Now that the holidays are in the rear view mirror and the calendar has turned the page to 2016, it is time to look ahead at where the Wild are and what areas they need to address. What we know is that the team is very solid and can play with every team on any night. They have very good goaltending, a very solid mobile defense corps, and a balanced offense which for the most part has been effective.
The positives are many with this team. They are sitting solidly in a playoff position in the toughest most competitive division in the league. They compete hard on a nightly basis and have shown the ability to make adjustments mid-game when the situation calls for it. Devan Dubnyk has proven that he is more than capable of handling the number one goaltender workload and carry the team when need be. Ryan Suter has been a rock on the back end, while Marco Scandella, Jared Spurgeon, and Jonas Brodin continue to mature into key contributors on the blue line. All three are becoming leaders in their own respect. Mikko Koivu and Zach Parise are the leaders on offense and their effort on a nightly basis is infectious throughout the team.
Specialty teams are always an area that is magnified in today’s NHL, with the parity that exists throughout the league. The Wild powerplay has been up and down through the first half of the season. The penalty kill started out poorly, but has since turned things around, killing at an 85% rate since the beginning of December. These are areas that are constantly under the microscope and are an area the Wild will have to be better, as the season moves forward and the games become more playoff like.
The most recent adjustment that Mike Yeo made to the power play moving Matt Dumba to the shooter position on the left side and Mikael Granlund in as the playmaker down low. The result was a very good attack zone look, with an increased number of good scoring chances. Matt Dumba is more than just a big shot, he moves the puck well and makes quick decisions which are key to an effective powerplay. It will be interesting to see if Yeo continues with that unit, as the final man advantage last night saw Dumba moved back to the second unit.
The Wild offense has looked very good on may occasions but has also been subject to long stretches of ineffectiveness. The common theme when they are going good is traffic going to the net complimenting their strong forecheck and board play. When things start to go south is when all of their efforts are around the perimeter and very few opportunities coming from the middle of the ice. That was evident last night as the Wild dominated most of the zone play and took 39 shots, yet they didn't get any really good looks at the Panther net.
The team has withstood some injuries to key performers, most notably Zach Parise and Devan Dubnyk. The teams’ depth has been tested and will be tested more as the games become more hotly contested heading toward the playoff push. Jarret Stoll was plucked off the waiver wire as insurance depth, with playoff experience. So far his addition has not made much of an impact other than giving the Wild another right handed center that is good on faceoffs, along with creating some competition for ice time.
January will be a test month for Mike Yeo and the Wild, as the team plays eight of thirteen on the road, including the two games played in Florida over the weekend. The road record thus far has been very ordinary at 6-6-6. The most notable stat being the 6 OT/SO losses. Yes, there are no 3 on 3 OTs or shootouts in the playoffs but those extra points in the regular season standings can be the difference in qualifying for the dance and or having home ice advantage, not to mention better early round match-ups.
The trade deadline is just 8 weeks away, falling on Monday February 29th. The Wild have twenty five games between now and the deadline with fourteen of those on the road. The road will get bumpy and players will get banged up along the way. This is the time to see who will raise their game to the next level. The Wild have proven they are a team that has very few real weaknesses. The areas that need improvement are not glaring, but need attention if they are to make a real Stanley Cup run. It is time for this group to pull together and make some real noise. They have the leadership, goaltending, depth, and talent to be something special.
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