The Minnesota Wild have had an up-and-down few weeks, dealing with injuries and inconsistent efforts in their games heading into the postseason. They had beaten teams higher in the standings than them and then lost to teams lower than them, and those losses followed outstanding efforts in the game prior. Despite those losses, there were some positives, including finding chemistry with different line combinations.
There have been several different lines, but the most recent and probably the most unorthodox is Joel Eriksson Ek, Matt Boldy, and Marcus Foligno. Boldy and Marco Rossi have spent time on that line with Kirill Kaprizov, Eriksson Ek, and Mats Zuccarello mostly. Adding Foligno to that line wasn’t expected, but it has worked, and they need this line to get through Round 1 of the postseason against the Vegas Golden Knights. We’ll look at why they need this line, starting with the physical aspect it brings.
“Beef” Line has Physicality
Anyone who’s familiar with the name Foligno knows what type of player he is, and that is physical. He’s not afraid to throw hits, and while he has slowed down slightly in the last season or two following some significant injuries, he still makes an impact and does well with the top line. He has a surprising amount of speed that isn’t seen often, but when he uses it, he gets strong chances.
“I think there’s a lot of reasons. He’s so big, strong, gets pucks back, and he wins battles, and he’s hard to take it from. So, when you’ve got someone that is hanging onto pucks, keeping pucks alive, and getting second, third chances, and that’s hard to defend. When you have someone that’s as big as him and strong as him coming down to hit you, you don’t want to get hit by him. He keeps pucks alive for us and then we can make some plays, he’s a huge part,” said Boldy about the impact Foligno had on the top line after their win over the Dallas Stars back on April 6.
Foligno isn’t the only player on that line who can be physical; both Boldy and Eriksson Ek aren’t afraid to throw their bodies around when necessary. Eriksson Ek more so than Boldy, and they know when to hit, so they don’t get called for penalties. Eriksson Ek’s favorite spot is right in front of the net, and that’s where he uses his physicality to push the defense away. They’ll need all three to up their physical presence as the postseason reaches another level.
Wild’s “Beef” Line Can Score
While this line is known for its physical side first, they can also provide scoring, mainly from Eriksson Ek and Boldy, but Foligno jumps in as well. Eriksson Ek hit the ground running in the scoring department when he returned from injury on April 9. He scored four goals and added one more goal in their final game of the season for five goals in four games played. He’s going to be a massive boost to the lineup when it comes to the postseason, as he always has another level to his game.
After Eriksson Ek, Boldy is next on the list for a player who can score goals. He’s been a little up and down this season and has struggled to find his way to the net, but he has found ways to get through. While Eriksson Ek and Kaprizov were out, the team relied on Boldy and Rossi to step up. They struggled at times, but Boldy scored 27 goals throughout the season, and he’s been doing better with Eriksson Ek and Foligno on his line.
Foligno’s hard-nosed play has been great for his teammates as they’ve started to pick up his tactics. They don’t hang back away from the play but jump right in, which is how they’ll score more goals. Boldy, especially, has room to grow, and he’s a strong player, but having someone on their line who can turn up the physicality is a great asset. What makes it even better is what was already mentioned above: Foligno has speed that allows him to fit in on the top line.
“Beef” Line Gets to the Net
With Kaprizov and Eriksson Ek back, the Wild have gained some valuable assets in terms of scoring, but the “beef” line gets to the net, something some of the other lines have trouble with. The Wild have proved they can score goals when they force their way to the net, something that Eriksson Ek especially is good at, but with Foligno and Boldy doing the same, this line can put up some goals and show the other lines what they need to do.
They’re a strong, capable line that, as many have said, is built for the postseason, something the Wild will need moving forward. They have a line that can score with Kaprizov, Zuccarello, and Rossi, but they need a line that can throw some bodies around and wear the other team down, which is precisely what the “beef” line is capable of.
Wild Need “Beef” Line to Step Up
As the postseason begins, the Wild need the “beef” line to step up another notch in every aspect of their game, especially when it comes to the physical and offensive side of their game. They are pretty decent when it comes to defense, but in the postseason, everything goes up a level. This is precisely the line that can do all of those things, and hopefully, they come up strong to get past the Golden Knights.
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