LOS ANGELES – Snakebit Thomas Vanek isn't gripping his stick tight yet, but probably only because he can't.
The veteran forward who came to the Wild with a history of filling the net is still searching for his first goal in Minnesota four games into this season. He also missed the final 13 minutes of the second period of Sunday's 2-1 loss to the Kings because he was struck on the right thumb by a Ryan Suter wrist shot.
"It's throbbing, and squeezing the stick wasn't the easiest, but it was good enough to come back [in the third period]," Vanek said.
In four games, Vanek has been limited to one assist and 13 shots, including seven in Friday's 2-1 loss at Anaheim. Linemate Mikko Koivu, the Wild's all-time leading scorer with 452 points, has no points.
"I think we have chemistry," Koivu said. "I thought we had chances again. I thought there was a lot of stuff around the net. I think we're doing a lot of things the right way, but in the end, it's no excuse to say you're playing good when you can't capitalize on your chances."
Coach Mike Yeo did his best to dance around two postgame questions, one about the Vanek-Koivu chemistry and one about Vanek's play, which has lacked luster for the most part besides the Ducks game. Yeo noted that the Wild's second line with Justin Fontaine on the right side generated the team's most scoring chances in Anaheim.
But Vanek admitted he's frustrated by the lack of offense.
"As a team and for myself, you just need that first one and hopefully it opens up," said Vanek, who has scored 277 goals and 557 points in 667 games and signed a three-year, $19.5 million contract with the Wild on July 1. "I don't feel like I'm squeezing my stick quite yet. We had some good looks. They're just not going in right now."
