Fiala primed for a breakout performance

It's been a quiet start to the season for Wild forward Kevin Fiala, but that doesn't mean his presence hasn't been felt.
After setting career highs in goals, assists and points in a breakout 2019-20 season, big things were expected from Fiala for the Wild this season.
From a production standpoint, the first three games for Fiala have been remarkably quiet. Perhaps eerily so.

But all the signs point to a big breakout game, and it's not really a matter of if, but when.
Fiala took 20 shots at the Los Angeles Kings net in the first two games of the season, with 13 reaching their intended target.
Unfortunately for Fiala, goaltender Jonathan Quick stopped all 13 of those shots.
Fiala's 13 shots on goal through two games was three more than Matt Dumba's 10, who was second on the team, and six more than Joel Eriksson Ek, who had third-most in those games.
He added five more shots in Monday's 1-0 loss to the Ducks, and eight more shot attempts. Through three games, Fiala has attempted an astonishing 28 shots, but hasn't seen one connect with the back of the net.

"Yeah, it's frustrating, of course," Fiala said. "But it's just three games. There's a lot more games to go. I had the opportunities here ... and can't bury it. I think [I] just have to stick with it. It's going to come."
Statistically, Fiala's due. A career 10.5 percent shooter who scored on a career-best 13.1 percent of his shots on goal last season, Fiala should probably already have a goal or two under his belt this season.
But the Wild's struggling power play, where Fiala scored nine of his 23 goals a season ago, has yet to connect. The man advantage was really good on Opening Night in Los Angeles, doing everything except scoring a goal. Fiala has seven shots on goal in that game.
"We haven't scored yet on a lot of power plays, but the chances [are there]," Fiala said. "We've had great shots, a couple of posts. We have chances, and that's the most important thing. If we continue like that, it's going to go in eventually."
After an 0-for-5 performance on the power play on Monday, Minnesota is now scoreless on its first 16 man advantages to start the season.
That's simply not a sustainable statistic moving forward, especially with how many chances and with the amount of zone time the Wild is getting when skating with the extra attacker.

"We're real happy with the power play. Obviously disappointed that we haven't scored on it yet," Evason said. "We have substantial possession time. Real good looks. We think, honestly, it's a matter of execution. And as much as we've worked on it, every day, there's a little bit of a chemistry thing going on.
"No question, it needs to score. I'm not making excuses for it. It needs to help us in a hockey game [like Monday night], no question. But we're staying the course with it."
Fiala has seven shots or more in a game just three times in 68 games last season, and had six or more eight times.
His 21 minutes, 12 seconds of ice time in the season opener was surpassed in just one game last season.
The 18 minutes, 7 seconds he had in game two certainly would have been higher had he not spent four minutes in the penalty box. Still, it would have been his 12th most last season.
If luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity, in hockey parlance, it might as well be when opportunities meet ice time.
Right now, Fiala is getting both, so the points can't be far behind.
"We talk to him. We're in constant communication with him," Evason said. "I don't think it's just Kevin. Guys that have that skillset, they want to produce, they want to help their team and they feel that's the way to do it.
"But the way that Kevin is helping his team is, he's generating offense for other people, he's working, he's getting opportunities. He's a real good teammate. That's helping his team right now. We have no question that points will come if he continues to do the right things."