It would be an overreaction for Bruce Boudreau to get too worked up after the Minnesota Wild gave up a 2-0 lead and eventually lost 4-3 in overtime to the Los Angeles Kings.
After all, this marks just their third loss since Dec. 1, and they’ve failed to generate a standings point in just one game during that run.
Boudreau’s accustomed to regular season success,* however, so his eyes are on the big picture. And in that regard, he doesn’t like what he’s been seeing lately.
Boudreau: I don’t like the trends that are happening last 6 games.If we want to be a legitimate good team, we’ve got to correct these things
— Michael Russo (@RussoHockey) January 8, 2017
Now, some will shrug off those concerns. After all, the Wild are still 4-1-1 in the past six games, a run that would leave most of their peers envious.
When you look a little closer, it’s easier to understand Boudreau’s concern. The Wild have allowed 22 goals over the past six games, with four goals allowed on five of those occasions.
You can find a silver lining with even that - the Wild are scoring goals in these games to grab points and often wins, which was a concern when they seemed to rely on Devan Dubnyk too heavily - but again, Boudreau has higher aims than merely generating regular season success. Coaches focused on the playoffs often try to identify and address problems before they fester into something more permanent.
With a +37 goal differential on the season and a strong chance to catch Chicago for the Central Division crown, the Wild have a lot of reasons for optimism. Credit Boudreau for at least trying to keep them from getting too cocky.
* - It’s fitting that he laughed off clinching his role as the West All-Star coach.