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Wild hold player-only meeting after yet another road loss

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GLENDALE, AZ - FEBRUARY 04: Martin Hanzal #11 of the Phoenix Coyotes celebrates with teammates after his second period goal against the Minnesota Wild at Jobing.com Arena on February 4, 2013 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/NHLI via Getty Images)

Following Monday’s 2-1 loss to the Phoenix Coyotes, the Minnesota Wild held a player-only meeting, according to the Star Tribune.

The details didn’t leave the room, but the message isn’t hard to guess at. The Wild need to do better on the road and, for that matter, they need someone other than the big three of forwards Zach Parise, Mikko Koivu, and Dany Heatley to step up.

Having Mikael Granlund and Devin Setoguchi practice on the fourth line didn’t help. The duo has now combined for just one goal through nine contests, but singling them out might be unfair. Beyond the big three, the Wild have netted a total of eight goals in 2013.

Parise scored his sixth goal of the season and 200th of his career, but it wasn’t enough and the Wild are now 0-3-1 on the road this season. If that doesn’t seem troubling given the small sample size, keep in mind that if you extend it back to the 2011-12 campaign, then Minnesota has earned a mere two regulation time wins in its past 31 road contest.

“We have some very positive pieces here, but we need to get some results,” 36-year-old forward Matt Cullen said. “And that was not good enough. A game that we could have won. We have a better [game] here and we’ve got to find it.”

The Wild will return to Minnesota for a pair of home games before they play in Calgary on Feb. 11.