Wild focus on improving defense after disappointing season opener

Maybe it didn't look like the sun came up for the Wild after their season-opening debacle, what with grey skies sprinkling a dusting of snow on the Twin Cities in the aftermath.

But a new day did dawn, and the Wild have 81 more tries to improve after getting schooled 7-3 by the Rangers on Thursday night at Xcel Energy Center in what was the franchise's only second regulation loss ever in a home debut in St. Paul.

"It's the first game of the year, and there's going to be a learning process and reading guys that guys haven't played with yet or just getting comfortable with some guys," alternate captain Marcus Foligno said. "We're not worried right now."

These are the facts: The Wild are down only one game after falling to a Stanley Cup contender in the New York Rangers that started their season two days earlier.

What's also true, though, is that regardless of what time of the season it is or who the Wild face, they will continue to struggle if they don't defend better.

"We don't want to play like that, that's for sure," coach Dean Evason said. "Our defensive game was absolutely horrendous."

While Evason mentioned that it would have been nice for the Wild to be back in action on Friday, the pause did allow for a practice that served as a refresher course on the team's defensive structure ahead of hosting former Wild forward Kevin Fiala and the Kings on Saturday.

The emphasis?

Checking, dislodging pucks and transitioning up ice. Basically, "the realization that we have to be committed to doing the job," Evason said.

In scoring seven times, the Rangers exploited the front of the Wild net, feasting on seam passes and wide-open shots. At one point, New York's Kaapo Kakko picked up the puck in the corner, skated behind the net, swerved through the slot and then crashed the crease where he flung a shot behind goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury.

"We gotta learn from it, and we have to take care of our defense before we start to play offense," said center Joel Eriksson Ek, who was trailing Kakko on that play after defenseman Jonas Brodin lost the puck to put the sequence in motion. Brodin finished the game minus-4

As for the Wild's top line, Kirill Kaprizov and Mats Zuccarello were also on the ice for four Rangers goals and Ryan Hartman three.

At the other end, the trio combined for 10 shots with Zuccarello capitalizing on the power play.

"They're a hockey line. They're not just a scoring line," Evason said. "They have to do everything. I don't care how many goals you score if you give up that many opportunities and that many chances. Every team is going to play their best players against them. That's not who they are.

"But it's not just that one line. You could go down our lineup and maybe the other lines didn't get scored on, but they didn't do a good job either."

While the forward groups stayed the same during Friday's session, the Wild did shake up their defense.

Jake Middleton and Alex Goligoski switched spots, with Middleton joining captain Jared Spurgeon and Goligoski working with rookie Calen Addison.

Evason made it clear the defensive issues weren't a result of one pairing but rather the entire team.

That's also who has the power to avoid a repeat performance.

"It wasn't just the defense," Evason said. "It wasn't just one line. It wasn't just the forwards. It was everybody. All of us were not good, and we'll be better."