Wild finds itself in chase mode once again in loss to Sharks

ST. PAUL -- No lead was insurmountable for the Wild at the beginning of the season.
Minnesota's opponents have scored the first goal in 23 of its last 31 contests and in 23 of its 33 games this season. The Wild has won 11 of those games, tied for second-most in the NHL in those situations.
Considering the Wild was able to win just 15 times in such situations all of last season, its early success coming from behind was a critical part of Minnesota's fast start.

Players and coaches insisted then it was probably not sustainable. After all, there is years of data to suggest that scoring first in games is the biggest indicator as to who wins them.
Unfortunately for the Wild, it's found that out first hand in recent weeks, and it found out again on Tuesday in a 4-0 loss to the San Jose Sharks at Xcel Energy Center.

"We're playing from behind a lot. We're playing from behind it feels like almost every game," said Wild forward Eric Staal. "It's too hard in this league to continually play from behind."
On Tuesday, the Wild had several grade-A chances in the first period to try and continue that trend. But each time, either Sharks goaltender Martin Jones came up with a big save, the puck hit the post, or the Wild just flat out missed.
Staal was one of those that had a good chance to put the Wild up early.
It's a common recipe for success when the Wild is playing well at home: Score early, get the crowd into the game, then ride that energy for the final 40 minutes.
Minnesota posted a 27-6-8 record on home ice last season, often following that blueprint.
But the abundance of early deficits this season has made it more difficult to win at home, much less on the road, and Wild coach Bruce Boudreau admitted after the game Tuesday that Minnesota's penchant for falling behind was starting to catch up to the team.

"It is. We've got two more games before Christmas. We've got to start playing 60 minutes and not 45 or not 50 and not 52," Boudreau said. "To win and to win consistently, that's what you've got to do. And obviously at some point pretty soon we're going to have to put a run together of five or six or seven games together."
If the Wild is to go on that run, finding a way to get the game's first goal will likely be a big part of it.
Minnesota is 6-3-1 when scoring first this season, is 6-1-1 when leading after the first period and 9-2-1 when leading after two.
It was 30-6-4 when scoring first last season, 35-8-5 in 2016-17 and 33-8-5 the year prior when scoring the first goal of the game.
"I don't think it's taking anyone lightly. This league's too good. We're not taking anybody lightly," Staal said. "It's difficult to say. I just think on a lot of nights we've pushed hard and pushed to get that first one. For whatever reason, it hasn't gone in and then maybe the other team has a push back and it's found its way. It's one of those things obviously do your best to not let it happen and be prepared and ready to go. But I think we need better in that area."
"It's hard. The reality is we give up the first goal the majority of the games. It's a tall task to continually have to climb your way back. I think any team is better when they have the lead and force the other team to make mistakes and capitalize the other way. Unfortunately for us, it's too many times the other way where we're chasing the game."
Related:
Postgame Hat Trick: Sharks 4, Wild 0