So the Wild have made it into the playoffs and the mood all around is not as upbeat as it was during the recent six game winning streak. This has been a very strange season indeed for the Wild as they were solid through the first half of the season, but since then a roller coaster ride for sure.
The coaching change brought some immediate results and up until the current four game losing streak had the team playing a much more competitive brand of hockey. The past four games though look eerily similar to the team that we saw through all of January and February up until Torchetti took over.
Torchetti has made it clear that he is going to make the players earn their ice time and that nothing is given to them. That sounds great and does work as long as the coach has complete autonomy. After looking at the moves that Torchetti has made leaves that in question. Scratching Thomas Vanek and Jason Zucker is nothing new and most recently the sitting of young defensemen Matt Dumba and Mike Reilly show little as far as making any kind of real statement.
Coach Torchetti is an interim coach, meaning his hockey future is very up in the air as well. So why is he following the same path the Mike Yeo trod before him. He has the opportunity to really make a statement to this team and that is truly no one's job is safe. Sitting Vanek and three young players is the path of least resistance in my book. Make a real statement by sitting Ryan Suter or Mikko Koivu for a game. Pull Devan Dubnyk when he is off his game or to inspire the team. There was not one game this entire season where the Wild goaltender was pulled to spark the team. Every time the goaltender was removed was the result of the number of goals he had allowed.
Roster moves and timing of moves have a way of bringing teams together and getting them to buy into the overall team approach. They see that they are a spoke in the wheel and they not only need to pull their own weight but are also responsible to bringing the overall level of the team up as well. The season will always have it's ups and downs but the strongest teams are the ones that [pick each other up when the going gets the toughest.
The coach has the ability to make decisions that strengthen the overall team bond. He also has the responsibility to uncover rifts within the locker room and get those addressed as well.
Talent alone got the Wild into the playoffs. It is very clear that they have enough pure talent to be a playoff team, now how well does that talent want to work and more importantly work together?