Wins aren't all that have been missing lately for the Wild.
They're also looking for their swagger.
"It's an attitude," coach Dean Evason said, "a commitment that we're going to work each and every night. That's what we talked about [Wednesday]: You're not going to win every hockey game, but our work has to translate into giving ourselves an opportunity each and every night."
Success breeds this aura, which explains why the Wild are lacking it.
At 3-4-2, they've dropped twice as many games as they've won, and they've yet to string together consecutive victories. They've been up and down, but the lulls are getting longer: They rebounded from a ghastly display at Philadelphia last week with two of their more competitive efforts against Washington and New Jersey but lost each time, extending their winless skid to a season-high three games.
But if swagger is more mental mindset than physical performance, the Wild can feel that way regardless of their results.
"You walk into the rink, you're positive," veteran forward Pat Maroon said. "You have good energy. That translates over to the rink. That translates over to the ice. When you're feeling good in the morning, everyone's happy. Everyone's in a good mood, and I'm a firm believer once you get on the ice everyone feels the same way and you're more engaged, more upbeat, more vocal.
"Everyone's playing the right way, and I think sometimes if you don't have that, it just seems you're kind of lost."