3 Takeaways from Wild’s 2-1 loss to Blackhawks – Hockey Writers – Minnesota Wild

The Minnesota Wild finished their three-game road trip in Chicago on Sunday evening, Nov. 10, against the Chicago Blackhawks. They were looking to make it 3-0 on the road, but the Blackhawks were ready to give the Wild a chance, and they did. The Blackhawks took the lead, and the Wild fought to tie it, but fell in overtime 2-1.

In this article, we’ll examine what went wrong with the Wild and which decisions by head coach John Hynes showed promise. We’ll start with how the Wild worked hard to play their game, and by the time they found their footing, it was too little.

A Wild Struggle to Find Its Match

Most teams show signs of fatigue in the second game of a back-to-back, but the Wild had a back-to-back with the third game in four days, and it showed. It wasn’t just one line that was struggling; it was the whole line. Their passes were off, their pace was lacking, and despite getting shots on goal, they couldn’t get past the goalie until the end of the third.

Part of their struggle was also due to poor scoring on their power play. They found success in both of their back-to-back games, but against the Blackhawks, they lost their spark. They got three chances, but despite having strong shots, they couldn’t convert, which is another thing that cost them the game.

They must find a way to motivate themselves even when they are tired. They’ve shown that they’re a team that wins games when they jump out early, and that’s how they’ll have to play every chance they get.

The Wild Need Their Discipline

The Wild’s power play was unsuccessful, but thankfully, this time, their penalty kill was. Their penalty kill was a problem, but for the Blackhawks, they were able to keep the puck out of the net. Right after the game it looks like the Wild will start marching to the penalty box as they hit one penalty after another.

They dominated themselves and only took one penalty in the third. However, that penalty was at a crucial moment in the game, which would have given the Blackhawks a two-goal lead. Fortunately, the Wild’s penalty kill stood again, allowing them to tie things up and force overtime.

Three penalties isn’t a huge number, but the Wild must be disciplined. For the same reason, they cannot take penalties early in the game to put themselves behind or important points late in the game. Sometimes, they have to take penalties, but time is the key.

Wild’s Hynes Knows What To Do

The one bright spot of the game outside of wild goaltender Filip Gustavsson’s performance was Hynes’ ability to make transitions. He made some small changes early on, but when things continued to go wrong, he tweaked the core forward, which worked. His tweaks to line combinations had near-term results.

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He combined Kirill Kaprizov, Matt Boldy, and Joel Eriksson Ek, which created a spark, and put Zuccarello on the second line. Even Ryan Hartman had renewed energy and solid scoring opportunities late in the third. Boldy and Kaprizov did just that and helped secure a point for their team despite the loss. In the past, Wild coaches have been reluctant to make mid-game changes, but Hynes jumped in, and it worked, with little time left. If they can do that quickly, they can turn games against them.

Wild Head Home

The Wild finished their road trip 2-1-0 and scored five of a possible six points. Although the loss to the Blackhawks is tough, forcing them into overtime ensured a point more than a loss in regulation. Those points will be the difference between being in the postseason and being on the outside.

Hopefully, the Wild can learn from this loss and recreate the spark they found at the end of the game. The Wild will lose games from time to time, but if they can keep the streak at bay, they will be on their way to the postseason. The Wild will host the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday, Nov. 14, and must come out swinging if they want to win.