“I’ve never seen anything like it,” Guerin said. “Even when I was playing, I can’t remember a rash of injuries like this, and to key guys, which is crazy.”
Isn’t it amazing how quickly the feeling around a team can change?
One week ago, the Wild were coming off a big win over the Detroit Red Wings, their 11th win in 14 games under new coach John Hynes, to effectively position themselves in a playoff spot by points percentage.
They practiced two days in a row in avibesdvance of a home-and-home with the rival Winnipeg Jets and the were great. On and off the ice, players were all smiles. They were so loose that Marc-Andre Fleury tended part of a practice with the cane he received as a Secret Santa present from a teammate.
Three games later, they have suffered three losses in the standings and five losses to a lineup already missing Jonas Brodin and Mats Zuccarello.
In Winnipeg, Kirill Kaprizov sustained an upper-body injury after Brenden Dillon, after being floored by a reverse hit from Kaprizov, cross-checked him, slashed him in the back of the leg and then cross-checked him again during a board battle.
The Wild are still upset that a physical defenseman was able to cross-check a star hard enough to drop him and not draw a penalty from two referees staring at the incident.
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