For 26 minutes the doors to the Minnesota Wild locker room in Pittsburgh were closed as the team held a players-only meeting after another lackluster effort Tuesday night.
The Penguins 7-2 obliteration sent the Wild to its sixth straight loss. But it’s worse. Mike Yeo has watched his players fall into a funk that’s resulted in losses in 17 of the past 24 games, including 12 of the last 14.
#mnwild players still meeting 20 minutes after game. Yeo: "if they quit, they wouldn't be in there meeting right now."
— Michael Russo (@RussoHockey) January 14, 2015
What’s wrong with the Wild? Zach Parise, playing with a broken heart after the death of his father, had an answer for the Star Tribune.
“I feel like we’ve been asked that question for the last three weeks now. We’re not getting out of it,” Parise said after the players-only meeting. “We’re so easy to play against. We lose battles, we don’t bump off draws, the details of our game are terrible. We don’t even make it hard on the other team. They tic-tac-toe right around us. Can’t happen.”
Even after everyone had left the locker room, Zach Parise was seated at his stall, skates still on, staring at the ground. #mnwild
— Chad Graff (@ChadGraff) January 14, 2015
The NHL on NBC crew also believes it has an answer for the Wild.
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Suter in hot water
Wild defenseman Ryan Suter could be suspended for what he called an unintentional elbow to Pittsburgh’s Steve Downie’s face. Suter will have a hearing with the NHL’s Department of Player Safety on Wednesday afternoon.
Minnesota's Ryan Suter will have a hearing Wednesday afternoon for elbowing Pittsburgh's Steve Downie.
— NHL Player Safety (@NHLPlayerSafety) January 14, 2015
Suter explained to the Pioneer Press that he wants Downie, who has a history of concussions and didn’t return to the game, to know that he didn’t mean to hurt him.
“I just hope he’s all right,” Suter said. “That’s not the type of player I am. I personally never want to see anyone get hurt.”
Ryan Suter apologized for elbow to Downie, but faces supplemental discipline today. Story: http://t.co/6IcASbFdAk pic.twitter.com/luMCs5xvQf
— Chad Graff (@ChadGraff) January 14, 2015
The Wild’s slump in one short Vine
Finally there's a vine that sums up the #MNWild's last month. https://t.co/DrNaoWrKIh
— Chad Graff (@ChadGraff) January 14, 2015
