Coyle gets going, could be central figure for Wild down stretch
ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Charlie Coyle was engaged with Nashville Predators defenseman Ryan Ellis as he watched the puck trickle behind goaltender Pekka Rinne, a goal so close for Coyle it seemed to be in slow motion.
Coyle and Ellis each took turns swiping at the puck, which eventually slid into the goal for a 1-0 Minnesota Wild lead Tuesday night.
"I know it hit my leg," Coyle said. "It was funny because it was going so slow in the net. Me and whoever it was were whacking, we were just hitting each other's sticks. Finally it crossed, so I said, 'OK, good.'"
Coyle left no doubt with his second goal of the night. His big blast on a slap shot tied the game in the third period and pushed the game to overtime, where Matt Dumba won the game 22 seconds in.
For Coyle, it was the payoff as he tries to make an impact down the stretch for the surging Wild. Coyle scored his ninth and 10th goals of the season Tuesday, marking his second career two-goal game.
"I'll take it," Coyle said after Wednesday's practice. "Standing there, it just hits you and goes in. You get a little lucky sometimes."
Coyle will take any luck he can get.
The Wild's third-year center had one goal in his previous 18 games. He's had goal-scoring droughts of 13 and 26 games this season.
"It's nice," Coyle said of getting on the board again. "I think I've still got to play better overall. I think there was some little things I've got to do better -- be stronger with the puck and just bearing down on some plays. But it's nice to kind of help contribute like that. It's been a while since I've kind of done that as much. I want to keep that up but also keep my level, my game level up."
Coyle could be a big piece for Minnesota over the season's final month. Settling in at center, he is a big body in the middle of the ice for the Wild. More scoring from Coyle and his line would also go a long way to lengthening the lineup.
Earlier in the season -- such as when he went without a goal from Oct. 24 to Dec. 22 -- Coyle could feel his confidence wane a bit. He said it's "tough to say" if he lost confidence, but the effect was evident.
"You definitely do go up and down," Coyle said. "I think everyone does it. . . . You've just got to control it. It's all a mind game. You've got to control your mind. You've got to learn to do that, and it's a skill that some people have. You've got to train your mind to get that confidence back and just stay positive throughout everything. So that's what you try to do."
Head coach Mike Yeo tried to get Coyle going, ultimately dropping him from the top two lines. Yeo felt getting away from the pressure of the top lines could help Coyle find his game.
Coyle also took the All-Star break to get away and refresh mentally for the stretch run.
"We tried many different things with Charlie through the year -- whether it's a pat on the back, whether it's more of a stern message, or whether it's trying to get him to take a break," Yeo said. "But quite often, it's just a little time away from the rink and that opportunity to just reset things that's very important for them."
Coyle has found his game start to come around. A two-goal game provides a boost to the confidence, and Coyle said it's easier to not get frustrated when the team is playing well. Now, he wants to build on Tuesday's effort.
"It's something that gradually grows," Coyle said of regaining confidence. "You've got to create your own confidence, I think. It starts with having a good day of practice and following up with a good shift and a good shift after that. So you build on it. It's all the little things and I think sometimes when your confidence goes down and you're not scoring, not contributing, you kind of get away from some of the details, the little things. For me, doing that and playing physical helps me get back into the swing of things and playing well."
Yeo wants to see more of the physical play from the 6-foot-3, 221-pound Coyle.
"He has the ability to be a physically dominating player," Yeo said. "I also think that we've seen that he has the ability for his speed to be a real factor. So there's no question that this time of year, you look at how teams match up against each other and whether it's your (power play) or third or fourth line to generate offense from those things. It's crucial.
"So a guy like Charlie is an extremely important part of our success going down the road and there's no reason to think he can't be effective there and contribute in that way for us. He did it last year. He was real strong in the playoffs last year. He's that type of player that should be quote-end-quote a playoff player."
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