ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) -Though Niklas Backstrom played goalie in the All-Star game, the rest of the Minnesota Wild spent their weekend resting away from the ice.
Jacques Lemaire laughed when asked if he tuned his TV to the annual high-scoring exhibition, the devoid-of-defense style of play too difficult for the discipline-driven coach to watch.
This was a true vacation from hockey, a five-day break the Wild probably needed as much as any other team. With a 23-20-3 record and 49 points, they’re tied with the Columbus Blue Jackets for ninth place. They’re only three points from being alone in sixth, but sole possession of 12th place is also a mere three-point difference.
Welcome to a typical season in the Western Conference.
“The margin of error for the rest of the way is pretty slim,” left wing Andrew Brunette said after Monday’s practice.
me or a shootout, the second-fewest in the conference.
“We have to recognize that these are huge points,” Brunette said.
The Wild at least finished a dismal December on an upswing with a victory over the league-leading San Jose Sharks. They’ve played better in January, but consistency is still an issue. Their three-goal win at Chicago last week preceded a letdown against the Los Angeles Kings at home the next night.
“You look at the standings, you look where we are, and we’re right there,” defenseman Nick Schultz said. “You’ve just got to come back and refocus and get back at it. … When we play well, we’re a really good club. I think the big thing is just consistency.”
Indeed, the Wild have not enjoyed any extended success following a five-game winning streak in October. They started the season 8-1-1, but the offense hasn’t been reliable enough since then. Despite the loss of three productive forwards – Pavol Demitra, Mark Parrish and Brian Rolston – for financial reasons, the struggle to score even-strength goals has not been because of their departures.
0 assists at the 46-game mark.
The biggest problem has been star Marian Gaborik’s inability to play due to hip and groin injuries that will probably keep him out for another two months. To compensate for his absence, Lemaire moved defenseman Brent Burns up front and his production suffered. Center James Sheppard was supposed to build off a decent rookie season, but he’s been quiet. Forwards Pierre-Marc Bouchard and Eric Belanger have also experienced offensive dropoffs.
Well, the next four weeks will be the time to make up for it. The Wild must regain a better hold on a spot in the top eight before a brutal stretch on the schedule begins on Feb. 25. Over 34 days, they’ll play 14 of 17 games on the road. Lemaire and the coaching staff tried to reiterate the importance of re-establishing consistency in effort and urgency in attitude.
He talked of the Wild seeming “satisfied” with their “belly full” after a handful of impressive victories over top teams in the first half of the season. That won’t be permissible over the next 2 1/2 months if they’re going to make the playoffs for the third straight year.
Add A Comment