Wild turned season around when 'switch finally flipped'

ST. PAUL. Minn. -- The current iteration of the Minnesota Wild is almost unrecognizable to the team that stumbled through the first month of the season.

The Wild (17-9-5) have returned to their foundation, playing a responsible, north-south game with a bit of sandpaper and some clutch goal-scoring and outstanding goaltending added to the mix.

The improvement was on display again in a come-from-behind 5-2 win against the Dallas Stars at Grand Casino Arena on Thursday. The Stars had at least one point in 11 straight games (9-0-2) and sit second in the NHL, eight points ahead of the Wild.

“The way we show up and play as a team and everyone on the ice working together and doing the right thing I think is what has been giving us success,” said forward Matt Boldy, who had a goal and two assists on Thursday.

Since their inglorious start during which they won three of 12 games in October (3-6-3) and allowed a staggering 47 goals, the Wild have gotten points in 16 of 19 games (14-3-2), have allowed 35 goals and are playing to a plus-21 goal differential.

“I think a switch finally flipped and they realized the way we're doing it is not working, and you have to play as a team,” Wild general manager Bill Guerin told the "NHL @TheRink" podcast during an appearance on Wednesday. “If you don't play as a team, you have zero chance, but if you play as a team, you can beat anybody.”

The Wild have proven that repeatedly.

“Nobody was happy with how October went and sometimes that lights a fire under you, and you have to look yourself in the mirror and find a way to be better,” Boldy said. “I think everyone in this room has done that. Everyone is having an impact on the game. For us to look ourselves in the mirror and come out of it and play the way we have been playing has been great.”

In this stretch they have defeated some of the top teams in the League. They defeated the Vegas Golden Knights 3-2 in overtime and the Carolina Hurricanes and the Colorado Avalanche, the top team in the NHL, in shootouts. They beat the Edmonton Oilers, the reigning Western Conference champions, 1-0 in regulation.

“We’ve become more consistent in the way we want to play,” Wild coach John Hynes said before the game on Thursday. “In October, we were inconsistent. We had some really good games, and we didn’t follow them up the right way.”

The Wild have become one of the toughest teams to play against, gaining points and climbing up the standings. The Wild have earned 30 standings points since Nov. 1, a number topped only by the Avalanche and Stars, each of whom has earned 33. Amazingly, each of the three teams sit in the loaded Central Division.

“I'll tell you what, guys stopped screwing around,” Guerin said. “Like, it's as easy as that. You know what, you want to screw around with the puck and turn it over and make spin-o-rama plays and think you're something that you're not, it's not going to work. I don't care who you are, it's not going to work.

“If you want to play big-boy hockey and manage the puck and be in position and do the things we're supposed to do, we'll give ourselves a chance.”

Hynes says he could see the change coming in late October, but it firmly took hold in November.

“I’ve gone back and said that there are more and more guys at the end of October into November just individually playing and getting to their game,” the coach said. “It’s been a combination of the individual players finding and doing the things that make them really good players to help our team win and guys have committed to playing a strong team game.”

Quality goaltending has certainly helped.

Starting goalie Filip Gustavsson was unrecognizable in October, going 2-6-1 with an .892 save percentage. The Wild were forced to rely more than expected on rookie Jesper Wallstedt, who found his footing quickly.

Wallstedt is 7-1-0 in his past eight starts with .958 save percentage and a 1.36 goals-against average. That’s pushed Gustavsson, who is 7-2-2 in his past 11 starts with a .922 save percentage.

This is the Wild most expected to see after the team played a disciplined, consistent game last season, qualifying for the Stanley Cup Playoffs and giving the Vegas Golden Knights all they could handle in a six-game series in the Western Conference First Round.

“I give the guys credit, I give the coaching staff credit; they got it together and they've been playing much better since the start of November,” Guerin said. “Now we just have to keep it rolling. You've seen our division, it's extremely competitive. … You just have to keep going every single night.”

That’s been the formula to climb out of the hole they created. On Oct. 31, Minnesota had nine points and sat 29th in the NHL. Today, the Wild have 39 points, tied for fifth in the League.

“We have belief,” Boldy said. “We know what we are capable of. There has never been a doubt in that.”