When the Wild returns to competition Thursday against Los Angeles, Nino Niederreiter and his teammates will try to avoid the slow starts that have plagued them throughout the season's first eight games.
"It's something we have to be aware of,'' the forward said. "We're making it too tough on ourselves.''
The team has scored only five first-period goals this season, and it has allowed its opponent to score first in its past six games. To combat that problem, Niederreiter and linemate Eric Staal said the Wild must be mindful of getting off to a strong start without overanalyzing the game.
The team concluded a four-day break in the schedule with a Wednesday practice at TRIA Rink, before facing the Kings on Thursday and Colorado on Saturday at Xcel Energy Center.
"We know what we have to do to be successful,'' said Niederreiter, who has yet to score a goal this season. "But a lot of players are overthinking things, instead of just going out and playing and having fun.
"You try to be almost too perfect, and sometimes, that costs you a little bit. It's easy to get frustrated. But if you stick to the process, focus on getting a lot of shots on net and getting pucks in deep and not making it hard on ourselves, that will definitely loosen up a lot of things.''
Coach Bruce Boudreau said the Wild's sluggish starts are rooted in "self-preparation.'' He wants to see his team follow its plan right from the beginning, rather than waiting to see what the opponent is doing.
Staal urged the Wild to keep things simple and keep their feet moving from the start, laying the groundwork for better execution.
