Wild aiming to finish trip on a high note after crushing loss

NEWARK, N.J. – The Wild proved two nights ago just how fine the difference between winning and losing can be.

The Wild effectively destroyed a solidly played road game in Ottawa by getting soft in the final 45 seconds. If the Wild won a puck battle in the offensive zone, cleared the puck from the defensive zone or collapsed tighter in the slot, it likely would have skated out of Ontario with two points instead of one.

Sensing his team still was stinging before Wednesday's practice at the Prudential Center, interim coach John Torchetti gathered his players by the bench and tried to get them refocused.

"You can't play a perfect hockey game," Torchetti said afterward. "Bounce off the wall. It goes two feet to the right instead of just directly right out front, you've got a different ballgame. We got a point. That's how I look at it. It could have been no points, and then we're really disgruntled."

So Torchetti told his players it's up to them to still make this a good road trip by beating the New Jersey Devils on Thursday night.

"We got three out of four [points], and let's make it five out of six," he said. "It's not always going to work out the way you want. I'd love to say, 'Hey, we're going to finish with nine wins here and get into the playoffs.' We're just worried about [Thursday], and then live to fight another day."

If Wednesday's practice was any indication, Jason Zucker will go from being scratched two consecutive games to playing the left side of the top line with Mikko Koivu and Charlie Coyle.

After playing 15 games with Koivu and Coyle since Torchetti took over as coach, Zach Parise practiced on the second line with Mikael Granlund and Thomas Vanek.

When it comes to puck possession and scoring chances, the Koivu line has been toward the bottom of the team of late. And Tuesday proved that when you lose, you're best remembered for the plays you don't make rather than the plays you made.

Little things

Parise took a beating from Senators defenseman Dion Phaneuf all game, had four shots and forced a turnover that led to Coyle drawing a penalty. But he struggled mightily on the power play and lost the offensive-zone battle in the final minute after the Senators iced the puck with the net empty.

Koivu had a couple of great setups, but he took two late, momentum-turning penalties and was caught in no man's land on the tying goal.

Ryan Suter broke up several scoring chances and was on the ice for 21 of the Wild's 45 shot attempts, but he struggled with zone entries on the power play and failed to clear the zone in the waning seconds.

"Little plays here and there, but that's probably the way it's going to go down for the rest of the season for us," Parise said. "We've got to be comfortable playing in those situations in those games. That's hockey this time of year. It shows you the importance of every play. You've just to be ready for it and not lose your focus."

Added Koivu, "All we can do now is forget about it and move on. [New Jersey] is a similar team, a similar style, so we've got to be strong in our game and make sure we do it a little better."

Zucker back

The Devils are decimated by injuries but just won consecutive games at San Jose and Los Angeles. When they're playing well, they slow the game down, don't give up much and can make an opponent look as if they're skating in quicksand.

On Jan. 10, the Wild and Devils combined for 35 shots in a 2-1 Minnesota loss, the fewest combined shots in a Wild game in 12 years.

"They're going to clog it up for sure," Zucker said. "They play their system to a 'T'. They play it very well, and they've had some success playing it throughout the year. You have to make sure you're getting pucks behind them and using your speed on the forecheck and get pucks back that way, because you're not going to have too many clean entries through the neutral zone on these guys."

Zucker has one goal and two assists in his past 21 games and said he's motivated after being removed from the lineup the past two games. This is the type of game where Zucker's speed should be an asset.

"Zuck's speed should be a threat every night," Torchetti said. "That's the bottom line. Zuck's a big, big part of our team going forward. He hasn't had the success all year. I think he, the first 10 games, was really successful, or 12 games, and he hasn't that had 10- or 15- or 20-game streak back at it since those first 10. He just has to get back to his game, and he has to be a solid two-way player. That's where it starts."