DALLAS — The Wild haven't scored like last season's lineup, but maybe looking the part will help them turn back the clock.
Ryan Hartman could move up to center Kirill Kaprizov, Mats Zuccarello on Wild's top line
Sam Steel had been on the No. 1 unit but he has only one goal in the past 12 games.
February 8, 2023 at 12:54AM
After production and penalty problems spoiled their return from the All-Star break, the Wild had Ryan Hartman practicing with Kirill Kaprizov and Mats Zuccarello to suggest a reunion is in the works for the team's road trip finale Wednesday at Dallas.
"If we put them back together, hopefully they can rekindle [or] reestablish some chemistry that they've had," coach Dean Evason said. "But it's not three guys that are going to get us out of not scoring. It's the entire group."
This offensive shortage has been going on for about a month now.
Since getting shut out by St. Louis on Jan. 8, the Wild have been limited to two goals or fewer during six of their 11 games. They converted 26 times in those contests, and only half of those tallies came at 5-on-5; that's the fewest in the NHL during that span.
"We need to find some goals," Evason said.
Enter Hartman, Kaprizov and Zuccarello.
A season ago, they were the Wild's juggernaut up front, with each player turning in a career year. Hartman made an especially prolific jump, his 34 goals, 31 assists and 65 points dwarfing his previous personal bests, and all but one of the center's finishes came at even strength.
But Hartman hasn't had the same impact this season.
He was demoted from the No. 1 line during the Wild's slow start before getting sidelined with injury; when he healed up, Sam Steel had settled into that role alongside Kaprizov and Zuccarello. That combination debuted on Nov. 19 and although they had effective bursts, their contributions as a trio have dwindled of late: Steel has one goal in his last 12 games and Zuccarello one over his past seven, while the bulk of Kaprizov's recent points have occurred on the power play.
While Hartman skated with Kaprizov and Zuccarello at the team's practice on Tuesday at American Airlines Center in Dallas, Steel teamed up with Matt Boldy and Frederick Gaudreau. Marcus Foligno joined longtime linemates Jordan Greenway and Joel Eriksson Ek.
"[I] plan on trying to keep it simple, shoot the puck when I have the puck and when I don't go to the net," Hartman said.
What could also help the Wild up their output is avoiding the penalty box.
They were charged with six penalties in the 3-2 loss at Arizona on Monday in their first game back from an eight-day layoff, and Evason described each infraction as warranted. The Coyotes capitalized on the power play only once, but the five other opportunities still left a mark. Not only do these shorthanded situations tax the Wild's penalty killers, but they strand those not on the penalty kill (usually their best offensive players) on the bench.
Overall, the Wild's 12:35 penalty minutes per game average is tied for the highest in the league. The 231 penalties they've taken rank top-five.
"There's obviously some calls you don't agree with," captain Jared Spurgeon said. "But at the same time, it's just not putting yourself in position to take those penalties. For us as a team, we're a lot better when we're rolling lines and playing 5-on-5. When you're killing that much, it takes away ice time from guys and the entire rhythm of the game."
These are two different issues currently plaguing the Wild, but resolving one might clear up the other.
"Literally we lost that hockey game [Monday] because of our penalties," Evason said. "That has to stop. But having said all that, we need to score some goals, too, and we need to score some goals 5-on-5."
The star forward came back from a brief injury absence, and two goals from Frederick Gaudreau helped Minnesota to another road victory.
