The Minnesota Wild skated into Edmonton banged up, and still reeling a bit from their recent losses. Neither of those may be bad things, overall. With the number of injured players, and the fact that the team is just playing to finish out the season, some of the newer faces are getting an opportunity to play with the big club. While the Wild doesn't want to finish the season looking like a team holding try-outs, the experience being given to their rookies could prove to be very valuable down the road.
However, while the rookies are showing a lot of compete, and some flashes of brilliance that could make for a memorable season down the road, the team as a whole just isn't playing together as a unit. When the forecheck is there, players can't get into the lane to take shots. When the shots are there, passes may be completely off the mark. Defensive breakdowns hang their goaltender out to dry, and the player between the pipes hasn't been able to keep soft shots from fooling them. This season has definitely worn the Wild down, but, thanks to injuries, fans might be getting an early preview for next season.
Game pluses:
- Nate Prosser. Prosser wasn't expected to do anything more than practice with the Wild since he was signed as a free agent. The injury bug changed all that, and Prosser put up some big minutes against Edmonton, also netting his first NHL point with an assist.
- Casey Wellman. Wellman has game-breaking speed and ability. All he needs is focus, and a better handle on when to shoot. Those will come, hopefully sooner, rather than later.
- Cody Almond. Another of the Wild's young guns played well, providing a spark when he was on the ice. Almond has struggled with injuries this season in Houston, but getting the chance to play with the Wild should bring big results for next year.
Game minuses:
- Power play. Not to sound like a broken record, but again, the power play was less than futile, and it coughed up yet another shorthanded goal.
- Cam Barker. Barker is just coming back from a couple of games away due to injury, but he hasn't shown the mobility and physical nature that made him an intriguing acquisition this season.
- Niklas Backstrom. Yes, Backstrom was hung out to dry on a few shots, and he made some of the impossible saves look easy. But Backstrom was also victimized by weak shots, and definitely doesn't look like the same goaltender as last season.
Next up: The Wild skate to Calgary for the penultimate game of their 2009-10 season.
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