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WildHBcommunity: Dominate to Fragile Wild Drops 4th in a Row

November 12, 2014, 1:00 PM ET [23 Comments]
Tony Dean
Minnesota Wild Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT
WildHBcommunity: Dominate to Fragile Wild Drops 4th in a Row



The Minnesota Wild is Missing Jared Spurgeon in the Worst Way



It is clear that Zach Parise being out of the lineup has directly contributed to some of lack of confidence and work ethic issues that have plagued the Minnesota Wild during their current 4 game losing streak but I would argue the squad is more affected by loss of Jared Spurgeon.

There is no denying that Parise's attitude and effort is infectious but Spurgeon was the Wild's best overall defenseman last season and he had picked up right where he left off to begin the 2014-15 NHL season. Spurgeon in the lineup gives the Wild a Top 4 defensive pairings that is as talented as any in the NHL.

In Spurgeon's absence, his partner Marco Scandella has been looking to activate more and fill the void left by the dynamic slight of stature defender. Unfortunately Scandella obviously feeling the pressure to step up his game has taken some bad penalties and made some errors that have cost the Wild. Scandella has also been paired up with the likes of Nate Prosser and Mathew Dumba who each have played poorly which only magnified the absence of Spurgeon.

To make matters worse Jonas Brodin is obviously banged up from taking multiple shots from teams targeting him with physical play. Brodin has been playing a very vanilla brand of hockey which is disappointing given he has flashed an ability to get going offensively with a more aggressive approach using his skating and puck handle to create.



The other negative factor of missing Spurgeon has been the extended minutes for Ryan Suter which have caused him to get caught flat footed whether or not he was gassed or trying to preserve energy. There has been multiple instances of Suter not picking up his guy or any guy in and around the crease recently leading to a goal against. I realize Suter is a horse out there and he works his ass off but not having Spurgeon and Scandella to insulate his minutes has created opportunities that Wild opponents have taken advantage of in this current 4 game losing streak.

It Is Clear Mathew Dumba has Failed to Take Advantage of Great Opportunity so What Now?

The Spurgeon injury presented a huge opportunity for an elevated role and increase of ice time for young blue liner Mathew Dumba. Much to the disappointment of myself and Wild fans in general though Dumba has failed to take advantage. Dumba has flashed at times his ability to create dynamic plays with his speed and offensive abilities but the truth to be told is he looks gun shy with his shot and hesitant with his decision making.

Dumba's role is a point of contention with me in general as even with Spurgeon healthy and in the lineup I believed Wild Head Coach Mike Yeo should have empowered Dumba with power play time on the 2nd unit right out of the gate to begin this season. Dumba for the most part has been assigned to the 3rd pairing in limited minutes with Christian Folin and Nate Prosser. Also of note when Spurgeon was out of the lineup the nod to replace him went to Folin not Dumba on the 2nd pair with Scandella.



It is pretty clear if your not going to empower Dumba with more power play time and a greater role on special teams, then he is better served by making his first trip to Des Moines to anchor the top pair for the Baby Wild squad. Dumba playing limited minutes on the 3rd pair while trying so hard to not make a mistake is doing nothing for his development or this team.

I believed Dumba would begin the year in Des Moines anyways and it is clear that if General Manager Chuck Fletcher is not going to move Keith Ballard or Prosser off the NHL roster than the odd man out is Dumba. With Folin his size and strength are a better fit to play 3rd pair minutes right now anyways and his ceiling as a 23 year old is much different from the 20 year old Dumba.

Wild has Soul Searching and Clarity of Roles to Accomplish



I see the easy narrative is that Thomas Vanek is not scoring goals or taking shots but anyone paying attention can see that he has been responsible for creating offense and opportunity in every game he has played in a Wild sweater this year. The same can not be said for MANY of the Team 18001's favorite players. Maybe it is time to get deeper with your frustration and outrage as a fan and not get trapped by flawed narratives and easy to female dog about lightning rods.

The two players that Wild needs to step up the most are Mikko Koivu and Erik Haula which is just not occurring right now and can be directly attributed to this current 4 game losing streak. With Koivu it is just reality he is only going to light the lamp a handful of times a year BUT his handling of the puck and positioning in the offensive zone needs to be addressed. In previous season Koivu has been so strong as a primary distributor of the puck especially on the power play but this season his handling and passing has been a major factor in the TERRIBLE Wild power play.

Koivu must change the way he operates in the offensive zone and that is on Yeo to address and reinforce. Koivu being one of the bigger and stronger members of the Wild can no longer be allowed to float on the perimeter whether it be the power play or even strength. Koivu must get in the dirty areas and step himself up to get the puck on his stick from his linemates and battle for rebounds.

Koivu's two-way game is a huge strength for the Wild but his skating and puck handle is costing the team opportunities and production despite his line generating very good possession numbers. Koivu does not create his own shot anymore and he is playing with two young faster players with Jason Zucker and Charlie Coyle who are both capable of putting the puck on his stick in front of the net.



With Haula his rise to prominence with the Wild and ties to the State of Hockey faithful being a former Golden Gopher has created a huge set of expectations for his production and performance that he has failed to meet in his sophomore season with the squad. Haula contributes in both ends but he has failed to produce any scoring this year which has hurt this squad.

Haula is being paired with Nino Niederreiter both at even strength and on the penalty kill which has created some dynamic play but 1 goal 0 assists in 12 games is a major disappointment given the ability he has shown at every level of hockey in North America in the past year and half.

Many Wild fans have been calling for Haula to be elevated to replace Koivu as the 2nd line center this year, which would be the perfect scenario to create more offense in the Top 6 forward combos for the Wild EXCEPT the fact that Haula is NOT creating more offense than Koivu. In fact the 3rd line has arguably been more potent with Kyle Brodziak centering it which is a huge red flag!

Haula has been the golden boy here given his Gopher pedigree and exciting playing style but he has hit the wall with his play and production. If your looking to point fingers at why the Wild is not winning games right now it should begin with Haula and his 3rd line not taking advantage of favorable matchups and opportunities. Nino deserves some heat to for not elevating his play and taking on a more aggressive role as a scorer especially given how much this team is struggling to light the lamp.

If Nino and Haula are going to be tied to each other for this entire season, then they need to get their game plan together. I realize Yeo has shuffled a number of different players through the other wing spot on the 3rd line but if these two young players are the constant their connection should be that much stronger. Both these guys work their tails off so it is not an effort issue. Time to be smart and set yourself up to generate premium chances rather the dump chase stuff that has been plaguing them recently.

Young Forwards for Wild Showered with Too Much Praise?



Nobody is a louder advocate for how talented this group of young forwards at the NHL level for the Wild is BUT man they are failing to take advantage of the opportunities presented to them right now. Beyond Haula and Nino how I just expounded on in this last section, Mikael Granlund is just not producing to the level I think we all believe him to be capable.



Often referred to as 'Finnish Jesus', Granlund has world class hands and hockey IQ which was on full display last season especially in Sochi. Granlund is the type of playmaker that could produce a 40-50 goal scorer playing on his wing BUT teams have adjusted to his play often shading him to pass whether it be on the man advantage or even strength. Granlund must shooting the puck more often and effectively to force opponents to respect that he is willing to fire it.

Granlund must take control of his own destiny now, he has no competition to be the #1 pivot for this team. Granlund failed to launch his rookie season which only made his sophomore effort more impressive but it is time for him to prove that he is a top tier NHL talent rather than just a specialist playmaker type. The Wild needs him to be more decisive and selfish with the puck especially given the woes on the power play that have cost the Wild victories already this early in the season.



Charlie Coyle is another golden boy type in the world of Yeo knows best. Coyle can at times be a dominating force on the ice capable of driving hard to the night and extending possessions with his size and skill combination. Coyle is not very effective puck carrier though which opponents use to their advantage in limiting his opportunities. Coyle thrives in the cycle and with his board play but coming off the boards with the puck on his stick an generating a shot is just not occurring right now.

Coyle called himself out for being deep in a slump like last season which is good but I think humility and hard work is a given with him. The disappointing part of Coyle's game is upon his trade to the Wild he looked like the type of kid that would develop into an NHL power forward capable of scoring 20+ goals a season in a Top 6 role. That has not been the case though and in his 3rd NHL season it appears Coyle is just a hardworking grinder type that contributes to the system but can not be relied upon to carry the offense.

Yeo has given Coyle about every opportunity possible to produce as an NHL scorer thus far in his young career with underwhelming results to be honest. Coyle is a very complimentary player so my criticism does not come with appreciating that this kid is doing a lot of the little things to help this team win but maybe its time to assign him a less prominent role and give a guy like Nino a shot in the Top 6 forwards.

Jason Zucker is another of the young forwards who has seen his role and ice time elevated but his production has not increased along with it. Zucker has been as good as any forward for the Wild the last 2 weeks so I am less disappointed with his play than the others but to be fair his 5 goals this season have either come shorthanded or while playing on the 4th line.



Zucker has been primary puck carrier/distributor for the Kaptain Koivu line so as far as contributing and creating offense I certainly think he is doing his share with his passing and skating but the Wild needs goals and he needs to shoot the puck. I realize that this kid has fought from deep in the black hole of Yeo's doghouse to first earn his roster spot and elevation to the Top 6 but Koivu and Coyle are not scoring so maybe its time to fire the puck more right?

I love how smart Zucker has been to begin this year, his play has reflected such a mature change of perspective so I do want to make sure it is clear I am acknowledging how far he has come but man this team is lacking identity of goal scorers and Zucker certainly has the talent and mentality to light the lamp. I think it is in on Yeo to unleash Zucker and his goal scorer mentality. Honestly it is on Yeo to define for all of his forwards their role and responsibilities which is a lot of what I think has been plaguing the power play. Too many times I think Wild fans lose their minds watching that extra cutesy pass or players that are clearly being shaded to pass not taking advantage by firing the puck like Granlund and Koivu on the power play.

The shots stat has been so deceiving for the Minnesota Wild this season, never was it more apparent than in Montreal when a couple aggressive blast from their young players completely took the wind out of the sails of our favorite squad. If you have 40 shots on goal but 30 of them are light wrist shots to the chest of the goalie then what have you really accomplished? Time to fire the biscuit boys and go battle in the dirty areas for rebounds and scraps!

Just My Take,
Tony Dean




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