By Jonathan Ryan -
Entering Wednesday’s road game against the St. Louis Blues, 33-year-old Marcus Foligno led the team in hits. Foligno is a good guess for anyone wondering who’s actively leading the team in hits.
Foligno entered the game with nine, 43rd in the league. 60 minutes and six hits later, Foligno now rests at 14 hits through four games, 19th in the league.
That’s a good sign for a team with an attitude problem; the problem is they don’t have one.
Yakov Trenin also threw six hits against St. Louis, putting him at 11 for the season and 41st in the league. It was another good sign for a team still searching for this year’s identity.
I’m not saying they weren’t playing physically before the Blues; they’re seventh in the league in total hits. But how effective have those hits been? They certainly haven’t worn any teams out this season. Eight of their opponent’s nine goals this year have come in the second or later period. Still, the Wild have stayed in those games and have come away with points.
The point is that this team may need an attitude adjustment if it wants to continue playing meaningful games next April. And it will have to be a big attitude adjustment if it wants to have any success going into May.
At 33, Marcus Foligno may not have all the juice the team needs to win the physical game on the ice. Hockey is still a physical game, right? Speed, skill, and skating abilities are all a premium in the modern NHL game. Still, who will protect the Wild’s premium players when no one is establishing boundaries?
Was there an answer to that shot Ek took, the heart and soul of this team? No. I’m still waiting to see that develop into the team’s dynamic.
No Wild player has recorded a fight through four games, and the Blues delivered big hits to three of the team’s most important players Wednesday: Faber, Foligno, and Boldy. All three hits came in the first period, and there was no discernible response.
Smart teams don’t let their opponents bait them into dumb penalties. The best answer is to score on the power play. However, the officials didn’t penalize Adam Larsson for his hit that injured Eriksson Ek.
Similarly, on Wednesday, St. Louis’ Phillip Broberg drew blood on Hartman late in the third period. The game was nearly over, but even so, the Wild had no response. Maybe there was no rationale to drop the gloves at that point; perhaps it was better just to take the power play.
Eventually, the Wild may be left vulnerable to injuries if they don’t respond to opponents who play recklessly. Do you think Hartman has any history in St. Louis that may have brought a little extra attention? Marc-Andre Fleury remembers.
With injuries to the team’s captain and assistant, they can’t afford to lose anyone else, not this early, not to players essential to the team’s success. The Wild need to set boundaries, and the team has yet to present their enforcer for 2024-25.
Foligno has fought 14 times in the last two seasons, and Middleton’s dropped the gloves 11 times.
Trading away Brandon Duhaime (7 fights in ’24) and Pat Maroon (6) last season also traded away some of this team’s grit and toughness. I think it’s fair to wonder whether Foligno and Middleton are enough for 82 games.
Ryan Hartman is a tough, physical player. However, he’s more prone to a fine, suspension, or penalty minutes than dropping the gloves at mid-ice to send both teams a message.
Yakov Trenin rarely fights (although he fought Zdeno Chara once). If provoked, Lauko may drop the gloves, but the Wild lack muscle. Four games in, that might be a problem. If they don’t develop a little more attitude on the ice, they risk more injuries like Eriksson Ek’s.
I’m not calling for blood, and I’m not looking for entertainment. I’m not demanding anyone on the Wild fight on a regular basis or play recklessly, either. They need to be able to protect Kaprizov, Boldy, and the team’s goal-scorers at a moment’s notice. They also must be ready to play the heavy game next spring. It’s an attitude and mindset that appears missing. That should be developed sooner, if not already, with this veteran group.
The Wild’s roster isn’t ready to match up with the league’s heavier teams. That’s okay; the front office built a roster that skates well and plays sound defense. Still, the team’s scorers may be vulnerable this season, and that will only become more evident the longer the Wild take to develop a more fitting response to the elbows that have drawn blood to two of the team’s top centers.
Maybe goaltender Filip Gustavsson’s game-ending goal against the Blues was the appropriate response, and it was glorious. But seriously? The goaltender scored a goal before the team even dropped the gloves.
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