Minnesota Wild: Boudreau Pressing All the Right Buttons

Thus far in the 2016-17 NHL season, Minnesota Wild Head Coach Bruce Boudreau has made all the right calls and it has led to a solid start to the year. His team is a strong 2-1-0 and looking for more as they roll on.

The early consensus opinion on new Minnesota Wild Head Coach Bruce Boudreau has been very encouraging. After losing a close opening game to the Blues, the team has responded well. Boudreau’s finger prints are all over this team and his influence can already be seen in several key areas.

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Chief among the early season observations is how much control the new head coach already has over the locker room. Talk to anyone within the organization and it is clear that this is Boudreau’s team. With Mike Yeo at the helm, players effort level was inconsistent to say the least and it seemed at times that the players did not respect him. That is not the case with Boudreau, he brings with him an impressive track record that has commanded the respect of this veteran team.

The second observation so far has been that Boudreau does not care who the player is, he is a coach who gives the best players the most chances on the ice. Charlie Coyle has been the team’s best goal scorer in the early going, but when his effort level was not there, the head coach responded. Demoting the winger all the way down to the fourth line from his usual top line spot.

Oct 18, 2016; Saint Paul, MN, USA; Los Angeles Kings goalie Jeff Zatkoff (37) makes a save on Minnesota Wild forward Erik Haula (56) during the first period at Xcel Energy Center. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports /

Jason Pominville has also been shifted around the lineup back to the third line, where he has showed the chemistry is still there from last season with line mates Erik Haula and Nino Niederreiter. This may be a product of it still being early in both the season and Boudreau’s tenure as coach, but the fact that he is willing to move players to send a message or because he thinks there is better chemistry with another group is a positive development.

Finally, practices have taken on a new intensity under the new coach. It is clear that the practices have been much more physical than they were under Yeo. Intense practices have helped the Wild play well against physical opponents in the Kings and Jets and come out on top in both cases. In the past it seemed that the Wild were unable to play a physical brand of hockey and that definitely hurt them because this team does not have enough skill to win on skill alone. The high intensity practices have also positively impacted the penalty kill, which has thus far been much improved from last season.

Next: Minnesota Wild: Opportunity Knocks Tonight Against the Kings

It’s still early in the year, but the early returns on the hiring of Head Coach Bruce Boudreau have been encouraging. If the team continue to listen and respect their head coach, the Wild might finally experience the type of regular season success fans have expected ever since the signing of Zach Parise and Ryan Suter.

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