It seems like just yesterday, the NHL started, not over a month and a half ago. Still, it’s American Thanksgiving, and many teams currently in playoff position will likely make it at the end of the season, with a few exceptions. The Minnesota Wild would be in a playoff spot if it were to start today, and that is one of the things they can be thankful for.
With American Thanksgiving here, it’s time to look at what the Wild can be thankful for outside of their position in the standings. With how this season has gone so far for the Wild, they have a lot of things to be thankful for, but we’ll only look at a few in this article. We’ll start with how their top scorer has avoided serious injury multiple times this season.
Kaprizov Avoids Serious Injury
Kirill Kaprizov has been able to truly show his scoring talents this season. He got off to a hot start, scoring 21 points in the first 10 games, and just a couple of games later, he avoided a serious injury for the first time of the season. In their game against the Los Angeles Kings on Nov. 5, his linemate, Mats Zuccarello, tried to throw the puck toward the boards and lifted it right into Kaprizov’s face, which opened a cut between his nose and upper lip.
He left the ice, missed the remainder of that period, and returned for the third period with brand-new stitches. That was the first time he avoided serious injury. If the puck had gone any higher, it could’ve hit him in the eye, as the angle would’ve possibly had it go under his visor.
The second injury was more recent. On Nov. 21, when the Wild took on the Edmonton Oilers, Drake Caggiula hit Kaprizov. The hit went directly to Kaprizov’s knee, and he went down hard, clearly in a lot of pain. He left the ice for a few minutes but returned later and played the rest of the game. However, he missed their next game against the Calgary Flames and had an MRI that revealed he didn’t have a serious injury. He was able to return to their next game against the Winnipeg Jets.
Kaprizov and the Wild were very lucky, but things could’ve been way worse with the hit to his knee. He could’ve torn any number of ligaments and potentially destroyed his career. Luckily, that was all avoided which is something he and the Wild can be thankful for. Hopefully, this is the last time he has to worry about avoiding serious injuries this season and his career.
Gustavsson’s Stepping Up
While the Wild can be thankful Kaprizov is still healthy, they should also be thankful for how much Filip Gustavsson has played a role in their wins. He’s been talked about in nearly every Wild article this season because of his play. He had already proven he could be a strong goaltender when he started with the Wild, but after an off-season, many lost hope. However, mentally and physically, he’s become a new goaltender this season.
He’s more aggressive and confident and has earned his contract extension on more than one occasion this season. He even scored the Wild’s first-ever goalie goal to make franchise history. Many fans likely held their breath throughout the beginning of the season, believing this was going to be a short-lived success with Gustavsson, but he’s shown he’s the real deal. Even after having some rough games, he hasn’t allowed it to affect his mental game. After every goal or loss, he returns as strong as before.
Hopefully, Gustavsson can continue to show this confidence and be a leader for his teammates. Goaltending wins games, and there’s a lot more of the season to go where he can be the difference maker they need him to be.
Hynes’ Coaching has Worked
Many noticed the Wild’s discipline and attention to the small details during training camp and the beginning of the season. That mindset has come from their head coach, John Hynes, who has officially been with the Wild for a year as of today, Nov. 28. Hynes ran a hard training camp and had the players skating every chance he could to get them conditioned.
Apart from the skating, Hynes also had them work on the basics, like board battles, close-quarter games, and other fine-tuning drills. While it was hard work, the team accepted Hynes’ coaching, and it has worked. They’ve been more disciplined, and their basic skills have proven to win them games.
The importance of making crisp, clean passes and moving the puck just as quickly has greatly benefitted them. Hynes has also proven he’s willing to make changes under pressure to get results, something coaches of the past didn’t always do. It’ll be interesting to see how the rest of this season unfolds, but the Wild can be thankful for Hynes’ strong direction, as it’s worked out well for them so far.
Wild’s Depth Stepping up
The final item the Wild can be thankful for on this list is how their depth has stepped up when needed. They’ve already faced several injuries this season, and the players they’ve brought up from the Iowa Wild in the American Hockey League have done their job. Players like Michael Milne, Liam Öhgren, Daemon Hunt, Devin Shore, Travis Boyd, and Ben Jones have all proven their worth this season.
While some haven’t been as influential as others, they’ve all made an impact and helped the team out in different ways. Most recently, their “all-Iowa line” of Shore, Boyd, and Jones has shown to be a strong pairing. They haven’t scored yet, but they’ve come close and given their team opportunities.
It’s almost unavoidable. There will be more injuries and more call-ups. Hopefully, the players can continue to make an impact and help the Wild get through these injuries. They’ve worked hard to give different players chances to show what they can do, and they’ll need that as the season continues.
Wild Have Position
The Wild are currently in a playoff position, and as stated before, that should bode well for them. They need to keep playing like they did in their most recent win over the Buffalo Sabres on Nov. 27, and they’ll have a chance to keep that spot. Hopefully, they can also get their penalty kill and power play back on track; if they can, they can keep winning games and have even more to be thankful for.
