The Wild, on three-game losing streak, hit the road after undisciplined effort against Jets

The Wild aren’t panicking.

They didn’t when they had only three wins after the first month of the season, so they certainly aren’t now after three straight losses in mid-January — one of which came in overtime.

“This is kind of expected,” forward Nico Sturm said. “Every team goes through it every year. There is no way we’re just gonna keep cruising through the season and things are going our way.”

But this slide has their attention.

There are lessons to be learned from a 6-2 dusting by Central Division rival Winnipeg on home ice, and the Wild don’t want to undo the hard work that still ranks them a top team by having this funk fester.

“We’ve been playing some really good hockey,” veteran winger Mats Zuccarello said. “So, it’s important that we don’t dig ourselves down in a hole and then lose confidence.”

In a victory as decisive as the Jets’, what needs to improve for the Wild is crystal clear.

Then a one-goal deficit ballooned to three. In eight of the final 11 seconds of the first period, an icing and a lost faceoff resulted in the fastest two goals scored against the Wild at home in franchise history.

But it was penalty trouble, again, that sabotaged a Wild comeback.

Zuccarello took another stick infraction shortly after the Wild scored to eat into their three-goal deficit. As he was exiting the penalty box, the Jets parlayed a keep-in into a goal. Their next tally was officially on the power play after Sturm was sent off for abuse of officials, the center frustrated because a collision between Quinn Hughes and Winnipeg goalie Connor Hellebuyck during a breakaway for Hughes didn’t result in a penalty.

“It wasn’t a good night for us,” coach John Hynes said, “but to me it reinforces some of the things that are important [like] penalty discipline, not taking them in the offensive zone, right? Those things can change a game.”

The Wild were the least penalized team in the NHL (now they’re second), so Sturm isn’t worried this parade to the penalty box will continue.

But they’ll have to rediscover who they’ve been without who made them.

Jonas Brodin is out week-to-week with a lower-body injury that Hynes said had been building for the defenseman.

Hynes did not rule out Brodin for the Olympics but mentioned Brodin and the team would have an “upfront” discussion once there’s clarity on his situation.

“Maybe he’s ready before the Olympics. Maybe he’s not,” Hynes said. “We don’t know at this point in time, but I think that’s got to play out a little bit and see what’s going on, and then we’ll go from there.”

Before the loss to the Jets, Joel Eriksson Ek was supposed to travel with the Wild on their three-game road trip to Buffalo, Toronto and Montreal after the center missed the last three games hurt. Hynes anticipated Zach Bogosian would accompany the team, too, despite the defenseman not playing since getting injured on a shot block during the last trip.

Spacek, who was named to Czechia’s Olympic team, was driving to Costco in Iowa when he learned he was joining the Wild, and he had his mom Lenka, brother Jacob and girlfriend Simona in attendance.

“They were looking towards this moment since I started playing hockey,” Spacek said, “and it’s a big accomplishment for me and my family.”

The Wild have won before with a patchwork lineup, but the circumstances are different: They’re carrying the toll of having played half a season, and the schedule isn’t easing up as they cram 10 games into a 19-day span before the Olympic break.

Still, with a nine-point lead over their nearest trailer in the division, the Wild suffer minimal consequences in the standings from losing.

But they should feel urgency.

After all, there is more at stake than this three-game skid.