Wild-Canucks Preview
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A tremendous second-half surge by the Minnesota Wild saved Mike Yeo's job last season. With an encore looking increasingly unlikely, a change was inevitable.
John Torchetti will be behind the bench Monday night when the Wild open a three-game trip through Western Canada against the Vancouver Canucks, with the interim coach now in charge of preventing the team's season from spiraling further.
Despite a recent vote of confidence from general manager Chuck Fletcher, Yeo was dismissed after the Wild were dealt a franchise record-tying eighth consecutive loss and 13th in 14 games with Saturday's 4-2 home defeat to Boston.
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A playoff participant under Yeo in each of the past three seasons, Minnesota (23-22-10) has fallen five points behind Nashville for eighth in the Western Conference.
"Things have just fallen apart for us," Fletcher said. "We've had a tough four weeks. We had some good meetings last week in St. Louis and I really like the way we played the three subsequent games, and then (Saturday) we took a step back. So I made the decision after the game to let Mike go."
Torchetti, who had been coaching the Wild's AHL affiliate in Iowa, has been in this position before. The 51-year-old went 15-19-1 with four ties as an interim coach for Florida (2003-04) and Los Angeles (2005-06).
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Fletcher had been hoping Yeo, who was 173-132-44 in five seasons, could orchestrate a similar turnaround to last season, when the Wild went 28-9-3 from Jan. 15 on and later defeated St. Louis in the opening round of the playoffs.
But Minnesota's defense, a strength for most of Yeo's tenure, has remained a liability during the slump. The Wild have allowed four or more goals in six straight games and 30 overall during the streak, which matches an eight-game slide from Dec. 13-28, 2011, as the franchise's worst.
Devan Dubnyk, whose play sparked last season's run, has contributed to the demise with a 4.07 goals-against average over four consecutive regulation losses. A backline that's missing Jonas Brodin (fractured foot) and Jared Spurgeon (bone bruise) has been a factor as well.
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Dubnyk, who's lost nine straight starts, could have an easier time against a Canucks team that's 28th in the NHL in scoring and has scored 10 goals in its last six. Vancouver (22-21-12) also possesses one of the league's least effective power plays and is 1 for 20 over an 11-game stretch.
The Canucks also sit five points behind Nashville due to an inability to capitalize on their own opportunities. Their 9-11-5 home record is the league's second-worst mark, and they've dropped four straight at Rogers Arena following a 5-2 loss to lowly Toronto on Saturday in which they were outshot 38-19.
"We take penalties, turn the puck over, a lot of the same little things that don't make us very successful," forward Jannik Hansen told the NHL's official website. "There is a reason we are in the situation we are right now."
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Vancouver is also dealing with injuries. Defenseman Alexander Edler (fractured fibula) and center Brandon Sutter (fractured jaw) will each be out multiple weeks after exiting Wednesday's 2-1 win at Arizona. Bo Horvat, whose eight goals and 16 points since Jan. 4 are each team highs, also will miss Monday's game with a foot injury.
The depletions could increase the pressure on Ryan Miller, who's lost four of five starts despite a 1.80 GAA.
Miller has a 5.25 GAA, however, in losing four of his last five against Minnesota, which reached him for six goals in two periods of a 6-2 home win Dec. 15. He made 31 saves in a 3-2 road victory Nov. 25.