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Wild Limp Home to Face the Ducks |
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Wild return home linking their wounds after a thorough beat down in Colorado that saw them lose both in convincing fashion 5-1 and 6-0.
That is what The Avalanche can do to their opponents, they are highly skilled and finally fairly healthy. We knew the Wild were not in that same elite class however they are better than what we saw over the weekend.
Kirill Kaprizov is a true star and just wait until the Wild are able to put the right pieces in place around him. They have some brilliant young talent that are coming. That combined with some players exiting after this season, and Bill Guerin's plan to retool the Wild is in full swing.
Good on the Avalanche they are the cream of the crop and now they have the opportunity to show that they can do it on the big stage. We did not see it last year, so maybe this is their year. That said the Wild are not as far away as some might think, but not as close as the record might indicate either.
This is the time in a 56-game divisional schedule that the separation is going to occur and we are seeing that happen. The Wild have always been in the middle of the pack discussion but don't tell them that. They have shown us that they can compete with Vegas and prior to this weekend to a lesser degree Colorado.
The gap looked very large between Minnesota and Colorado over the weekend. Time will tell, but this Wild team is not a finished product by any stretch, they are far from it. They lack playmaking from the center ice position and have been getting by with a makeshift solution up the middle of the ice all season.
That is never a good formula for success and when they face some of the league's elite playing at their best, that glaring weakness gets magnified.
Marcus Johansson will return to the Wild lineup tonight when they host the Ducks. It will be his first after missing the previous 16 games and 18 of the last 20. Johansson is one of those guys who has played or in his case "not played" himself out of the Wild future plans. In his limited action Johansson has yet to establish himself on any line and has been very much a non-factor when he was in the lineup.
The second half of the season is big for the pending UFA to not only show the Wild what he has but to showcase his skill for the rest of the league. Nick Bonino and Nick Bjugstad fall into that same category with each being a UFA at season's end as well. Does Guerin move any of the three as the trade deadline approaches?
Johansson will play with Joel Eriksson Ek and Jordan Greenway tonight. Kaprizov and Mats Zuccarello will start out with Victor Rask, and Kevin Fiala and Zach Parise will once again be centered by Ryan Hartman. The fourth line will be Nico Sturm, Nick Bjugstad, and Nick Bonino.
Matt Dumba will again miss tonight's game with Brad Hunt in his place once again. At what point does that change and we get to see either Calen Addison or Louis Belpedio get a shot? Ian Cole is another pending UFA with playoff and Cup experience.
Guerin is in a good spot as he has players he believes he can get value in return. He also can ride this out and hope that things come together for the Wild to have some Spring success which would benefit the Wild youth tremendously.
It's always Hockey Day in The State of Hockey!
Minnesota Wild Blogger • 
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