Back when the Wild was reeling off win after win in December, Bruce Boudreau had a saying about his No. 1 goaltender: "It's like Duby said, 'No more.' "
In the midst of marring what a month ago looked like a banner-raising season, the Wild needs that version of Devan Dubnyk back — the version that didn't allow more than three goals in his first 27 starts, the version that stole victories, the version that earned a second consecutive All-Star Game invite, the version that looked like a Vezina Trophy shoo-in.
This is part of the reason Dubnyk started Thursday's game at Carolina and Sunday's game at Winnipeg — two games Darcy Kuemper originally was "penciled in" to start.
With Dubnyk struggling, Boudreau wants him to battle his way out of it by playing. Plus, goalie coach Bob Mason said, "Leaking oil like we are, Bruce is hungry for a win, so, 'Let's go with our best guy.' "
There are 11 games left in the regular season. With the Wild 2-8 this month and suddenly seven points behind the Chicago Blackhawks, the ship probably has sailed on a first Western Conference and Central Division title.
But for the Wild to resurrect itself before the playoffs, Dubnyk needs to become impenetrable again.
The "Duby no more" guy is missing in action.
In Tampa, with the Wild trying to rally, Dubnyk gave up a backbreaking third goal. In Washington, with the Wild having cut the deficit to one, Dubnyk gave up a soft fourth goal late in the third period. In Raleigh, N.C., 90 seconds after Eddie Lack made point-blank stops in a tie game, Dubnyk gave up the winning goal with 3:24 left. In Winnipeg, he allowed three goals on seven first-period shots, then a soft fourth goal on an eighth shot, then the winning goal on a point shot he never saw after the Wild roared back from a 4-0 deficit to tie the score.