Wild Blog: Time For Some Home Cooking
By Jen Jimenez, WCCO-TV
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Alright Wild fans, it's time to get our boys back to their winning ways. That trip out to the west coast did not pan out like fans or the team would have liked it to, but with the State of Hockey behind them, I'm sure the Wild is ready to get back at it.
When you look at the stats, the Wild had some great chances to win both games in California. They out-shot the Ducks and the Kings, but what they didn't do was take advantage of their chances. And there were plenty of them. The Wild had 41 shots on goal Sunday against the Stanley Cup champion L.A. Kings. Only one of those shots got past Jonathan Quick, who was very good in the game. That's 41 shots compared to the Kings 16 and only one goal, that's simply not good enough.
And how about this -- the Wild has yet to score on a power play. Now I will say the power play is looking better than I think I've ever seen it. They're keeping the puck in the zone, getting good puck movement and most of all they're getting some really good looks at the net. But yet they're still not getting the goals they need to win.
I'm not sure about you, but watching the games in Anaheim and in L.A took me back to the second round of the playoffs versus Chicago. The Wild was the better team. They were faster, better with the puck and had more scoring chances, but yet still couldn't find a way to get the puck in the back of the net. It can be frustrating to watch, but it's only a matter of time before things start clicking. When that happens watch out, because it's going to be good.
The Wild now has two straight games at Xcel Energy Center. The Arizona Coyotes will be in town on Thursday, followed by the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday. It's a great opportunity for the Wild to get a little confidence and remember that the fans here in Minnesota are ready to win.
The Wild is making some changes with the hope of getting the spark they need to score some goals. On Thursday, you'll see Charlie Coyle up on the second line with Thomas Vanek and Mikko Koivu. Justin Fontaine will be moved to the third line with Erik Haula and Nino Niederreiter. The team also spent time this week working on their power play. Let's hope this leads to some big goals on Thursday vs Arizona, I mean it is my birthday and really all I want is a Wild win!
-- Jen Jimenez is the managing editor of WCCO-TV and an avid Wild fan.
