The Minnesota Wild will try to end a two-game losing skid Tuesday evening when they host the Atlantic Division-leading Tampa Bay Lightning in Saint Paul, Minn.
Comfortably locked into the top three in the Western Conference’s Central Division, third-place Minnesota will clash with the Lightning to end a brief two-game homestand that began Sunday with a 3-1 loss against the St. Louis Blues.
Coach John Hynes has not disliked the effort displayed by his team the last two games, but he clearly believes the Wild need more physical play going forward.
“I thought our effort was there,” Hynes said after the St. Louis setback. “I think there’s got to be a little more physicality to our game. I think our first guy coming in (on the forecheck) is guessing a little bit, where he needs to be more direct on the first guy. I think it’s a little too easy (for the opposition) coming out.
“The structure is there, but you can be in good structure. There’s got to be a little more edge and physicality arriving with some ill will more than we did, particularly the last two games.
“We are a hard, competitive team, and we are a physical team. But I think there needs to be more of that in our game.”
Electrifying scorer Kirill Kaprizov matched Marian Gaborik’s franchise record of 219 goals on Sunday to extend his point streak to seven games (six goals, four assists).
Quinn Hughes (five goals, 54 helpers in 55 games) assisted on the marker and is one point from his fifth straight 60-point season, which would be the sixth-longest streak by a defenseman in NHL history.
The Wild are 6-2-0 in the past eight games.
Coach Jon Cooper returned to the Tampa Bay bench on Saturday night, but his squad turned in one of its worst performances thus far against the Buffalo Sabres.
On home ice where the Lightning entered with a 19-9-0 mark, the team was assailed early by the Sabres and fell behind 4-0 in a first period that saw the visitors tally three times in a span of 2:53.
The 6-2 setback was a forgettable night — its second in as many games — for a club that had been red-hot and currently sits second in the Eastern Conference standings.
“It’s really disappointing actually, you know, being 50-plus games in and putting ourselves in this position to come out and play like this,” Cooper said. “No pushback, no urgency, no drive, no attention to detail. We just gave up a decently skilled team so much open ice. I’m surprised they didn’t have 10.
“I’m really disappointed with our compete level.”
The club was bullied in its own building and lost at home for the first time since Dec. 18, a stretch of 11 games. Moreover, Nikita Kucherov’s 12-game point streak ended.
Gage Goncalves, who has had a strong season with seven goals, 13 assists and a plus-21 rating, was injured early in the second period.
The second-year forward is one of the club’s better shootout specialists with a team-high three goals in five attempts.
Meanwhile, Dominic James, who scored in the loss, appeared to receive a more significant injury when his right foot bent awkwardly in a crash with Buffalo’s Michael Kesselring. He was unable to put weight on his right leg as he had to be helped off the ice.
The rookie center has provided a spark with seven goals and eight helpers in 43 games.
–Field Level Media
