Zuccarello eager to rebound for Wild in Cup Qualifiers

Mats Zuccarello is looking forward to a new start in the Stanley Cup Qualifiers after a disappointing first season with the Minnesota Wild.

"Everything that happened before is forgotten, and now we start the real season," the forward said Wednesday. "In terms of individual play, also it's not been the best in my view. … It takes time to find your place and be comfortable. Now, I look at it as a new start.

"I came here to be able to play [Stanley Cup] Playoff hockey, and we have a chance right now to do that. … I think everyone in this locker room can have a bad playoffs, [but] as long as you win, you're happy."

Zuccarello agreed to a five-year contract with the Wild on July 1, 2019, but struggled to fit in early this season. He didn't score his first goal until his ninth game and scored 37 points (15 goals, 22 assists) in 65 games for his worst points-per-game average (0.57) since 2012-13 (0.53).

"Every player reflects on their season and play and judges yourself," Zuccarello said. "No one judges you as hard as yourself. There's no question in my mind that I can be better. I'm not saying I'd have 50 goals or anything like that but just creating for teammates and creating more chances and stuff like that. I think it came at the end, I got more and more comfortable. The start was rough, there's no doubt about that, and I'm the first one to admit that. … Hopefully it's going to be better."

Zuccarello scored seven points (one goal, six assists) in his last 11 games before the season was paused March 12 due to concerns surrounding the coronavirus. Last season, he scored 40 points (12 goals, 28 assists) in 48 games with the New York Rangers and Dallas Stars. He was traded to the Stars on Feb. 23, 2019, after playing his first nine NHL seasons with the Rangers.

"He was a very popular figure obviously in New York … but has bounced a few times since then," Wild coach Dean Evason said. "It takes some time, and he's a very personable guy, very team-first guy. It may have taken a little bit of time to get comfortable amongst his teammates, but he's very comfortable, not complacent, comfortable around his teammates. We really expect some really good things from [Mats] for sure."

The Wild (35-27-7, .558 points percentage) enter the Qualifiers as the No. 10 seed in the Western Conference and will play the No. 7 seed, the Vancouver Canucks (36-27-6, .565), in one of four best-of-5 series in Edmonton, the Western hub city, beginning Aug. 2. Minnesota will play an exhibition game against the Colorado Avalanche at Rogers Place on Wednesday (2:30 p.m. ET; NHLN, FS-N, FS-WI, NHL.TV).

The winner of the series will advance to the playoffs, and the loser will have a chance at the No. 1 pick in the 2020 NHL Draft in the Second Phase of the NHL Draft Lottery, to be held Aug. 10.

Zuccarello is a proven playoff performer. He tied Tyler Seguin for the Stars lead with 11 points (four goals, seven assists) in 13 postseason games last season and has scored 42 points (15 goals, 27 assists) in 73 NHL playoff games.

"I think you're lucky that you play on good teams with good players, I think that has a lot to do with it," he said. "I don't know if I change my game. I try to look at every game as a playoff game in the regular season and go 110 percent or 100 percent every night I'm out there. I've been lucky to have been on really good teams that have gone far."

Zuccarello has played the third-most playoff games among Wild players behind forward Zach Parise (97) and defenseman Ryan Suter (78).

"We've asked our older group … more experienced guys to lead in that area," Evason said. "… So many guys have playoff experience and how to play in those different situations and the intensity level and what have you. So yeah, we are going to lean on a lot of our guys that have the experience and pass that down."

Zuccarello, a right wing, ended the season playing on the third line with center Alex Galchenyuk and left wing Marcus Foligno. He said no matter where he plays or who is on his line, his focus is the same.

"What I've learned from my playoff experience is that there's no first line, second line, third line, fourth line," Zuccarello said. "You need every line to go. If a line has a good day, that's your first line, you go with that. Every line can be hot at different times. … I think come playoff time, you often see heroes or teams that have four different lines go far."