Exasperating, ain't it?
Just went you think the Wild's turning a corner, this happens. About a dozen guys just not going.
The Wild was beaten to pucks, lost battles and just got nothing going against a team decimated by injury, against a team that had lost five in a row, against a team one point north in the standings.
This after the Wild was on a 6-3-1 stretch, 4-1-1 in the past six, including a big emotional win over San Jose.
Frustrating.
I'll talk to you after Saturday's New Year's Day practice, but I'm outta here now.
The one big bit of news after the game that isn't surprising in the least, coach Todd Richards conceded that defenseman Marek Zidlicky will be out long-term, not short-term, with a shoulder injury. We're talking measured in months, not weeks.
This is a ginormous loss. Say what you want about his defensive-zone play, he competes every night, he makes the Wild's offense and power play tick on most nights and he plays major minutes in every situation. The Wild does not have a replacement for that -- simple.
