Wild can't catch break on defense

SAN JOSE, CALIF. – When Ryan Suter returned to the lineup Tuesday night against the New York Islanders, the Wild was hoping to finally get a string of games with its top-four defensemen intact.

That changed with Marco Scandella's head shot on Brock Nelson. He was suspended two games, the first being served Thursday against the San Jose Sharks.

Injuries, the mumps and now a suspension have picked apart the Wild's four biggest minute men all season.

Consider this: Since the first seven games of the season — a stretch where the Wild arguably played its best, most consistent hockey — Suter, Jonas Brodin, Scandella and Jared Spurgeon have played in the same game just three times in 20 opportunities.

With the four together in the same game, the Wild is 6-3-1 and averages 3.5 goals per game and 2.2 goals against. With any of the four out, the Wild was 9-7 before Thursday's game and had scored 2.56 goals per game and allowed 2.69 per game.

"It seems like every time we look like we're getting there, something else happens," coach Mike Yeo said. "But every team deals with injuries, and suspensions in this case. This is not new to us, that's for sure. But there's no question I'd like to get into a situation where we can get those four guys going.

"It's a big difference to our lineup."

"It's tough to get into rhythms, so hopefully when Scandy's back we can kind of move on with it and get back to normal," Suter said.

Scandella was disappointed by the suspension but said he respected the league's decision.

"I'm not a dirty player and I don't go out to injure anybody," he said. "I'm going to forget about what happened, learn from what happened and move on from it."

With Keith Ballard out long-term, GM Chuck Fletcher said he would gauge the play of his blue line before deciding if acquiring a defenseman is necessary

Christian Folin was paired with Brodin on Thursday, while Justin Falk was recalled to skate alongside Nate Prosser. Yeo said this is a good opportunity for the 6-foot-5 Falk to show he can play a heavy game in the NHL.

Dumba is playing 30 minutes a night there and has two goals, one assist and is plus-8 in four games.

Darcy Kuemper got the start Thursday against the Sharks. Yeo explained before the game that it wasn't so much so Kuemper could respond from allowing 14 goals in his previous four starts but because Niklas Backstrom was 1-9-1 with a 3.63 goals-against average lifetime at San Jose.

Still, Yeo is looking for steadier play from Kuemper.

"Every game is a test for him, and what you want to see is more consistency start to creep into his game," Yeo said. "But you can't fast-track the development of a player. Much depends on what's happened to them and how they react to it and personality-wise, maturity-wise, I think he's definitely grown in those areas. Now it's just a matter of dealing with all the things that you have to deal with as a young goalie, both successes and failures.