'I'm really excited': Goligoski is back in the lineup today after missing 16 games
After missing the last 16 games due to an injury, Alex Goligoski is excited to get back in the lineup and hopefully turn this team around.
Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports
It was around this time last year that Alex Goligoski scored a huge overtime goal against the Carolina Hurricanes in a game the Wild were honoring Goligoski for playing in 1,000 games.
Before Goligoski's overtime winner, the Wild entered that game on a three game losing streak and still were trying to turn around their slow start to the season.
At the time the Wild were 6-8-2 and near the bottom of the league and division. After the win the Wild went 15-5-0 in their next 20 games and were 21-13-2 by January.
If you look around the room, this Wild team is pretty much the exact same group of guys as last year and Goligoski believes this group can turn around their slow start this year like they did last year.
"We've had some stuff not go our way a little bit but it's a long season," Goligoski said. "At some point in the season we will go on a couple of runs where we get on a roll and win eight or ten in a row. There is a lot of character in the room so we will be good."
When you are off to a slow start sometimes all you need to spark the club and go on a run is a big goal from a player like Goligoski or a huge come from behind win. So far, the Wild haven't had any of that happen and are four points away from being the worst team in the NHL.
Wild head coach Dean Evason has talked about how they just need something big to happen during their six game losing streak. They have played a lot better in the last three games but have still lost.
Evason said they need a big game where they score a couple power-play goals or a goalie steals a game, they just need something 'extra' to happen to turn this season around, like Goligoski's overtime winning goal a year ago.
“When things aren’t going good, you need to do something extra. Something needs to be done extra,” Evason said after the game against the Avalanche. “Tonight maybe the power play is extra for us and we get the win. Maybe a couple games ago a goalie steals it. Maybe we defend. Maybe our penalty kill. Something has to go well here for us to get a boost. It’s easy to get frustrated. Obviously, we’re all frustrated. You can get mad, which everybody is. But we’ve got to find a way.”
Minnesota will look to 'find a way' on the road against a good Detroit Red Wings team that is 11th in the NHL.
Maybe Goligoski's veteran presence and his quarterbacking ability of the power play can help turn this team around like it did a year ago. The 38-year-old defenseman has missed the last 16 games with a lower-body injury and is excited to make an impact and help turn this team around.
"I'm feeling good health wise and everything," Goligoski said after practice on Saturday. "Obviously really excited to get back in. It sucks not playing and doing the rehab and everything but I'm excited to get back in and hopefully start a little spark and get something going here."
The Wild need to go on a run here before it's too late or they will be in danger of missing the playoffs for the second time in the last 12 years and the first time since the 2018-19 season.
"You look at the way we have played in the last three games, we haven't won but it looks a lot more like us," Goligoski said. "We've got a lot of the same guys in the room. We've done this before, we've gone through adversity before and have come out of it every time so that's why we can be confident about this."
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