Wild coachTodd Richards on Wednesday said the Wild have been a little better than they were last season.
Richards said that while his team’s play has been “pretty inconsistent” the Wild are “getting better.”
“We’ve been a bit better this year, we’ve got to get back to playing the way we played last year and playing well,” Richards said.
That’s our focus right now. “
The goal is to get into a rhythm.
That’s our focus right now.
We have to get a little more consistent.”
Wild forward Jamie McBain has been battling an upper-body injury and could miss the rest of the season.
Richards said McBains will be assessed after practice Wednesday.
“We’ll get him back in the next couple of days,” Richards added.
He’s done a nice job this year with his strength. “
I think Jamie’s got a real good chance of playing in the playoffs.
He’s done a nice job this year with his strength.
He plays a lot.
He has good speed.
He can score goals.
I think he’ll be back next week.”
Richards made four changes to the Wild lineup.
Wild defenseman Anthony Mantha made his NHL debut, joining defenseman Jared Spurgeon and goaltender Devan Dubnyk.
Mantha had a goal and an assist in three games with the Wild.
Forward Mikael Granlund, who had a two-game point streak snapped in Monday’s loss to the Dallas Stars, returned to the lineup for his third straight game.
He had two assists and two penalty minutes.
He played in the first two games of the Wild’s seven-game trip, including two of four games with Dubnyks goal-scoring streak at 10 games.
“Mikael Granville was back in today,” Richards told the team’s official website.
“There was a lot of scoring chances, but he’s doing a good job and playing really well.”
Forward Erik Haula, who was scratched from Tuesday’s game against the St. Louis Blues, returned and was credited with a goal.
Haulas third goal of the game, a slap shot from the top of the slot, tied the game.
The Wild will return to action Wednesday night when they host the Anaheim Ducks.