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Wild Need to Keep the Foot on the Pedal

November 29, 2016, 1:48 PM ET [10 Comments]
Dan Wallace
Minnesota Wild Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT
Wild Game Day number 22
Wild Record (11-7-3 25 pts)
Road Record (4-4-3)

Opponent: Vancouver Canucks (9-11-2 20 pts)
Home Record (6-4-1)

Site: Rogers Arena, Vancouver, BC

Time: 9:00PM CT

TV: Fox Sports North (FSN)

Last Season Results:
11/25 Canucks 3 @ Wild 2
12/15 Canucks 2 @ Wild 6
2/15 Wild 5 @ Canucks 2

The Wild continue their road trip tonight in Vancouver. This is a good test for the Wild who have been playing well the last week going 2-0-2 and taking 6 of a possible 8 points. The team was mired in a month long win one lose one rut, but the offense has come back to life and the wins and standings points are starting to improve.

The test for Minnesota is how they keep their intensity level up for an entire game against a lesser opponent. Something they have had trouble doing in the last month. The leadership of this team is in question and nights like tonight on the road in late November are prime examples of points that must be had.

Vancouver has not been an easy opponent for the Wild in fact they have caused the Wild problems in recent years with Minnesota going just 3-6-2 over the last 11 meetings between the two.

There are no easy opponents in the NHL, this is the best league on the planet and these are professional athletes with jobs at stake. The Wild need to approach this game as any other and bring there best effort. They need to build on the momentum of the last three games, even though Saturday's game saw them relinquish a third period lead they did come through with the extra attacker to send it to OT and gain the valuable point on the road.

Vancouver will be without top defenseman Alex Edler with a broken finger, joining his defensive partner Chris Tanev who has been sidelined with a lower body injury. Troy Stecher has been a bright spot on the Canuck blueline since his recall from Utica, so look for his minutes to be on the rise in Edler's and Tanev's extended absence.

Ryan Miller is still a solid NHL netminder with the ability to steal the occasional game by himself and the Sedin's are still World Class players but this Canuck team is clearly in transition. This is two points the Wild must have.

Bruce Boudreau has seen the frustration that his predecessors have felt with this Wild team in his two short months with the club. His challenge is to keep them up and motivated for a game like tonight. No time for any sort of backslide for this group, now is the time to get this team on a roll.

Let's Play Hockey!
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