5/10/2023 0 Comments Post haste los angelesWhile just four of those assists have come while on the man advantage, playing back there has allowed Pominville an opportunity to become comfortable once again with the puck on his stick. Pominville has rewarded his coach's confidence, scoring 19 points in 15 games (through Friday) since being put back on the power play. 17, Boudreau chose Pominville to take his place at the point position on the power play. When defenseman Jonas Brodin went down with a fractured finger on Jan. ![]() Wild coach Bruce Boudreau, coaching Pominville for the first time after working against him both in Washington and in Anaheim, never panicked. But we're all happy for him and we know he can keep doing that for us." ![]() "It's just nice to see a guy like that, we know what he has in him, sometimes it doesn't come. a few posts, but sometimes you get one good one and things start flowing. You know he's going to get those goals and those points eventually. But we knew it was coming for him he's a great player in this League and he's been a great player. "Last year, that line kept us afloat in the second half," said Wild forward Charlie Coyle. Once in the playoffs, Pominville was arguably the Wild's best player against Dallas, a series Minnesota lost in six games. "He's a really important part of our team, so it's great for us when he's producing and when he's playing well."Īfter a slow start last year, Pominville combined with Haula and Nino Niederreiter to form Minnesota's best line down the stretch, helping the Wild to the postseason. But it seemed like it never affected him," said Wild forward Zach Parise. ![]() "A good guy, a good guy to be around and you know when things aren't going well, sometimes that can be tough. A former captain with the Buffalo Sabres and a regular fill-in alternate in Minnesota in case of injury, Pominville has been one of the most respected voices in the Wild's dressing room since he arrived in a trade deadline deal from the Sabres in 2013. But I stuck with it."Įven when things were going poorly for Pominville, he kept a positive attitude. "I felt pretty good most of the year, to be honest," Pominville insists. In the 20 games since bottoming out versus the Sharks, Pominville is averaging more than a point per game and has scored a pair of game-winning goals to turn around his campaign. He dished out an assist in the game, the first of three straight games with a helper as Pominville worked his way back up the lineup. 5 - the final game of that 37-game stretch - Pominville received just 9:48 of ice time, the first time in more than a decade he had played fewer than 10 minutes (non-injury related) and just the second time in his NHL career.ĭespite leading the team in hit posts (unofficially), a demotion to the fourth line and a seemingly endless string of bad luck, things turned for Pominville on Jan. Through 37 games, Pominville had just five goals and nine assists and was a minus-1.Īgainst the San Jose Sharks on Jan. Minnesota's team success helped Pominville through one of the toughest starts of his NHL career. That's what I've been trying to do, and it's paid off." "We're winning games, it's easy to come with a smile and keep a positive attitude and keep working. "It's been easy to come to the rink every day," Pominville said. It's the type of sticktoitiveness that has been a hallmark of the Wild's season to this point - and to the second-half rebound for Pominville that culminated in his being named the NHL's First Star of the Week last week. ![]() The Wild stayed with that play in Dallas as Haula eventually poked a loose puck into the goal, tying the game and helping Minnesota earn a point. "That probably describes how things were going for me for a while," Pominville said recently, shaking his head. Instead, Pominville had managed to hit the left post - an almost impossible task, considering his angle and the amount of traffic in and around the blue crease. Moments later, he fired again then lifted his arms, thinking he had scored. His shot rang the right post but came right back to his stick. The veteran winger stayed patient, waiting out Stars goaltender Antti Niemi, sashaying to his right before finally getting his look at a yawning cage.
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