The NHL All-Star break is meant to be one of fun and rest. Those not invited to the festivities typically go on vacation and take a minute to recharge the batteries for the second half of the NHL season.
The second half of the NHL season is what the Minnesota Wild are going to focus on going forward. It wasn’t the most optimal of first halves for the Wild, but things could have been far worse. Let’s see how it’s going, where the team wants it to go, and what can be done to get there.
How it’s going
At a glance, the season isn’t going too badly for the Wild. After all, they currently sit third in the stacked Central division and have three games in hand on the two teams ahead of them: the Dallas Stars and Winnipeg Jets.
That said, it isn’t exactly paradise. Yes, they are in third but there is just a single point keeping the defending Stanley Cup Champion Colorado Avalanche at bay. Three points back are the surprising Nashville Predators. Even the St. Louis Blues, who have 49 points and trail the Wild by nine, are a tough team on any night.
At 27-18-4, the Wild can feel good about where they are. The two best teams in the conference sit ahead of them and present a challenge every time that they meet. The key is to not hang their hat on what has happened and instead focus on what is to come.
Saddling up from Dallas 💪 #mnwild pic.twitter.com/eCExyWNhDh
— Minnesota Wild (@mnwild) February 7, 2023
The bright side of things
The one clear bright spot on the Wild roster is none other than Kirill Kaprizov. The Russian superstar is again an offensive dynamo, posting 28 goals and 60 points before the break. That puts him right outside of the top 10 in scoring, a place he will likely find himself many times over his career.
But there are other things to feel positive about for Minnesota. Joel Eriksson Ek has evolved to one of the most complete two-way players in the game. He has finally found his offensive game, too, with 18 goals and 41 points through 49 games.
Defenseman Calen Addison has also been more than advertised with 25 points through the first half. They might not be the same dynamic offensive team they were a year ago but the Wild are having no trouble scoring.
"We have to regroup here"
🗣 Dean on adjusting different aspects after tonight's game. #mnwild pic.twitter.com/8t6ULBCwkM
— Minnesota Wild (@mnwild) February 7, 2023
The goals for the season
The goals for the season can be tied. The first, and most important, goal is to make the playoffs. Given the Stanley Cup aspirations of a year ago, it might seem like settling to simply make the playoffs, but it is rarely that simple.
For starters, the Central Division is arguably the toughest division in the league. The Jets and Stars were thought to be good teams, but no one saw them being the two best teams in the Western Conference. Colorado battled through injuries in the first half but remained poised to make a run in the second half. Minnesota hopes to continue with what it is doing and get in as the third seed in the Central Division.
The other goal is, of course, to win the Stanley Cup. That might be a bit more far-fetched of a goal, given both the state of the Western Conference and the Wild themselves. Their +12-goal differential is fine but isn’t anywhere close to Dallas and their division-leading +41. They need to be better everywhere if they want to compete with the big boys.
"We gotta step it up"
🗣 Zuccy on moving on from tonight and focusing on what is next. #mnwild pic.twitter.com/RByg9r33Wl
— Minnesota Wild (@mnwild) February 7, 2023
How to get there
The million-dollar question is how the Wild not only get to the playoffs but make a deep run once there. Offensively, the team is solid and Kaprizov gives them a chance to light the lamp whenever he is on the ice.
Ek, Addison, Matt Boldy, and Mats Zuccarello give them enough fire power that they could take a series or two from the better teams. They might not be as dynamic as they were last year, but they aren’t looking to win games 1-0 or 2-0.
The real question mark is between the pipes. Minnesota may have a decision to make as the playoffs draw near. Veteran Marc-Andre Fleury gets the lion’s share of the starts and has looked like himself quite a bit, making dynamic saves and being what the Wild hoped for when they traded for him.
Having said that, he’s got a .905 save percentage and a near-3.00 GAA. Backup Filip Gustavsson has markedly better numbers in his 19 starts and if this trend continues it will only beg the question as to whether he should be starting.
As the playoffs near, the Wild will need to tighten up defensively and in the net. But if they can keep playing up to their standards, the playoffs are more than possible.
Uncle Kirill at the ready! 🤗
🗣️ Kirill and Ovi Jr. had a fun chat during the Skills Contest. #mnwild pic.twitter.com/JoQeOItl2S
— Minnesota Wild (@mnwild) February 5, 2023
Credits on Featured Image: Lorie Shaull/Flickr
