Wild vs Panthers Preview
Tonight marks the third game in the Minnesota Wild’s father-son Eastern Conference road trip.
Two nights removed from a frustrating loss, Zach Parise expressed some of his frustrations after the Tampa Bay Lightning game:
I was in attendance at the game in Tampa Bay, and you could see the frustration on the Wild’s faces as the final horn blew and the puck was waiting to be shot. Too many passes and not enough shots.
The Wild, who won the four games prior to the Lightning game, should feel very good about themselves if they are able to win in Sunrise, Florida tonight. The Panthers have been alternating wins and losses for the last seven games and they are coming home after a 4-game, Western Conference road trip which included an impressive win in Anaheim’s Honda Center.
The Panthers currently hold a 7-5-6 record and are last in the Atlantic Division ahead only to Buffalo. They are 28th in goals per game with 2.2, 22nd in power-play percentage (16.1%), and 23rd in penalty kill percentage (77.8%). With those numbers, how have the Panthers managed 20 points in 18 games? Goaltending.
Roberto Luong seems to have found a new wave since arriving in Florida where he played from 2000 to 2006. He is currently holding onto a 2.36 GAA and a .926 save percentage. Backup goaltender, Al Montoya, is 1-1-1 on the year, his only win coming in Anaheim, with a 2.24 GAA and .909 save percentage.
So what do the Wild need to do against the stingy Panthers? As I have said before, we need to come out fast and we need to get a lot of shots to the net. As Wild coach Mike Yeo talked about after the loss on Saturday, the Wild need to stop passing up on scoring opportunities and get more shots to the net and take advantage of rebounds. Guys like Charlie Coyle and Nino Niederreiter will capitalize on those rebounds if they are there, maybe Thomas Vanek will too.
Darcy Kuemper also seems to have shaken off a couple rough starts after playing outstanding in Philadelphia and giving the Wild a great chance to win on Saturday. It seems like he is finding a groove and the Wild will have to do whatever they can to take the pressure off Kuemper. As Yeo joked about before the Philadelphia game, we will need to score at least three goals to win on the road.
Nov 22, 2014; Tampa, FL, USA; Minnesota Wild right wing Nino Niederreiter (22) passes the puck against the Tampa Bay Lightning during the third period at Amalie Arena. Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Minnesota Wild 2-1. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Historically, the Wild are 10-2-3 against the Florida Panthers and 5-2-1 in Florida. Last season, the Wild finished 1-0-1 against the Panthers as they won their match-up in St. Paul but lost in a shootout on October 19th last year.
Here are my three bold predictions for tonight’s match-up.
1. The Wild will score at least two goals in the opening period. In the last few road games. It has seemed as though the Wild waited to see what the opponents were going to do instead of letting themselves take control. I think the Wild have figured out that will no longer work if they want to improve their record and come out two points ahead. I think the first period will ultimately decide who ends up winning this game.
2. Parise ain’t easy. That’s a little corny, but that guy is all over the place. When I was at the game on Saturday, I was reminded how much intensity he plays with, how much fight he brings on every shift, and how much determination he has on the ice. This may be obvious for those who watch the games on TV, but to see him up close and personal doesn’t compare. I think he will be on another level tonight, I wouldn’t be surprised if he comes out with three points and sniffing at a hat trick in the third period.
3. Another goal will reside in Pominville. Like what I did there? Jason Pominville has had tons of chances so far this year but only 4 goals to show for it. He will get hot soon, and what better time to start than the present. He had a juicy feed to Parise in Tampa Bay, look for Parise to return the favor tonight.
After tonight’s game in Florida, five of the next six games will take place in St. Paul.