The Minnesota Wild roster may not look much different than it did a year ago or even the year before that, but there is clearly a different feeling about this team on a nightly basis.
That was never more evident than last night in Ottawa as the Wild won 2-1. There are a few significant things about last night's game that show this is not the Minnesota Wild that we have been accustomed to in years past. The first is an OT win (last year 1-9 in OT, 3-3 in SO), second is a win vs Ottawa (2 wins in last 12 vs Ottawa), third is a strong performance in goal by Darcy Kuemper, and fourth is the game winning goal by Matt Dumba.
Those last two are significant because in each case the player in reference was coming off of a subpar performance. Both Kuemper and Dumba were singled out by coach Boudreau in the respective TV post game interviews.
Unlike his predecessor, Boudreau has a short memory with his players, believing that by giving them a new opportunity they will work through and learn from the bad experiences. In Dumba's case, Boudreau showed extreme confidence in him and #24 delivered in a big spot.
When asked about Dumba and the comments from the previous night, Boudreau said "he (Dumba) is a pro" and "he can yell at his players but it doesn't mean he doesn't love them."
Boudreau also had high praise for Kuemper saying that "he has been working very hard in practice to stay sharp when called upon." Playing 10 games in 17 days he will be called upon again and his effort in Ottawa will be a good foundation where from which he can draw.
The Wild are looking for consistency but by taking two of three on the eastern swing of the four game road trip with wins in Pittsburgh and Ottawa, the team is showing some resiliency that was clearly missing in prior years.
The Wild are a solid club top to bottom and the fact that Zach Parise and Marco Scandella are out of the lineup, speaks volumes about the team's depth. It is only mid November, but being able to withstand injuries and not upset the overall makeup of your team will go a long way when the games become more meaningful.
Bruce Boudreau is clearly a players coach and the players all know where they stand with him. He speaks the truth, but in the end he always has his players backs. That goes a long way in building a winning team and the Wild are becoming a reflection of their coach and his staff.