Just a day after the Minnesota Wild fired their head coach Dean Evason and assistant coach Bob Woods, they were in action under new leadership. They took on the St. Louis Blues at home on Tuesday, Nov. 28, led by new head coach John Hynes, and things took a sadly familiar turn but bounced back just as quickly.
The Wild took a penalty in the opening minute, and to many fans, it felt like the game was about to end. However, they killed off the penalty and scored the game’s first goal shortly after. While having a lead probably feels good to most Wild fans, they likely hold their breath because of how many times they’ve lost a lead this season.
Unlike in past games, the Blues did tie things up halfway through the first, but the Wild didn’t let that deflate them. They continued to play a stronger game and scored again in the final two minutes of the first period to take a 2-1 lead. Most Wild fans probably didn’t get too excited again because of past blown leads, but this one stuck through the second and third periods. The Wild ended their losing streak and got their first win since Nov. 7 under new leadership.
Wild’s Hynes Coaching Debut
In his first game as head coach, Hynes got the Wild to do something they’d struggled to do for too long: win. When watching the game on television, it’s hard to see how things are going on the bench, so when Bally Sports announcer Ryan Carter pointed out how Hynes was going up and down talking to players and being involved, it was a great thing to hear. Former Wild coach Dean Evason was a strong coach, but hearing Hynes connect so quickly likely provided relief to many fans.
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Some may think this was a lucky first win, but this game felt different from the others, and in his post-game press conference, Hynes said, “It was a pleasure to coach this group. Tonight was easy.” If his first win was easy after how much of a struggle this team has had this season, that’s highly encouraging.
Hynes: “it was a pleasure to coach this group. Tonight was easy.”
— Michael Russo (@RussoHockey) November 29, 2023
Hynes didn’t have much time to acclimate to the team as he had just one practice before the game, and that was it. In barely 24 hours, he went from being named head coach to coaching to his first victory. All the systems appeared to run the same with no significant changes, other than some line adjustments due to Ryan Hartman’s suspension, but they worked. Seeing the players…
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