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Message Received or Ignored? Wild Hit the Road |
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Wild Game Day number 33
Wild Record (17-12-3 37 pts)
Road Record (7-8-1)
Opponent: Chicago Blackhawks (16-11-5 37 pts)
Home Record (9-5-2)
Site: United Center, Chicago, Il
Time: 6:00PM CT
TV: Fox Sports North (FSN)
Last season results:
1/15 Wild 3 @ Blackhawks 2
2/8 Blackhawks 4 @ Wild 3 (OT)
2/21 Blackhawks 3 @ Wild 5
3/12 Wild 2 @ Blackhawks 4
Last results:
10/12 Wild 5 @ Blackhawks 2
11/4 Blackhawks 2 @ Wild 0
Things caught up to the Wild a bit yesterday, as they came out ill-prepared to start the game then again the third period began the same way.
Bruce Boudreau said after the game "obviously I didn't get them ready enough to play or they didn't get themselves ready enough to play, or maybe a combination of both." This has been a theme with the Wild team for the entire season and quite honestly a lot longer than that.
The team continues to be competitive based on the talent that has been assembled, but in order to be taken seriously as top team in the NHL, they need a major attitude adjustment.
The captain of the team Mikko Koivu has been a good foot soldier for the Wild, but the time has come for the "C" to come off of #9's sweater. Koivu is in the midst of a 10 game pointless streak and a 23 game goalless drought which is beginning to weigh on the Wild captain.
It is clear that Koivu has lost a step and is no longer a top six forward on this team. That said he still brings tremendous value both in the locker room and as a checking line center.
Boudreau has very little wiggle room to make adjustments to his lineup on a nightly basis, due to the Wild's current salary cap situation. The fact that the Wild players rarely have to fight for their ice time, which has created the complacency of the current group.
The last three home games have all started the exact same way with the Wild opponents dictating the pace of the game, while the Wild players just went through the motions. The message from Boudreau has been clear that the team needed to be ready and get off to a strong start in each of those games. Well the message either has become stale or the players are choosing to not respond, or a combination of both.
Jared Spurgeon is set to return to the Wild lineup tonight. Matt Dumba has been playing his best hockey since being teamed with Ryan Suter, Spurgeon's longtime defensive partner.
Back in training camp, Boudreau had experimented with Suter and Dumba as a pair, but scrapped it just prior to the puck drop opening night. But now it appears that now is the time to make the Dumba/Suter pair a permanent solution and move Spurgeon to play with Brodin giving the Wild the solid top four that they thought they had when the season began.
Ryan Murphy played very well in Spurgeon's absence, but was returned to Iowa. It would appear that a trade is imminent with either Gustav Olofsson or Mike Reilly likely to go. Chuck Fletcher has been trying to make a move and the understanding is that both Reilly and Olofsson are both valued by rival General Managers.
So back to work today against the Blackhawks. The longtime Wild nemesis is far from the elite team that won 3 Cups in 6 years. Both the Wild and Blackhawks have struggled by their own standards to this point, but the difference is that Chicago has those three Cups while the Wild have zero to go along with their 2 straight first round playoff exits.
It's always Hockey Day in The State of Hockey!
Follow me on Twitter @dwallace17
Minnesota Wild Blogger • 
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