Minnesota Wild: Boudreau's System is Here and Working
The Minnesota Wild are looking great after sowing up a four-game winning streak last night against the Blues. But looking at the recent success closer you can see a team that is playing the solid and proven brand of hockey that their bench boss has been working to install.
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If you would have asked any Minnesota Wild fan at the beginning of December if the team would be 4-0-1 before the halfway mark of the month, you’d have most likely been laughed at. The Wild entered this month unable to sustain any success and were largely still in the playoff hunt only because of the inconsistent point or two they would score here and there.
The State of Hockey was a buzz with the idea that the Wild would encounter their normal mid-season slump and thus the season would be another disappointment. It just seemed that despite the Wild’s addition of a new coaching staff, the largely same group of players from the last two seasons was about to enter their existential crisis of motivation.
Then here we sit on December 12th coming off a tough win last night against the division rival Blues in a close game. The Wild are flying high and enjoying their best success as a team this season. Eric Staal explained to Michael Russo of the Star Tribune “I just think we’re getting more confident and comfortable in the style that we can play and the way Bruce has set up our system to play. I think the guys are confident and now comfortable, it’s always good when you see results because it instills in what you’re doing every day.”
Dec 4, 2016; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; Minnesota Wild center Eric Staal (12) is seen out on the ice as they play against the Edmonton Oilers during the second period at Rogers Place. Mandatory Credit: Walter Tychnowicz-USA TODAY Sports
Staal’s cluing into something that is important and is keeping this team from slumping. The difference seems to be the confidence and system this Wild team plays with. The Wild may not be scoring a ton with only 2.75 goals a game during their current four game winning streak, but the system Bruce Boudreau has built the Wild haven’t had to score any more than that.
Boudreau came in with a reputation for offense because of his time with the high-powered offense he coached in Washington led by Alex Ovechkin. But if you look at his four full seasons with Ducks, his teams averaged 2.7 goals in 2012-13, 3.2 in 2013-14, 2.7 in 2014-15, and 2.6 in 2015-16. Now that’s not setting the league on fire, but if you look at those Ducks teams you see records of 30-12-6 in 2012-13, 54-20-8 in 2013-14, 51-24-7 in 2014-15, and 46-25-11 in 2015-16 which suggests that Boudreau coach teams only need three goals a game to win.
Looking on the other side of the puck in his time with the Ducks Boudreau teams were very stingy. In 2012-13 the Ducks gave up 2.3 goals a game, 2.4 in 2013-14, 2.6 in 2014-15, and 2.6 in 2015-16. Those numbers basically mean that when the Ducks were winning under Boudreau, they were winning a lot but by slim margins.
The Wild this season are averaging 2.7 goals a game. Looks familiar huh? So, to hear that the Wild feel like Boudreau’s system is in place and working is a great sign. Furthermore, looking at how much they are scoring and how much they are giving up 2 goals a game you can see the Wild under Boudreau are yielding about the same offensive and defensive production as the Ducks under Boudreau.
We can all agree that the Ducks under Boudreau yielded excellent results in the regular season. Sure, there were superstar players like Perry and Getzlaf on those teams, but to see that Boudreau is getting the same out this Wild team that he got out of those Ducks teams shows his successful proven brand of hockey is entrenched and working.
So, are the Wild going to do their annual slump? I’d say no if they are truly playing a consistent Boudreau brand of hockey. Look for the team to finish strong and consistent if they can stick to their game plan. They’ll be a few more stumbles, but as Boudreau is fond of saying the Wild just need to win the week and “bank the points” when they come.
Also having Dubs play this great helps a ton too.
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