Jason Zucker Hitting a Hot Streak

MINNEAPOLIS -- Jason Zucker didn't start the season exactly how he wanted to.
Despite bouncing between top-six and the fourth line frequently last season, Zucker still averaged 18:33 in ice time in the first two months. But this year, with coach Bruce Boudreau at the helm, Zucker wasn't granted those minutes right away.

He spent much of October and November on the Wild's fourth line, and from Nov. 1 to Nov. 21 -- a stretch of nine games -- he was absent from the scoresheet.
Now, he's turning that trend around and playing the way Boudreau hopes he can night in and night out.
"He's skating. It's that simple," Boudreau said after the team skated at the University of Minnesota's Ridder Arena on Saturday morning. "When he wasn't getting any points, he wasn't moving his legs, he was just watching and gliding. Now he's skating and it's a great asset of his, and he's using that asset."
Since the nine-game skid, Zucker now has eight points in his last eight games. Three of his five goals this season have come in the past five games.
"I think that's just the way the game goes sometimes," Zucker said. "For everybody, there's gonna be times where it seems like things are working your way and times when they're not. You have to make sure you're battling through them and playing your game consistently every night, and things will work out."

One of the most important goals Zucker netted this season came Friday night against the Edmonton Oilers in a tie game. Early in the third frame, Zucker gained the zone with speed in a 2-on-1 with Mikael Granlund. Instead of shooting the puck, he rifled it over to Granlund.
For a second, it looked as if Zucker should have taken the shot when he had the chance, as Oilers captain and NHL scoring leader Connor McDavid pickpocketed Granlund and turned back the other way. But a helpful poke check by Mikko Koivu got the puck back to Granlund, who tossed it back to Zucker, who had an open net in front of him.

Plays like this underscore how much the line has improved since it first came together in mid-November when Zucker was still in the midst of a scoring drought.
"I think it's all three of them have picked up their game," Boudreau said. "One guy hasn't particularly made the other two better. I think they've all picked it up, as most of the guys on our team have."
Zucker's hot streak has paired nicely with a stretch where Koivu is playing at the top of his game. Koivu is plus-8 through his last eight games with seven points of his own. Granlund has six points in that stretch, as well.
And in turn, Zucker has seen his ice time increase markedly since the beginning of the season. He's gone from 11:30 minutes per game in October to 13:38 in November all the way up to 16:31 so far in December. A big reason why? The speed Zucker creates when he hits his stride.
"I've just been trying to focus on getting pucks to the net, getting in on the forecheck and using my speed to create turnovers," Zucker said. "At that point, our line, we feel, can keep teams hemmed in their D-zone for a little while, create some scoring chances and get some points out of it."

Staal nears 800

Eric Staal, who's consistently been one of the Wild's best forwards this season, currently sits at 799 career points in 955 games.
When Staal does tally No. 800, he'll join the 12 active players in the NHL with over 800 points, including Jaromir Jagr, Joe Thornton, Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin and others.
"It means I've been around a while," Staal joked when asked about the milestone. "But it's a neat thing. There's obviously a ton of talent in this League, guys that have been around. To be put with some good teams and some great players alongside me, I've been fortunate to put up some points and numbers. Hopefully many more in years to come."