Wild coach left fuming after no-show performance leaves playoff spot in peril
Two days after an impressive win over the NHL's best team, John Hynes watched his team go through the motions in a loss to the Devils. Hynes made it clear the 5-2 loss "will be addressed."
John Hynes might have been careful with his words, but there was nothing he could do to mask his disgust.
Two days after watching his team record an impressive victory over the NHL-leading Washington Capitals, the Wild coach expected a repeat performance against the good but not great New Jersey Devils.
This would be the 11th and final home game for the Wild in March and a chance to keep the surging St. Louis Blues two points behind them in the wild card race. This version of the Wild — the one without superstar winger Kirill Kaprizov and top center Joel Eriksson Ek — are not talented enough to win on talent alone.
That means they have no choice but to work as hard as they did against the Caps. Everyone seemed to realize this except for one important group: Hynes’ players.
Nico Hischier scored the first of his three goals only 29 seconds into the first period, Paul Cotter made it 2-0 at the 5:46 mark and the Devils never trailed in a 5-2 victory on Saturday at Xcel Energy Center.
That left the Wild 6-4-1 in the 11 home games and tied with the Blues with 87 points. The Wild are technically in the seventh wild card spot because they have a game in hand on St. Louis, but the Blues have won nine in a row and Vancouver is six points behind both teams and has played one game fewer than Minnesota.
No wonder Hynes’ ire was raised by his team offering so little in such an important game.
“I just thought from the drop of the puck we weren’t mentally, physically where we needed to be and it lasted throughout the game,” Hynes said. “You guys kind of saw the same thing I saw. I’m not going to mince words on it, but we weren’t mentally ready to play, focused (on) the details we need (to be). I think the competitive level that’s required to win wasn’t there. We beat ourselves in so many different ways tonight. It will be addressed and we’ll be ready for Monday.”
In the remaining 1 minute, 54 seconds of Hynes’ press conference, he was asked four more questions and either said, “It will be addressed,” or, “We’ll address it,” six times.
How will it be addressed?
Hynes, who has been canceling late-season practices to keep his team fresh, kept Sunday’s practice on the books before his team departed for New Jersey to play the Devils for a second consecutive time on Monday.
This is about as close to a meltdown as you’re going to get from Hynes.