Wild Game Day number 8 Wild Record (2-3-2 6 pts) Home Record (0-1-1)
Opponent: New York Islanders (5-3-1 11 pts) Road Record (2-3-0)
Site: Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul, MN
Time: 7:00PM CT
TV: Fox Sports North (FSN)
Last season results: 10/23 Wild 3 @ Islanders 6 12/29 Islanders 4 @ Wild 6
The last time the Wild saw the Islanders, they were on an 11 game winning streak, and would go on to make it a club record 12 game streak with a 6-4 win back in late December. Tonight it is the Islanders who come in on a winning streak, albeit a modest 3-games, with wins over the Rangers, Sharks and Coyotes.
New York will be a good test for the Wild as they bring star power in John Tavares, of course, but in addition the Islanders are very a well balanced team with four good lines and strong defense. Their big addition this off season was the acquisition of Jordan Eberle from the Oilers. Eberle has yet to find the back of the net this season but does have six assists through the Isles first 9 games.
It always seems that whenever the Islanders and Wild get together, the Islanders, Minnesota boys (Brock Nelson - Warroad, Anders Lee - Edina, Nick Leddy - Eden Prairie) typically find their way onto the score sheet. The last time the Islanders played in St. Paul, Nelson scored twice and Leddy added one of his own.
Both Lee and Nelson are off to strong starts, each having scored five goals on the young season.
For the Wild, they have to focus on establishing some sort of consistency. Having played three games in 5 days they can't use the excuse of a light game schedule as reason for their 1-2-0 stretch. Dropping the first game of the six game home stand on Tuesday was not a good start, as the opponents get tougher beginning tonight against the Islanders.
Bruce Boudreau stated that the Canucks played a good road game and that they did a great job of lining up four guys across the blue line and would not give the Wild much opportunity to establish zone pressure.
Isn't that the job of the coach to combat the other team's approach and make in game adjustments to try and penetrate the opponent's defense?
The comment that Boudreau made following the game, saying that Kunin and Eriksson Ek were his two best forwards Tuesday night, and he thought about putting both out for the final minute with Dubnyk pulled for the extra attacker. He thought about the message that it would send, but then went with the same group that had success in Carolina with the goalie pulled.
Is Boudreau becoming the coach who can only look at past performance and not go with his gut and play the players that are playing the best that particular night?
The game is not won on paper, it is won on the ice, and in today's NHL, the old adage of, on any given night, has never rang more true.
So if this Wild team is going to make any noise at all, it is time for the coach to coach the team every night as a new mission. Prepare everyone the same way, but as the game unfolds ride the hot hand and make the necessary moves based on present performance.
Some more good news on the Wild injury front as Nino Niederreiter took the morning skate this morning. Don't expect him in the lineup just yet, but the fact that he is back skating with the team is a huge step in the his return.
It's Always Hockey Day in The State of Hockey!
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