Greenway brings muscle; now the Wild wants consistency
Dean Evason saw the effort, physicality and tenacity that Jordan Greenway displayed while scoring the winning goal in the third period of the Wild's 4-2 victory over Boston on Wednesday and had one request.
"You have to put your mind in a spot where you know you have to do it again,'' the Wild coach said Friday. "And again and again and again.''
That might be easier said than done for any player, but Evason's message was straightforward: He wants more consistency from the 6-6, 231-pound left winger nicknamed "Big Rig'' and believes Greenway has taken big strides toward that goal.
Since returning to action on March 8 after missing six games because of an upper-body injury, Greenway has goals in back-to-back contests and is throwing his weight around. He had a team-high six shots against the Bruins and contributed on the physical end with four hits. The line of Joel Eriksson Ek centering Greenway and Marcus Foligno is a group that Evason considers the Wild's identity, and when Greenway is dialed in, it becomes much more effective.
"The whole line is heavy, and when all three are playing, it's a long night for whichever line gets matched up against those three,'' Wild center Ryan Hartman said. "Greener hit a guy into Moose [Foligno], who then hit him. I wouldn't like to be going back on pucks against that line.''
Greenway, 25, signed a three-year, $9 million contract extension in January, with the Wild showing belief in his continued development. He had six goals and 16 assists in 56 games in 2020-21 and has six goals and 11 assists in 46 games this season. With the Wild trying to snap out of a funk in which the team lost 10 times in a 14-game stretch, Greenway realizes the importance of this time of year.
"We've just got to stick to the game plan, keep it simple, stay patient, and find a way to bring that energy every night,'' Greenway said Wednesday. "It's not easy to do, especially as the regular season comes to the end here. But we've got to continue to stay strong, find the energy, and build off it.''
Eriksson Ek sees Greenway's game and approach maturing.
"He's taken steps everywhere, outside the rink and in the locker room, too,'' Eriksson Ek said. "He's a really important piece of our team, and when he plays like that, he's fun to play with.''
And if Greenway needs a reminder, his coach will be there for him.
"That's what we talked to him about: 'It's great. You had a great game. Now you need to go do it again,' '' Evason said.
Standing his ground
Kaprizov entered Friday sixth in the NHL with 75 points on 32 goals and 43 assists. Opponents have taken a physical approach to try to throw the scoring phenom off his game, and Kaprizov hasn't been afraid to give it back. His teammates appreciate his feistiness but know their job is to protect him, too.
"There have been times when guys are taking shots, and he'd rather stick up for himself, which we would rather he not do,'' said Hartman, who centers Kaprizov and right winger Mats Zuccarello. "That's him. He's a strong kid. ... Anytime he gets a shot, he gives one back. We try to keep him out of that as much as possible.''
