New York. The coaching change in Minnesota had the desired effect.
In new coach John Hayne’s first game last night, against St. Louis, the Wild were able to snap their seven-game losing streak.
– Looking sharp and energetic, top scorer Joel Eriksson Ek tells Sportbladet about Dean Evason’s replacement.
The seventh straight loss to Detroit at home last Sunday was the last straw for general manager Bill Guerin.
The next day, coach Dean Evason – after five years as head of the main cabin at Xcel Energy – was fired.
– It’s not fun to see someone leave like this, you feel responsible. We are the players who put the team in this situation, we are the ones who went out on the ice, says Joel Eriksson Ek when we reached him in the cold up north.
But, you know, the show must go on, and indeed in the night’s battle against St. Louis, backup John Haynes — formerly of New Jersey and Nashville — was spot on.
The effect was exactly what the club’s management had hoped for. The Wild had one of their best games of the season, winning 3-1, snapping a seven-game losing streak.
– It was really needed, and we can’t lose any more if we want to reach the playoffs, Joel continues.
-We played well too, we were quick to shoot the ball, we set the pace and made sure they didn’t get too much space. This is the way we have to play to win games.
What is your first impression of Heinz?
We only met him today, and he was lenient in this match. But it looks clear and seems active. It’s a positive feeling.
The 26-year-old Farm native scored the 1-0 goal himself, and they are used to that opinion in St. Petersburg. pee. He scores in almost every game and has a total of eleven scores. The only two Swedes to have scored more are Filip Forsberg and William Nylander.
– It’s very nice company, and yeah, it’s nice to get pucks in. But tonight wasn’t too hard. I received a great pass from Mats Zuccarello, and he shot it into the goal.
The team’s other Varmlander, Jonas Brodin, provided an assist.