Three recent home games are haunting the Wild.
On Tuesday, the Wild blew a two-goal lead in the third period and lost 4-3 to Arizona. In a 6-4 victory against Ottawa on Nov. 20, the Wild lost a 4-1 lead before rallying for a 6-4 victory. And against Buffalo back on Nov. 17, the Wild conceded two third-period goals to lose 3-2.
Arizona and Ottawa are sub-.500 teams, and although Buffalo is the NHL's hottest team, the games had a recurring theme: The Wild dominated through two periods before suffering a letdown.
Winger Marcus Foligno pointed that out after the Arizona game, saying the Wild continues "playing down to the level of competition" it faces. That wasn't the case Nov. 23 against division-rival Winnipeg, when the Wild scored four third-period goals to steal the points.
"We really worked hard. We can live with a loss like that knowing we'll be better next game," Foligno said when asked about a possible loss to the Jets. "It's just when you play a team that you know those are two points that you need, and you should have, and you don't get them because you let them slip away. It stings a little bit more."
Coach Bruce Boudreau said he's noticed how his team's structure wavers once the Wild gain the lead, which is only exposed more when the opponent starts an emotional comeback.
"It's about home ice. We know we're going to make the playoffs. Everyone's very confident about that," Foligno said.
"But I think it's just, when it comes down to it, when you're looking at the standings at the last game of the season, and you're knowing who you're matching up against in the playoffs, you look at games like that, and you go, 'Well, if we had two points here or two points there, maybe we'd have home-ice advantage.' So that's what we don't want to get into."
