What will the transition be like moving from center to wing?
"I've been doing it for years now, so it's the same old [thing]," Coyle said. "I think it's good. Get in on the forecheck a little more and be a little quicker on there, focus on getting some shots off and get in position to receive those passes and get shots."
Coyle enters the game against the Anaheim Ducks on Friday night riding a five-game point streak, a stretch of games that has been entirely at center.
As usual, however, Coyle downplayed the move. Boudreau has praised him several times in the past for his willingness to play wherever the coach pencils him in.
The hope is that Coyle can carry the momentum he gained down the middle into his new role on the wing. Since returning from a fractured leg on Nov. 20, Coyle has two goals and four assists in eight games, giving him plenty of confidence.
"It definitely helps. You want to help contribute to your team and when you're doing that consistently, it does feel good," Coyle said. "You want to keep doing the right things. Sometimes the points aren't always there but you're playing the right way, sometimes you get points and you aren't playing the right way and you lose game.
"As long as I'm doing the right things and helping contribute when I can, that's what I'm looking for."
Here are the projected lineups:
WILD
Nino Niederreiter - Eric Staal - Mikael Granlund
Jason Zucker - Mikko Koivu - Charlie Coyle
Tyler Ennis - Joel Eriksson Ek - Chris Stewart
Marcus Foligno - Zack Mitchell - Daniel Winnik
Ryan Suter - Matt Dumba
Jonas Brodin - Ryan Murphy
Mike Reilly - Nate Prosser
Devan Dubnyk
Alex Stalock
DUCKS
Rickard Rakell - Adam Henrique - Corey Perry
Andrew Cogliano - Chris Wagner - Kevin Roy
Nick Ritchie - Antoine Vermette - Ondrej Kase
Logan Shaw - Derek Grant - Dennis Rasmussen
Cam Fowler - Kevin Bieksa
Jaycob Megna - Josh Manson
Francois Beauchemin - Brandon Montour
John Gibson
Ryan Miller
