Slipping to Second | Wild Wednesday
Wild Fall to Second Place
The Wild (20-7-4) are now three points behind the Winnipeg Jets (23-9-1) after going 1-2 in the first three games of their five-game home stand. The Wild lost 7-1 to the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday, beat the Philadelphia Flyers 4-1 on Saturday and lost 3-2 to the Vegas Knights Sunday.
Thursday’s game against Edmonton ended a six-game drought for the Oilers at the Xcel Energy Center that stems back all the way to the 2019-20 season. It was the worst loss of the season for the Wild and even though they beat Philadelphia on Saturday by a large margin, that game was jam-packed with atrocious turnovers nearly all game long.
The Wild still have two games in hand over Winnipeg and will face them for the third time this season in the coming week, but this week proved the Wild certainly have some room for improvement.
Dermott to Minnesota
The Wild claimed defenseman Travis Dermott off waivers from Edmonton on Friday and he debuted against the Knights on Sunday. The trade coincided with Jake Middleton getting hurt just 37 seconds into the game on Thursday as a shot from Evan Bouchard struck him in the hand.
Middleton was placed on long-term injured reserve on Friday with what can be assumed a broken hand that required surgery. Since he was placed on LTIR, Middleton will have to miss at least 10 games and 24 days. Hynes listed him as week-to-week and the quickest date he could return due to LTIR regulations would be Jan. 7 – that is if he even is ready by that time.
This is a huge hit for both the Wild and Middleton as he was putting up career numbers this season. He has five goals, 13 points through 29 games this season and was on pace to beat his career-high of 25 points that he set last season. He also sits at a +22 differential this season, which is ranked second best in the league. Who’s in first? Kirill Kaprizov at +23.
The Wild acquired Dermott because they needed another left-handed defenseman with Middleton now out. Dermott has only played ten games with Edmonton this season and averaged 13:04 of ice time. He only logged 7:34 of ice time on Sunday, but he looked solid throughout his time on the ice.
Current Injury Report
Also from the Edmonton game Thursday, Gustavsson did not return for the third period due to a lower-body injury. Hynes said it is a short-term injury and nothing serious, but he will not be ready in time for tonight’s game against Florida.
On a more positive note, Wild fans were happily surprised that both Mats Zuccarello and Jonas Brodin returned to the lineup on Saturday after both missing quite some time. The Wild certainly noticed Brodin’s absence in Thursday’s game since Hynes assigns him to shadow and shut down Connor McDavid the entire time. Without Brodin, Hynes wanted Faber and Middleton defending 97, but with Middleton getting injured right away, they were left with Jon Merrill and Faber to defend Edmonton’s top line.
The Wild are currently without Joel Eriksson Ek, Jakub Lauko, Yakov Trenin and Gus. Ek is not skating yet, but according to Hynes, he is progressing. Trenin is listed as week-to-week and Lauko is out, but should be back relatively soon.
With Gus out, Jesper Wallstedt was recalled from Iowa under emergency conditions since the Wild had a back-to-back Saturday and Sunday. He had his season debut on Sunday where he stopped 24 of 27 shots against Vegas. He looked a little shaky at the beginning of the game, but all around had a solid performance and he really could not be faulted for any of the three goals allowed, especially the game winning goal being deflected off of Freddy Gaudreau.
Wallstedt has struggled this season down in Iowa, posting a .875 save percentage and a record of 5-6-1. In order for him to not lose his confidence in Iowa, it is important for him to have some starts with Minnesota. Fleury will start tonight against Florida and if Gus is not ready in time for Friday’s game, Wallstedt will likely start.
What’s Ahead
The Wild will try to improve to 5-0 against current Eastern Conference playoff teams in tonight’s game against the reigning Stanley Cup Champions. The Wild played the Panthers once already in October where they beat them 5-1 in arguably their most impressive game this season.
Against the current Western Conference playoff teams, the Wild have a record of 2-6-1, with the two wins being against Vancouver and Edmonton. The Wild will conclude their five-game home stand against the Utah Hockey Club on Friday and then will travel to play the rested Winnipeg Jets on Saturday.
The Jets have won the last six games against the Wild and they have already played each other twice this season, further showcasing how the Wild continue to struggle against their conference and divisional teams that are in playoff contention.
The Wild need to stay disciplined as their PK is short from horrid and is still ranked third worst in the league. They have been taking a lot of unnecessary penalties in the offensive zone - five from Matt Boldy in just three games – that have arguably lost them a few games. If the Wild cannot improve their penalty kill, their New Year’s resolution better be to stay out of the box.
Kelly Rivard
Kelly is a Minnesota native and a proud Gopher alumna who enjoys making people laugh and spending time with family. Her skills include going 5/6 on parlays, managing multiple incredibly great (fantasy) sports teams and throwing 30 mph fastballs. When she’s not at the X, Target Field or US Bank Stadium cheering on her favorite teams, you can find her pouring drinks for customers at her hometown pub.
NETWORK PARTNERS
