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Could Last Night's Win Be Wild Turning Point

November 17, 2017, 11:43 AM ET [5 Comments]
Dan Wallace
Minnesota Wild Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT
A win in November is just two more points in the standings, but sometimes wins take on a bit more significance. Last night's come from behind 6-4 win over Nashville could just be one of those wins, only time will tell.

There are a few factors that make the win a bit more special, not just the comeback. The Wild were on their first three game win streak of the season, against some of the league's middle of the pack teams. They were feeling a bit better about themselves after a rocky start to the season, but not to the level of confidence they need to make a real leap up the standings.

The Wild having beaten Philadelphia in their return home after a four game road trip, had gotten the home record above the .500 mark. So now enter Central Division rival and last years Stanley Cup runner up, Nashville, on a five game win streak of their own. With all five Predators wins over top tier teams, Nashville enters the game on quite a high.

Ryan Johansen abruptly ends Devan Dubnyk's personal shutout streak at the 49 second mark of the opening period. Nashville controlled most of the opening period outshooting the Wild 14-8 and that dominance carried over into the second as well. Roman Josi capitalized on Dubnyk's slow reaction to get back to his feet following the initial save.

Boudreau challenged the goal, citing that Dubnyk was interfered with. The call on the ice stood as it should have. Things continued to get worse for the Wild as Mattias Ekholm scored on a shorthanded breakaway just after the Predators had killed the first part of a two man Wild advantage.

Nashville was in control, they were a step faster than the Minnesota to every puck and outplayed them by a considerable margin at this point. Nashville was content to give the Wild access to the area behind their net, while clogging the front off the goal and eliminating the Wild passing lanes. The Wild players continued to try and force everything to the front of the net playing right into the Predators hands and nullifying any real scoring chances for Minnesota.

The Wild powerplay looked much like it had over the past 11 games. The two man advantage and subsequent one man advantage opportunity saw three Wild defenseman in the shooting lane with clear shots to the net, and first Spurgeon missed the target, then Dumba followed suit, and finally Suter blasted one wide of the mark as well.

Matt Dumba got the Wild on the board off a clean offensive zone faceoff win by Staal to Brodin, who slid it over to Dumba who wired a laser from the point through a screen for his first of the season. At that point momentum definitely shifted and the Wild, who had been outplayed, woke up and started to take the play to the Predators.

Nino Niederreiter appeared to have gotten the Wild to within one, but after review it was overturned as it went in off of Nino's glove. That did not deter the Wild, as Niederreiter made his next shot count, on the powerplay of all things, and the Wild trailed 3-2 heading to the third.

Victor Arvidsson took advantage of a terrible Niederreiter turnover and put the Predators up by two just under a minute into the third. The game looked at that point like Nashville had righted the ship and were going to take their win streak to 6 games.

That all changed as the Wild finally took advantage of the Predators collapsing defensive zone coverage when Staal found Spurgeon in the high slot and fired a rocket that deflected off Suter in front of a screened Rinne. The momentum shift had swung once again in favor of the home team.

Staal scored on the powerplay and the struggling Wild PP had now potted two and the game was tied. Minnesota was not done as they kept the foot on the gas sensing that they now had an opportunity to send the Predators home without any points, when just a few minutes earlier it had appeared the Wild would be the one's held pointless in the standings on this night.

Jason Zucker continued his amazing streak, scoring his team leading 11th goal, and now has goals in five straight (8 goals) games. Zucker's goal was a goal scorers goal, a backhand that beat Rinne shortside, as he came off the post to challenge the shot. Zucker has scored 8 goals in 5 games, with 7 of the 8 coming in the third period and 8 of his 11 tallies have been 3rd period goals which is tops in the NHL in that department.

Jared Spurgeon sealed the Wild win with an empty net goal and the big two points in the Central Division standings.

So this game could have gone many different ways and yes the Wild did not play their best game, but they are a very good team in this league. Last night's game is a prime example of that, when you play a tough team without your best game, but you dig deep as a team, with every man pulling in the same direction. That is a significant win.

It's off to Washington where the Wild will play the Capitals who lost last night in Colorado by the score of 6-2 and have dropped two straight and allowed 12 goals in the process.

Follow me on Twitter @dwallace17
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