Wild Game Day number 78 Wild Record (38-28-11 87 pts) Home Record (21-13-4)
Opponent: Ottawa Senators (35-33-9 79 pts) Road Record (15-20-3)
Site: Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul, MN
Time: 7:00PM CT
TV: Fox Sports North (FSN)
Last Season Results: 11/6 Wild 0 @ Senators 3 3/15 Senators 2 @ Wild 3 (SO)
Last Result: Tuesday 3/15 Wild 2 @ Senators 3 (OT)
Ottawa comes to town tonight after picking up a very physical 2-1 victory in Winnipeg last night. The Senators were officially eliminated from the playoffs last night, but don't expect any letup from them tonight. Senators owner Eugene Melnyk has put the entire organization on notice, stating that he is not at all happy with the team's performance this season and no one's job is secure.
The Wild let the last match-up with the Senators slip away, courtesy of a late third period goal that tied the game (7.1 seconds remaining) and then Erik Karlsson's OT winner, two weeks ago in Ottawa. Minnesota followed that up with their worst performance of the season in NJ (7-4 defeat) two nights later. Since then the Wild have won six straight including two wins over Chicago and one with the Kings, yielding just 8 goals over those six contests.
Erik Haula is on a nine game point streak (4 goals, 6 assists) which is the currently the longest such streak in the NHL. Haula has made the most of the opportunity that Coach Torchetti has given him, and the results are 8 goals and 12 assists over the 22 games since the coaching change.
The Wild have taken a firm grip of the final wildcard position in the Western Conference, but there is still a lot of work to be done. They have clinched nothing and even a win tonight cannot secure a playoff berth either.
Minnesota is making a habit of late season surges to qualify for the playoffs. The time has come to take that momentum and make a real playoff run. There is significant talent on this team, with very few real weaknesses. The X factor for the Wild is how well they play together as a collective unit. Who are the real leaders and how do they hold themselves accountable before holding the rest of the team accountable.
There has been some chatter about the rift within the team. If that is the case then it needs to be addressed by the leaders of the team. Those leaders don't necessarily have to be the ones with letters on their sweaters either. Those characters have been here for each of the last 3 springs. They know the feeling of losing to the Hawks three straight years. They also know that it will take a much better effort to go beyond the second round, and that effort is not just on the ice. Teams that win championships go to battle for each other each and every night, they pick each other up and hold each other accountable.
Five regular season games to play and if all goes accordingly a playoff berth to follow. These next five games regardless of if and when a playoff position is secured are all very meaningful contests as the Wild continue to build the identity that will put the ultimate stamp on the 2015-16 season.
Under John Torchetti the record has improved (15-6-1), the PP has improved (24.1%) and the PK has killed 27 of 28 over the last 11 games. So the numbers are trending in the right direction, but is this who the Wild are or are they somewhere in between?
Tonight they get an Ottawa team, playing for nothing as far as playoffs are concerned, but some may say they are hungrier because they are playing for something possibly bigger,their hockey future. There are no easy games and tonight the Wild better be ready, two more points would be huge. Let's Play Hockey!