The wheels are starting to fall off for the Minnesota Wild. Offense continues to be stingy and the goaltending wall that helped the team to some wins early on, has faltered lately (or is it the bad defensive play?).
Saturday's loss at Colorado was pretty bad. A 7-4 beating after the usual second-period coma. The Wild were up 2-1 after the first, not too shabby. But they gave up four goals in the second, entering the final 20 minutes behind 5-3. Things got worse in the third when the Avalanche really came down before the mercy of the final horn signaled the 7-4 loss.
Niklas Backstrom gave up a career-high seven goals. Maybe he would have been able to save face if head coach Todd Richards would have pulled him for Jose Theodore after the fifth or sixth goal, not the seventh.
Baks isn't playing that well lately, with his stats going in the wrong direction, but it's hard to put it all on his shoulders. He stood on his head for many games early on this season, which helped the Wild pull off some victories.
It's the same old story for the Wild as to why they are struggling. Bad turnovers, playing in their own end too much, the second-period sleep walking and a lack of offense from the big guns. Matt Cullen, Mikko Koivu, Andrew Brunette and Brent Burns need to step it up.
Richards, where are you?
But what really bugged me about Saturday's loss was Richards. Maybe it's always been this way and I just haven't paid that much attention, but he shows as much emotion as a stone. The TV camera showed him after every goal against. Nothing.
When the Avs were putting up goal after goal, Richards showed no desperation. Call a time out. Pull the goalie before things start to get out of hand. Start yelling at the guys on the bench. Something. Of course, we don't know what is said during the intermissions and in the locker room after the game, but still.
Whatever happened to that rigorous practice after a bad Vancouver loss earlier? The Wild straightened up and flew right in the next game. Maybe Richards needs to hold more practices like that one.
Results certainly need to turn around, or who knows if Richards will still have his job by the end of the season.
PMB returns
One bright spot is the return of Pierre-Marc Bouchard to the lineup tonight against the Coyotes. PMB has been sidelined with a concussion since March 2009. We all know how tricky the concussion injury can be, so let's hope Butch is fully healed and ready to go. Maybe he'll bring that much-needed spark to the team.
Something needs to change, or it will be a long season.
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