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Mike Yeo’s “yo-yo” emotions might be hurting Wild

MIke Yeo

FILE - In this Sept. 17, 2011, file photo, Minnesota Wild head coach Mike Yeo, left, directs his team during NHL hockey training camp in St. Paul, Minn. Wild general manager Chuck Fletcher could’ve opted for more experience with his next hire. But he wasn’t deterred, picking Yeo as the new bench boss straight from the team’s top minor league affiliate. (AP Photo/Andy King, File)

AP

The Columbus Blue Jackets currently hold the world championship belt of misery in the NHL, but the Minnesota Wild probably rank as the intercontinental champs. For those of you who aren’t fluent in silly professional wrestling analogies, I’m trying to say that the Wild are mopier than someone who got a crushed soul for Christmas right now.

If they took a step back and really assessed the situation, there’s actually some hope; they’re only six points behind the seventh and eighth seeds in the West with a game in hand.

Still, context is everything. The Wild have lost six in a row and 23 out of their last 27 games. That’s enough to produce a dark cloud over just about any team, but ESPN1500’s Judd Zulgad wonders if Mike Yeo’s extreme reactions to both good and bad times are negatively impacting the team.

Yeo worked extremely hard to get to the NHL as a head coach -- serving as an NHL assistant and minor league coach -- and there is no reason he can’t be successful as the Wild begins to bring in some of the young talent it has accumulated. He seems to have many positive attributes as a bench boss.

But if Yeo wants to get the most out of these players, he’s going to have to learn that his approach since mid-December probably hasn’t been the best one.

Perhaps Yeo should do a 180 and take after legendary NFL coach Bill Parcells. The polarizing leader often pumped up his teams after they suffered losses and made sure to take some air out of their tires when things were going well. Such a strategy might help Yeo and the Wild keep a more even keel.

Of course, the front office could just provide Yeo with more talent to work with, too.