John Torchetti has been behind the Wild bench for 12 games and has produced an 8 and 4 record with two win streaks of 4 games. But let's look a little deeper into the details. Of those 8 wins 6 have come against against non-playoff teams. The penalty kill has been abysmal and the same players are sent out nightly even though the results have not been there.
Last night's game showed us a lot about what John Torchetti is as an NHL bench boss. With the Wild playoff hopes hanging by a thread he decided to go with in his words "our go to guy in net" Devan Dubnyk on the back end of a back to back. That decision is not a problem, the issue here is how long a leash he gives to that decision.
The first Blues goal was not a good goal on Dubnyk's part, yes it was a turnover by rookie defenseman, Mike Reilly, who consequently saw limited action as a result. The second goal is where I really see a problem. Dubnyk was not at all ready for the shot and I don't care that the play was off side. Play until the whistle always, we have been taught that since we were kids.
Torchetti said that even if the play had been overturned he was not going to make a goaltending change. Therein lies the problem. Torchetti had a golden opportunity to make a statement to his team. That statement could have been, Torchetti is in charge and he has his finger on the pulse of his club. He can sense when things are not right and take the necessary action to change them. Instead he lets Dubnyk stay in and we all know what happens next. A third bad goal and in goes Kuemper. Pulling Dubnyk after the third goal is what every other NHL coach would have done, but the great coaches see things before the rest and take action.
The Red Wings faced a very similar situation yesterday in Chicago and Jeff Blashill pulled his starter after the 2nd Blackhawks goal just 6 minutes into the game. The result was an inspired Red Wing effort, albeit an eventual loss, but not because of the decision Blashill made. His team rallied for a goal and peppered the Blackhawk net and if not for a superb effort from Corey Crawford, the result just may have been different.
The post game remarks from Dubnyk were mostly in response to the missed replay and deflected away from his poor performance. I know that Devan Dubnyk is THE guy between the pipes for the Wild, and rightfully so he should be. But when he doesn't have it he needs to be accountable and Kuemper needs to be ready. That is how it works, no hard feelings, live and learn and get better through adversity.
So my take on the Torchetti regime so far is a lot of the same that we have grown accustomed to in Minnesota the last several years, only difference being a better communicator behind the bench. The players still rule the roost and until that changes the results will remain largely the same.
The NHL is a young mans game it is time for the veterans to lead by example but to grow through the exuberance of the youth. There needs to be a balance and that balance needs to get along and work together.
The Wild have several very talented young players and their abilities need to be given every opportunity to lead this team and the veterans need to be the steadying force that completes the picture. Every player needs to be held accountable for their actions whether or not they are a seasoned vet, a perennial All- Star, or a rookie. If a player makes a mistake he must own up to it and learn from it.
The fact that Ryan Suter plays as much as he does in every situation shows me that the coach has little authority when it comes to Suter. Yes, no one will argue that he is one of the league's best defensemen but his numbers indicate the law of diminishing returns. This is an area where Torchetti can make another statement to the team that he is the one in charge and that he is the leader that will guide this team to the playoffs.
John Torchetti has done well in his short tenure, I will give him that, but this group needs to produce even more. There is a greater potential here and the right guy making the critical decisions at just the right time is what this group needs. There is still time for Torchetti to grab the reigns but the longer he goes without roping this team in, the longer the same old results will follow.
The Wild have a three day break and what Torchetti does with his team during those three days will show us a lot about what he is as an NHL coach. There are things to work on for sure on the ice, but the off ice locker room stuff is equally as important to this team's ultimate success. Time for Torchetti to pull this team together and raise the expectations.
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