Big, loud, and relentless. This new Wild forward trio grinds opponents down, dictating the game's pace with a physical forecheck that suffocates opposition.
ST. PAUL, Minn - There are fourth lines that eat minutes. And then there are fourth lines that change the temperature of a game.
On Tuesday night, the trio of Yakov Trenin, Michael McCarron, and Nick Foligno looked like the latter.
Big, loud and relentless. Especially on the forecheck.
Every shift seemed to end the same way. A Utah defenseman getting leaned on, a puck staying deep in the offensive zone and the crowd reacting to another hit. By the end of the night, Trenin alone had piled up nine of his own for a combined total of 13 as a line.
It’s the exact style Wild head coach John Hynes has been pushing his team toward.
“That group’s really hard to play,” Hynes said. “They’re good on faceoffs, they’re physical, they work as a trio, they got size, they got reach. They’re willing skaters.”
The magic for that line comes once they establish the cycle.
“When they get grinding down and in puck pursuit and bringing some physicality, it’s a lot to handle,” Hynes said.
For Trenin, the goal was simple as a line. Bring a level of physicality the Wild hadn’t consistently shown against Utah before.
“Especially against this team, we haven’t seen our most physical game yet,” Trenin said. “And this was a goal tonight. Show them our physicality.”
Playing alongside McCarron and Foligno has been a natural fit. Trenin had played with McCarron in Nashville before but never with Nick Foligno. He has played with Nick's brother Marcus.
But are they the same?
"They are the same but at the same time, so different," Trenin said. "Like, one plays hockey before the game and the other doesn't. It's just funny."
The chemistry between the trio might also come with an expiration date.
Minnesota is still without Marcus Foligno, and when he returns, the lineup decisions will get more complicated for head coach John Hynes.
Center Nico Sturm was a healthy scratch Tuesday, and more difficult choices could be coming once Foligno is back in the lineup.
Nevertheless, the addition of several new players has also injected personality into the room. Like a spark of energy.
After the St. Louis Blues game, Hynes said he needed to see his team be more physical. They had just traded for McCarron but a stretch of games out of the Olympics had Hynes worried his team wasn't hard enough on the forecheck.
It is safe to say that is no longer a concern.
“I would agree with you. A lot of the players that we added have some personality. They’re outgoing guys, Hynes said. "Obviously one’s a former captain in Nick. You have Petry, who’s a veteran player. Robby Fabbri’s got a great personality. You look at Michael McCarron, he’s life of the party all the time. I think the experiences that they bring but also, as you always say, you add a player but you also add the personality and things outside of the game. All those guys are strong team guys. I think they’re excited to be here, and on and off the ice they’re making a good impact and it brings a different energy to the team.”
If the Wild are searching for an identity down the stretch, they may have found a piece of it.
The three forwards combine for nearly 18 feet of height and on Tuesday night, they played every inch of it.
Three players built for one simple purpose, make every shift exhausting for the other team.
"Yeah, I think we all play in the same style of game," Trenin said. "We kind of know where to be for that type of game."
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