Nino Niederreiter, Charlie Coyle, Erik Haula and perhaps Justin Fontaine or Jason Zucker too. I don’t think they’ll be confused for the 1984 Edmonton Oilers anytime soon but when you consider this team won 43 games last season with a team that was 24th in the NHL. Want another stat? How about shots per game. Through two games the Wild are averaging 41 shots per game. I don’t expect the Wild to average that the course of the season but if they can register 32-34 shots most nights they’ll probably be in good shape. If this team can score 25-35 more goals collectively that will probably mean 8-9 more wins and suddenly they’re among the elite teams in the Western Conference.
2. Brodin, Spurgeon and Scandella are coming into their own – When the Wild were unable to add a Top 4 defenseman, some like myself feared that may come back to haunt the team this season. Yet fortunately for the Wild and General Manager Chuck Fletcher the youthful core of the Wild’s blueline of Marco Scandella, Jared Spurgeon and Jonas Brodin who was just inked to a six-year, $25 million contract extension have been absolutely stellar. They have been solid in their own zone, being physical at the right moments to support their goaltender but also quick to transition the puck up to the forwards so the Wild can stay on the attack. There are certainly teams with bluelines that might be more physically imposing but few can skate as well and play effectively at both ends as the Wild’s top 4 can. The impact of the solid play of these three defenseman in their mid-20’s is a reduced workload for the team’s workhorse and star Ryan Suter. Through the first two games, Suter’s average ice time is 26.55 which is significantly less than the 29.24 he averaged last year. That signifies the young core has more trust of the coaching staff to be out there in key game situations which means less wear and tear on its best defenseman which is good both in the short-term and long-term for the Wild.
3. Having a more skilled 4th line has been a strength – Years ago, the Detroit Red Wings were one of the few teams that did not dress a player whose sole purpose was to play the role of the enforcer. As the NHL has steadily moved away from the pure enforcer, more and more teams are opting to have a more skilled 4th line and the Wild are no different. The 4th line which consists of center Kyle Brodziak, Ryan Carter and then a combination of a variety of possibilities including Justin Fontaine, Jason Zucker and Matt Cooke means it can roll 4 lines that have the ability to chip in a little offensively as well as provide grit. In the future its hoped to fill this line with some bigger bodies like Brett Bulmer and Kurtis Gabriel which would give the Wild a unit more akin to the Los Angeles Kings’ 4th line that has the likes of Dwight King and Kyle Clifford being centered by Mike Richards but for now the fact its not a liability but it can cause some havoc in the opponents’ zone. Gone are the days where we filled the better part of the line with fringe NHL talent like Stephane Veilleux, Warren Peters and Nick Johnson replaced by young, internally developed talent.
Just say no to Mikko Koivu on the top power play unit. Dec 19, 2013; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Minnesota Wild center Mikko Koivu (9) on the ice before playing the Pittsburgh Penguins at the CONSOL Energy Center. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
4. Power play is definitely better, if it can keep Mikko Koivu off the top unit – It might seem odd to brag up a power play that hasn’t managed to register a goal this season. Yet, there were some signs of a truly lethal unit. The puck movement was quick and efficient, but most importantly effective at putting opposing penalty killers on their heels. It created prime shooting opportunities and the Wild were more than willing to pull the trigger, registering as many as 7 shots on a single power play. The top unit of Pominville, Parise and Granlund were particularly dangerous. Yet in Saturday’s game, after a promising start it took a step back as Koivu replaced Granlund. The passing slowed down, providing ample time to the penalty killer to disrupt shooting lanes. The Wild must not relapse to the slow, predictable puck movement that turned the power play into such a buzzkill that not only deflated the team but squandered valuable opportunities. Give Wild Assistant Coach Andrew Brunette some credit so far for improving the puck and player movement, but hopefully we start to see some goals from it.
5. Young 3rd defensive pairing looks been adequate so far – The Minnesota Wild gave its two youngest defenseman an unusual audition by pairing them together on the 3rd pairing in Mathew Dumba and Christian Folin. If either youngster was not ready for primetime it would’ve been exposed against a speedy club like the Avalanche. Still, the pairing was played sparingly (13:36 for Dumba and 13:35 for Folin) but they were not like a deer in headlights. Both players had moments where they demonstrated the skill and poise that makes them yet another part of the Wild’s promising future. The Wild have two other defenseman it wants to work into the lineup in Nate Prosser and Keith Ballard so its likely that Folin and Dumba will be split up. Personally, I’ve been more impressed with the play of Folin than Dumba. With 4 defenseman vying for the bottom pairing, the Wild can do a lot of mixing and matching.