Minnesota Hockey Magazine for Nov. 2016 (volume 4, issue 1)

MINNESOTA WILD
STATE OF THE WILD
EARLY RETURNS
BREED CONFIDENCE
MINNESOTA WILD LAUNCH 2016-17 SEASON ON OPTIMISTIC NOTE
By Bruce Brothers
Early in almost any sporting
season, optimism rises. So it is with
the 2016-17 edition of the Minnesota Wild,
who have given the Xcel Energy Center faithful
reason to believe about a season that includes a
new coach and a new top-line center.
Heck, despite injuries to Zach Parise, Jared
Spurgeon, Marco Scandela, Erik Haula and a few
others plus some spotty play from backup goalie
Darcy Kuemper, the Wild stood atop the NHL’s
Central Division through nine games.
That’s mighty early in a long season, but if you
scroll through postgame utterances on the Wild’s
website you will find the kinds of encouraging
words expected from players on a team that began
with a 6-2-1 record.
Eric Staal, for one, a free agent signing who
struggled a bit in his last two seasons in Carolina
but put up four goals and seven points in his first
nine games with Minnesota, took an immediate
liking to his new environment.
“We have a good group here that we feel we can
compete with anybody,” he said.
There’s no question that the Wild will be a
work in progress for the early part of the season,
as evidenced by a horrid first period of the home
opener against the Winnipeg Jets and some equally
awful stretches since.
Although it was a bit shocking that Xcel fans
booed the Wild off the ice after two late firstperiod
goals gave the Jets a 2-0 lead in the home
opener on Oct. 15, and although new coach Bruce
Boudreau gave his guys an earful between periods,
Boudreau was unfazed by the crowd’s reaction.
After his team rallied for a 4-3 victory, he said,
“I’ve been booed before.”
There were enough fans demonstrating their
impatience at the opener, and a few more have not
been hesitant to rip the team with negative tweets
here and there since.
Fans have reason to be antsy because the Wild
have been no better than a .500 team overall during
“We have a good
group here that
we feel we can
compete with
anybody.”
— Eric Staal
the post-Jacques Lemaire era that started in 2009.
Nothing, however, cures the anxiety levels of
professional hockey partisans faster than winning.
And nothing fosters winning more than team
balance and solid goaltending.
No fewer than 18 players scored at least one goal
for the Wild during their first nine games, a league
high. As well, 22 players had at least one point.
At the other end of the ice, regular goalie Devan
Dubnyk started by looking as reliable as Jacques
Continued on next page
Wild forward Chris Stewart
angles for a wrap-around
against the New York Rangers.
Photo by Jeff Wegge
NOVEMBER 2016 MINNESOTA HOCKEY MAGAZINE MINNESOTA HOCKEY MAGAZINE NOVEMBER 2016
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