Wild Experiment With Both Jiricek & Bogosian On The Left Side In Practice

The Wild tried an experiment in their recent practice.

ST. PAUL - The Minnesota Wild (17-4-4) tried an experiment in their recent practice with Zach Bogosian and David Jiricek both trying out what it's like to play on the left side. 

When the Wild acquired Jiricek, a right-shot defenseman from the Columbus Blue Jackets, the question was - where he was going to play?

After they traded for him, the Wild recalled Jiricek from the American Hockey League. With the way the Wild's defense corps has been playing, it isn't a sure-fire thing they'd take a right-shot defenseman out of the lineup for Jiricek to play. 

"Yeah. I mean right now, the way the six d are going, I wouldn't anticipate him," Wild head coach John Hynes said about Jiricek needing practice before playing on December 2nd.

Now on December 5th, Hynes tried to use both Jiricek and Bogosian on the left side in practice. 

Bogosian, 34, has played in all 25 games this year. He has two goals, four points, 27 blocked shots, and 24 hits. He is resigned through next season as well. 

The thing about Bogosian, the right-shot third-pairing defenseman, is although he seems like he'd be the player to take out of the lineup for Jiricek, the right-shot 21-year-old, he has been playing on the number one penalty-killing unit. 

Despite being on the ice for five of the last six penalty kill goals the team has allowed, the Wild still want the 6-foot-3 defender in the lineup for what he brings on the third pair and on the PK. 

So, Hynes and the Wild tried a few line rushes in practice with Bogosian on the left side with Jiricek on the right and Bogosian on the right with Jiricek on the left. 

"Yeah, I think so. It's just, you're trying some different things in practice," Hynes said on the experiment. "It was a good practice for that today because we were doing some line rush defense and things like that. So just seeing what guys look like, but also just getting different reps for them on different sides."

It looks as if that Jon Merrill will still be Bogosian's d-partner for the time being, but the Wild will likely continue to experiment with their third pair before they get Jiricek in the lineup. 

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