TAMPA, FLA. — The Wild has been the most impressive this season when it's trailed the opposition in the third period, especially during the last minute.
That's when the team has produced seven goals, with four of those contributing to come-from-behind wins.
"It's not like we are just waiting to get behind and then start getting our game going," winger Marcus Foligno said. "It's the way the games have gone."
Occasionally, these frantic finishes are making up for slow starts and that's the conundrum currently facing the Wild: How can a team that dominates the end of games bring that execution to the first period?
"We've got to understand that we've got to get to our game right away," Foligno said.
In the Wild's past five defeats, including the 5-4 shootout loss to Tampa Bay on Sunday when the Wild forced extra time after scoring two 6-on-5 goals (at 17 minutes, 12 seconds and 19:21), the team has fallen behind by at least one goal after the first period.
While the Wild looked overwhelmed at times vs. Florida in the opening 20 minutes on Saturday, the team's woeful beginning seemed more self-inflicted against San Jose and Vegas earlier this month. When it was in Colorado near the end of October, the Wild had a decent debut and the team actually outshot the Lightning early on despite exiting the first in a 2-1 hole.
All these matchups, though, had the same outcome.
"Maybe at the end we simplify it a little bit more," coach Dean Evason said. "We just get pucks up at the top and we control. But we don't try to do too, too much with it. We're just trying to control the puck and get it to the net, and sometimes maybe we try to do too much."
Being consistent is a work in progress for the Wild, but that late-game effectiveness has become a hallmark of the team.
"We don't have to learn that we have pride, that we have that grit level to push at the end of hockey games," Evason said. "We're pretty excited that the group has that within them."
Powerful play
Foligno continues to capitalize on a newfound opportunity on the power play, scoring for the third time in that situation against the Lightning.
That's the most power-play goals Foligno has scored in a season during his 11-year NHL career.
All three goals have come near the crease, with Foligno pouncing on a loose puck vs. Winnipeg, crashing the net to connect with a Matt Dumba feed against Ottawa and most recently tipping in a shot while set up as a screen in front of Tampa Bay goaltender Brian Elliott.
"Just doing my job," Foligno said. "Just getting to the net and trying to be a good screen for guys like Dumbs and [Frederick Gaudreau] or [Jonas] Brodin and [Alex Goligoski], whoever's up top. Just trying to do my job and understand that I've got the offensive ability to make plays down there.
"It's nice to be back on the power play. Obviously, it can ignite the offensive side of the game. But being the guy in front of the net, I've got to track pucks, get loose pucks, things like that, to create those chances. And our power play is doing a good job of that."
Hartman fined
The NHL Department of Player Safety fined center Ryan Hartman the maximum amount allowable under the Collective Bargaining Agreement, $4,250, for slew-footing the Lightning's Ross Colton on Sunday.
Hartman was penalized for tripping on the play and drew the ire of Lightning players. After serving the minor, he emerged from the penalty box and fought Tampa Bay defenseman Zach Bogosian.
