I can only imagine what Mike Yeo must be thinking right now when he sees (if he's even watching) such effort on the ice, such pace, such offense, such goals from guys that were so snake-bit in his last six weeks as the Wild coach.
The big question is why? Why did it take a coaching change for the Wild to suddenly look like it's trying?
Only the players can answer that question.
But as I wrote and said on the radio/podcast in the days leading up to the end of Yeo's tenure, it certainly looked like the players were tuning him out, maybe consciously for some and unconsciously for others. The frustration was obvious to see and obvious to hear.
No matter what Yeo said or did, it never had the desired effect and ultimately GM Chuck Fletcher pulled the trigger because Yeo's voice was not causing a response.
That can happen when you've been hearing the same voice for five years, I suppose. There's a reason why coaches – good coaches – have expiration dates in pro sports.
Now, the Wild looks like a completely different team.
The Wild, playing without defenseman Jonas Brodin and for a second straight game Marco Scandella, undoubtedly took advantage of three struggling hockey teams on the trip, but for a team that was reeling, these victories were desperately needed.