Sometimes, the line between chastisement and reward is razor thin.
After an up-and-down opening few games fraught with sluggish starts and dry spells, Wild coach Bruce Boudreau
couldn't knock his club's effort
in a 4-2 defeat Monday at Nashville. In some ways, Minnesota was a missed Nino Niederreiter breakaway opportunity or an avoided turnover away from knocking off the defending President's Trophy winners in their own Broadway building.
"It looked like the team I'm used to coaching," said Boudreau, whose bunch gave up a franchise-record-tying 57 shots in Saturday's overtime loss to Carolina.
Said center Eric Staal: "It can be frustrating. But you've got to believe that if you work like that and you compete, it'll even out."
The Wild's next chance at establishing equilibrium -- including a 2-2-2 record -- comes just 24 hours later back on home ice, as Minnesota hosts the Arizona Coyotes in a 7 p.m., nationally televised contest on NBC Sports Network.
One of the league's most improved teams down the stretch last season, Arizona is off to a sluggish beginning of its own. The Coyotes have yet to win in regulation and have been shut out in three of four games to date.
The likes of goaltender Antti Raanta, Niklas Hjamlarsson and Derek Stepan are similarly familiar with the concept of quality product sans tangible results. Arizona is outshooting opponents 36.5-23.3 per game, with the latter number the NHL's lowest as of Monday night.
It'll present a stiff test for Wild goaltender Devan Dubnyk (1-1-2, 2.64 goals-against average, .934 save percentage), who largely has been the team's best player and should be well-rested after Alex Stalock earned his first start of the season Monday.
The Wild is 12-2-3 in its past 17 meetings against Arizona, including a 12-game point streak that's good for the longest in franchise history against an NHL opponent.
"I thought that the level that we competed at was way better," Wild winger Zach Parise said Monday night. "It was more of a style of hockey that we have to play. So I think that was a good sign and maybe something for us to look at and see, if we want to win games."
Related:
- Wild hopes it turned a corner in Nashville
- Stalock makes regular-season debut
