The Minnesota Wild are about to find out a lot about themselves over the next few days.
They’ve started the season with two solid wins, and now comes the part of the calendar that can tighten a team up or expose it. The Wild will spend the next five to six days on the road with three games ahead, then later in the month they’ll head out again for an even longer five-game West Coast trip. With Filip Gustavsson and Brock Faber still in injury recovery, the trip puts a little more on everyone else.
One thing working in Minnesota’s favor: the road has usually suited them.
Playing at home comes with the obvious perks, but it also brings more distractions. On the road, the focus narrows.
The game gets simpler. Teammates lean on each other a little more, and that’s part of why Marcus Foligno sees value in this stretch.
“Yeah you get close together as a team but I think you just like sometimes you play like a lot simpler on the road and it benefits you that way so I just feel like maybe it’s good to…keep moving our game the way we want to be and there’s no better place to do it on the road, there’s a lot of things that go against you, obviously the fans are one thing but you gotta stick together you go into hostile environments and you lean on each other, and try to do things together and I find sometimes the road early in the season is beneficial,” said Marcus Foligno to the media after practice on Monday when asked about the heavy road schedule.
There are also a few individual names worth tracking as this trip unfolds.
Bobby Brink has stood out early, and the Minnesota native has played with more bite through the first two games. He’s attacking more, he’s competitive on the puck, and John Hynes likes the direction his game is taking.
“Yeah, just like really talked to him a little bit about his game. I like the way that he’s playing, you know a couple of things defensively to tighten up which we saw on video today but also talk to him about…lots of positives in his game too where he’s been tenacious on the puck, he’s been highly competitive, he’s been a factor, he’s generating some chances, that’s a big part of his game and let’s tie in some little tweaks here defensively in the d-zone and keep building his game so more letting him know that we really like his game…” said head coach John Hynes in his post practice interview on Monday when asked about Brink’s game.
Jared Spurgeon and Michael McCarron are also worth watching. Spurgeon has stepped into a role alongside Quinn Hughes in Brock Faber’s absence and has handled it well.
McCarron may not jump off the page in the same way, but he’s already picked up two assists, has brought some physical edge with Nick and Marcus Foligno on the fourth line, and has been a real factor on the penalty kill. Through two games, Minnesota is perfect there after killing off seven penalties, and McCarron’s stickwork has been a noticeable part of that success.
Then there’s Buffalo, which makes this trip a little different for the Foligno brothers.
It will be the first time both brothers return to Buffalo, New York, on the same team rather than as opponents. They were born there, and this time they’ll have extra family in the building too.
“At the game? Just my sisters, my dad, and just some cousins, I think,” Foligno said to the media following practice Monday when asked about who will be in attendance at the game in Buffalo, and he added, “Yeah, absolutely, I mean it’s fun, it’s a place where you start your career off right? So you’re just excited, still a lot of people staff-wise that still continue to work there and all great people, I mean Buffalo is a great small town but at the same time a lot of great people in that place that helped get me to where I am and a lot of family…”
Their father and sisters will be there, and for the brothers, it’s a chance to share not just a hometown game, but a lineup together on the same line. That kind of setup doesn’t happen often, and their styles fit well enough to make it work.
The Wild don’t need the road trip to be sentimental. They need it to be productive. But if they can pair the usual road focus with the early-season momentum they’ve already built, this stretch could say plenty about where they’re headed next.
In Other News...
Wild Let A 2-0 Lead Slip In A Brutal Road Loss
The Wild had the game where they wanted it for most of the night in Buffalo, carrying a two-goal lead into the stretch before the Sabres started to chip away. Minnesota could not close it out, and what looked like a solid road win instead turned into a frustrating defeat after Buffalos late push kept the pressure on until the end.
Buffalo finished the rally with third-period goals from Tage Thompson and Noah Ostlund to force overtime, while Colten Ellis held his own with 18 saves in his season debut. For a Minnesota team that had already done enough early to feel in control, the loss leaves the familiar sour aftertaste of letting a lead get away, especially with the Sabres finding just enough offense to turn the night around. [Read more 🡒]
Sabres Win Came With A Wild Injury Scare Fans Will Notice
Nick Folignos night ended early against the Sabres, adding an unwelcome injury note to a game Minnesota was already trying to manage. The veteran forward left with an upper-body injury and had already seen limited ice time before he was forced out, a reminder of how quickly a hard-working depth piece can become a concern for a team that leans on experience in the lineup.
Foligno, who scored the Wilds season-opening goal earlier in the year, has been part of the group since arriving last season and returning on a one-year deal. For Minnesota, any absence would be worth monitoring not just because of what he brings on the ice, but because he has fit as one of those dependable role players who can steady a lineup when things get choppy. [Read more 🡒]
Wild Forced Into Forward Shuffle Before Next Game
Minnesotas forward depth took a hit after Nick Foligno left the previous game early, leaving the Wild to adjust on the fly before a matchup with the Tampa Bay Lightning. The veterans absence creates an opening in the lineup, and the timing matters for a team that has had to lean on its depth throughout the season.
Tyler Pitlick was recalled from Iowa to help fill the gap, giving the Wild another experienced option who has spent time in both the NHL and AHL. Now in his second year with Minnesota, Pitlick gives the coaching staff a familiar plug-in as it waits to see how long Foligno is unavailable. [Read more 🡒]