MITCHELL AND WILD TURNING A CORNER
Jan 9, 2016By Tom Witosky | Follow @toskyAHLWild
When Zack Mitchell scored the game winning overtime goal last month against Charlotte, he proved two things: Nearly losing three front teeth from a puck in the mouth is no excuse not to get back in the game and a victory like that can mean a lot to a struggling team.
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“It wasn’t a turning point, but it was a sign of good things to come. Up until then, we just weren’t getting the results that we have deserved,” Mitchell said. “But, winning a game in overtime with a nice comeback definitely goes a long way for your team’s confidence and morale.”
Since then, the Wild has won four of its last eight games and all four losses were by one goal. The Wild’s scoring also has jumped considerably from 1.85 goals per game prior to the Charlotte overtime win to 2.62 goals in its last eight games. Finally, the Wild had its first back-to-back victories of the season during that stretch.
So what has happened?
“Overall, the team is improving because of our accountability as a staff,” John Torchetti, Iowa’s head coach, said recently. “We are playing the guys who are playing the game the right way and they are getting to play again and again.”
Torchetti also said that the club is finally getting back several players who were expected to play key roles this season – particularly at center. Tyler Graovac had surgery and returned to Iowa after playing only two games for Minnesota. Grayson Downing, lost for 12 games earlier in the year, has been a team leader in scoring since returning from injury with 17 points (10 goals, 7 assists) in only 19 games.
“Over the last seven or eight games, we’ve had two of our top three centers playing,” Torchetti said. “We are better hockey time with better centers.”
Mitchell, who has played on the wing with Downing this season, but was reunited with Graovac and Marc Hagel on the same line recently, agreed.
“You need good centers up the middle,” Mitchell said. “It is huge when it comes to puck possession because they are supporting you. If you don’t have the puck, you are always chasing it so it is tough getting anything going.”
He also said that the better puck possession can be seen in the number of shots Iowa has been taking in each game. In the last eight games, Iowa’s opponents have outshot them in only two of those games.
“When you have a lot of shots that means you have the puck a lot,” he said.
Mitchell was chasing the puck during the Dec. 15 comeback win against Charlotte when he took one in the mouth. He immediately left the ice to be treated in the locker room by a physician and a dentist.
“My front three teeth got pushed back in my mouth,” Mitchell said. “There were still in my gums, but they were displaced so the dentist and the doctor that were there had to put them back in.”
Mitchell, who lost two lower teeth in junior hockey, said the pain of getting the teeth re-established in his gums was sharp. “It hurt a lot. It hurt more than the impact of the puck,” he said. “But, they had a great dentist and doctor there so we were able to take care of it.”
The 22-year-old Orangeville, ON native never thought taking the rest of the night off. “They were expecting me to come back. With a mouth injury, as long as there are no broken bones, there is no reason why you can’t come back. It is up to you.”
Mitchell, who has one more year on his contract after this season, ranks fourth on the team in points with 17 and is tied with Downing as the leading goal scorer with 10. But unlike past seasons, the Wild has much more balanced scoring with six players in double digits.
“We have balanced scoring now, we don’t have just one scoring line,” Mitchell said. “All four lines can score and it is pretty clear we are playing best when we get contributions from all four lines.”
Torchetti said the balanced scoring shows the team is improving, but he said that Mitchell and others also need to understand that they must be two-way players to get to the next level.
“He has to be solid two way player,” Torchetti said. “He has played hard enough to get called-up. He has to be good on the walls and on defense. It is all about playing a solid two-way game.”
Mitchell said that his individual success is also based on how the club plays the rest of the season. It’s difficult start has been frustrating, he said, but the recent wins have been steadily making the season more enjoyable.
“I would be happier if we won more games, that is just huge,” he said. “Everyone’s individual success depends on us winning as a team. They want winners in the NHL and I think we would all be going a lot further if we can continue to win more games.”