The Wild left Xcel Energy Center on Saturday night without getting a postgame lecture from its head coach after giving up a two-goal lead and losing for the fifth time in eight games. Bruce Boudreau, instead, saved his frustration for the group until Sunday morning.
"I didn't talk to them [Saturday] night. I let my feelings be known a little bit [Sunday morning]," Boudreau said. "Sometimes you don't always like to hear what you're going to hear, but at the same time, true, good athletes, and good team guys, they take it and they go out there and work hard."
The first-year coach also enforced his first major shakeup of line combinations and said he was pleased with how the team responded to the change during Sunday's practice at the X in front of hundreds of Kids Club members and their families.
Boudreau split up Mikael Granlund and Mikko Koivu and reunited Nino Niederreiter, Erik Haula and Jason Pominville, the Wild's most productive line in the second half last season.
Granlund moved up to the first line with Zach Parise, centered by Eric Staal. Koivu centered a line with Tyler Graovac and Charlie Coyle. Jason Zucker, Zack Mitchell and Chris Stewart filled out the final line.
"We can't win a lot of games if we only score two goals," Boudreau said. "I just think maybe some guys are getting stale with some other linemates … I'm a pretty patient guy when it comes to making lines, but I thought we could give this a try."
The Wild has scored more than two goals only once and been held below two goals four times in November. Boudreau said Saturday he needs a lot more from all of his players and he's hoping the Niederreiter-Haula-Pominville line will help jump-start the offense.
The trio combined for 22 goals, 55 points and plus-37 in 23 games last season.