Wild struggle ends in preseason loss to Stars – Hockey Writers – Minnesota Wild

The Minnesota Wild were at home for their second straight preseason game on Sunday, September 29, and this time, they played host to the Dallas Stars, and both teams matched up with several NHL veterans. Despite having several NHL veterans on the roster in Fréddy Gaudreau, Marco Rossi, Marcus Johansson, Zach Bogosian, Jon Merrill and Jakub Lauko, the Wild got off to a rough start.

The Stars started off with a power play goal six minutes into the first half, and from there, they controlled the game. The Wild looked good but couldn't finish, which cost them dearly. The first half ended in a 1-0 tie, and the Stars were beaten 9-4. The second started with the Wild killing a penalty, and the Stars were still in control.

The Stars added to the lead with a goal 12 minutes into the second half that reduced the little power the Wild had. However, the Wild got a few solid looks but, again, couldn't follow through. Rossi, Gaudreau, and Johansson had good looks and moved on to third.

The third seemed to follow the same pattern as the first two seasons. The Stars added a goal on the go, but the Wild found a way to answer not only but twice to get back within one goal. However, the effort came with a little time left, when they pulled their goalkeeper trying to tie him, the Stars put it into an empty net and closed the match 4-2. In this article, we'll take a look at how the game went, starting with how the Wild got their try late.

Wild Efforts Are Too Little Too Late

It was a strange night, and the game got off to a rough start for Wild fans as the Stars seemed to be in control on both ends of the ice. The Wild's roster, which was still full of hope, did its best but struggled. They couldn't get their systems down and seemed to chase the puck more than play it. At first, it looked like neither prospect would stand out against the Winnipeg Jets the other night, but that changed late in the game.

It took until the third period for the team to come alive, and Rossi made things right with a shot from Gaudreau. However, 24 seconds later, still riding high from the first goal, Travis Boyd committed the offense. as he scored to bring his team back within one. Those two goals woke up the team and the building itself, and there was a new energy that wasn't there before.

While the momentum passed in the final minutes of the game, they ran out of time and waited too long to start scoring. Head coach John Hynes talked about that in the post-game press conference.

“When you're in camp you look at the guys who can play the way they are, and then you look at who the team is and we didn't have it in individual players or in the team but we made a little push there in the third half, but overall that's not what we wanted to achieve in tonight's game,” said Hynes about the team's performance.

Wild Need to Watch Punishments

It seems like this has been a common theme with the Wild for the past few seasons, and it's starting to creep into them again. Even in their win the other night against the Jets, they marched to the penalty box too many times. They did better against the Stars, but they need to cut down on their time in the box, plain and simple.

They had a hard time against the Stars, who scored in the first match of their strength. The Wild have been working on their penalty kill, but it's still a work in progress. However, no matter how strong their penalty kill may be they cannot keep putting them under pressure or they will continue to lose games.

Hopefully this doesn't turn into a bad habit and disappear once the regular season starts. Along with control when it comes to punishments, they must also be careful about revenge because that gets them into trouble.

Wildcat Veterans Look Strong

The Wild's veteran roster worked well together despite scoring and creating some chances. Rossi, in particular, stood out among the veterans as he always worked and gave his all. He came in, led off the game, and even set up the Wild's power play goal scored by Gaudreau. He set the tone in his line; they were a very hard working line, as they should be.

The veterans were supposed to be an example to the youngsters on the roster, and the game was struggling, the veterans did what they had to do. They would have been better, but players trying to play for a roster spot would have moved up. The rest of the team could be better, and the more veterans on the roster, the better they should be.

The Wild Host the Blackhawks

The Wild will have another preseason home game against the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday, Oct. 1, at 7 pm CT. It's hard to say if Connor Bedard will be on the roster or not since they're halfway through the preseason and he'll be looking to add some veterans to the lineup.

Related: Wild's John Hynes Needs Strength and Change in Training Camp

The Wild will have their entire NHL roster matched up against the Blackhawks and it will be interesting to see what they end up doing as a whole. Hopefully, they will work together seamlessly, and it will be a great stepping stone for the regular season, when they will need to hit the ground running.