If there was a bright spot amid the Wild’s recent struggles on the penalty kill, it was that Minnesota players whistled for minor penalties would rarely spend a full two minutes in the box of shame. Sometimes, the offenders have barely had time to sit down.
On more than one occasion, an opponent would win the first faceoff, set up a play and score on the power play almost immediately. Three times it happened in less than 10 seconds. Once recently, it took 14 ticks of the clock for the Wild’s foe to convert with a man advantage.
So, amid all of the good news of the Wild’s crazy and unexpected comeback overtime win in Dallas on Friday was the fact that three times Minnesota players went to the penalty box and three times they left two minutes later, with no damage done on the scoreboard.
“Tonight, I thought the penalty kill was the difference in the game, and then just the sticktuitiveness to continue to fight and push through,” Wild coach John Hynes said outside the visitors’ locker room at American Airlines Center. “Lots of guys came through as the game continued to go on, regardless of what the score is, and we got rewarded for the effort.”
Even after Friday’s perfect night on the penalty kill, the Wild still sit 30th among the league’s 32 teams, but they did not take a penalty in their pre-Christmas win versus Chicago, and were clicking right off the draw in Dallas.
“We won some faceoffs,” Hynes said on Saturday afternoon following the team’s practice at TRIA Rink. “I thought Freddie Gaudreau did a heck of a job, after that first power play where (Dallas) rang one off the pipe. Freddie was in that right circle, he won some draws, that helped. I thought our pressure was good in-zone. We didn’t allow them to get easy sets.”
Ottawa, which comes to St. Paul for a Sunday night game, has a top-10 power play in the NHL, meaning another stiff test awaits.
Manpower update
Marcus Johansson took a maintenance day on Saturday and did not skate with the team, although all indications are he will be ready for the Senators game. Star forward Kirill Kaprizov, who missed the Texas trip, also missed Saturday’s skate and remains officially day-to-day with a lower body ailment. Both Hynes and general manager Bill Guerin indicated that a decision about Kaprizov’s availability will be made closer to the Ottawa game on Sunday, or possibly the Nashville game on Tuesday.
Joel Eriksson Ek was close to a full participant in practice after missing the past 11 games and seems to be inching closer to a return, although Hynes would not say for sure whether the top line center will play versus either Ottawa or Nashville.
NHL looking into optional Dallas practice
Meeting with the media following the Stars’ morning skate on Friday, Dallas coach Peter DeBoer talked about how many of his young players had attended the team’s light skate on Thursday, Dec. 26.
“I was at the rink yesterday. We had an optional, and of course the young guys all show up for the optionals like they’re supposed to do,” DeBoer said.
News of the Stars’ Thursday practice caused a stir, and prompted a NHL investigation, as the NHL players’ collective bargaining agreement strictly mandates no team activities are allowed on Dec. 24, 25 or 26.
Quoted in The Athletic, a spokesperson for the Stars said that the team is conducting an internal investigation into the matter and is participating with the NHL’s investigation.
Related Articles
Brock Faber’s OT goal lifts Wild to comeback win in Dallas
For former Pioneer Press sportswriter Kelsie Snow, life exists at the junction of joy and grief
Kirill Kaprizov misses Texas trip, listed as day-to-day
Wild head to Texas rested and, they hope, a little healthier
Minnesota Wild: Five holiday wishes
Leave a Reply