Unpaid overtime a microcosm for Wild’s troubles early in NHL season

San Jose’s three players barely moved, their legs probably feeling like tree trunks as their shift crept upward of three minutes.

Meanwhile, the Wild’s trio was darting around the zone, the diagram on the whiteboard come to life as the team cycled fresh bodies into the attack without relenting.

After Matt Boldy’s attempt hit the post, his second close call of the night and the Wild’s third, Brock Faber put the puck on net … only for the rebound to skip by him onto the stick of the lone Sharks player who came on in relief and one of the NHL’s top goal getters. It was a breakaway, to boot, for Macklin Celebrini that denied the Wild 6-5 in overtime Sunday night at Grand Casino Arena.

“Give one chance back,” Kirill Kaprizov said, “and lose [the] game.”

Such is life for the Wild right now, their early-season funk festering past the silver linings and mismatches to the confounding: They control overtime before getting bit on the only shot against them. Kaprizov set up three goals, but his turnovers led to two the other way. Faber bounced back after criticizing himself, although it was difficult for the defenseman to appreciate the progress because of the ending.

“When things are tough like this, things don’t feel like they’re going your way any night,” Faber said. “It’s like everyone’s gripping the stick a little differently. We got a group of guys that has the right intentions. Every single guy on this team wants to win.

“Every single guy on this team is sacrificing, doing whatever they can to win, and it’s just not working out.”

They are not at full strength. They are struggling to score at 5-on-5. They are consistently chasing the opposition after falling behind first, which forces them to break structure to take chances, and that causes them to be even more vulnerable.

This snowball effect was on display Saturday when Utah went up 3-0 before pulling away at 3-2 for a 6-2 victory after the Wild threatened then tapered.

They did close the gap on San Jose, rallying from trailing by two goals in each period, including their final equalizer from center Joel Eriksson Ek late in the third.

“It could have went wayward, too, when we went down, but we didn’t,” coach John Hynes said. “The bench was good. We continued to push. We found a way to get ourselves back in the game. We tied the game. We had a good overtime. One mistake, or a bounced puck bounces the other way, and it winds up in the back of the net.”

But in a skid like this, even the good is asterisked.

“We try make some plays, and it’s not there. Turnover,” he said. “Sometimes we just try too simple, just put in zone, and just go for it.”

Faber’s uncharacteristic play was magnified in the loss to the Mammoth where he was on the ice for three goals against, and Faber lamented that he has to defend better and limit turnovers.

“I’m better than this,” Faber said. “I know I am.”

He was better vs. San Jose, the Wild adding Faber to the power play where he assisted on two goals before factoring into Eriksson Ek’s late lift to pick up his first three points of the season. But Faber had the same dejected look following the game.

“You look at Brock the other night, he was trying to make a difference, and he was beating himself up,” Hynes said, “and it’s because they care. We all do, and it gets discouraging at times, right? But what I liked was today some of that discouragement turned into determination, and I think that’s what it needs to continue to do.”