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Boudreau: "We've got to go out there and win a game''

In a 104-second pregame media session, Wild coach Bruce Boudreau's mood reflected his team's situation.

April 2, 2017 at 9:10PM
Wild coach Bruce Boudreau
Wild coach Bruce Boudreau (Star Tribune/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

With a 5 p.m. start against Colorado today at Xcel Energy Center, the Wild did not hold a morning skate. Instead, they made coach Bruce Boudreau available for a short pregame media session. Really short.

A sour Boudreau growled his way through a handful of questions in a news conference so brief we'll just post the whole thing here. Jason Zucker will not play today. Devan Dubnyk returns to the net after a two-game break.

Q: What was the worst part of Saturday's loss (3-0 in Nashville)? A: That we lost. There's a lot to be disappointed in.

Q: The team showed little drive against an opponent it might face in the playoffs. How disappointing was that? A: You're going to have to talk to them about it, not me. Because I can't get inside their drive.

Q: What's the message to players today? A: We've got to go out there and win a game. That's what we've got to do. If we're not ready to play, then we're in trouble.

Q: What will you be looking for from Dubnyk to know he's at top form? A: Just the way he tracks the puck, his movements in the net or his non-movements in the net, and to see the confidence he has when he handles the puck. Those are things you can tell, that are tells of him.

Q: Zucker out? A: Yes.

Q: Can you assess Haula's play recently? A: No. Don't ask about him. I don't want to talk about players or anything right now. You want to talk about how they played after the game, let's talk about it there, or on an off day. But right now, before the game, I don't want to talk about players.

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Q: The Avs, even though they're struggling, are a division rival and have played well against you. Are you expecting them to put their best foot forward? A: I'm sure they are. They're 2-0 in this building, 3-0 if you count preseason (actually 1-1 at Xcel this season, with a 3-2 Avs win in November and a 2-0 Wild victory in December). So I mean, they're definitely not afraid of us.

In saying little, Boudreau seemed to say a lot. Game time in about an hour.

about the writer

about the writer

Rachel Blount

Reporter/Columnist

Rachel Blount is a sports reporter for the Minnesota Star Tribune who covers a variety of topics, including the Olympics, Wild, college sports and horse racing. She has written extensively about Minnesota's Olympic athletes and has covered pro and college hockey since joining the staff in 1990.

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