The Wild's demise wasn't sudden or swift, or a season that splintered irreparably without warning.
It was the exact opposite.
The regression happened over time. Adversity chipped away at the team during a monthslong process in which it was eroded by injuries, scoring woes and an inability to take advantage of the respites when they occurred.
Watered-down inconsistency was all that was left from this grind _ so much so that when the Wild finally learned their fate, they didn't come as a shock that the team would be missing out on the playoffs for the first time in seven years.
"There was never a prolonged time where everything was good at the same time," coach Bruce Boudreau said.
As predictable as this finish was, the start wasn't indicative of such troubles.
Returning mostly the same roster from previous years on the heels of a conservative offseason by new general manager Paul Fenton, the Wild seemed to benefit from the lack of turnover in the first half.
A five-game win streak in October, which tied for the longest of the season, sparked a 10-2 run that lifted the team to third place in the NHL. Although the Wild leveled off some, their momentum didn't come to an abrupt halt until Dec. 15, when defenseman Matt Dumba suffered a torn pectoral muscle in a fight with the Flames' Matthew Tkachuk.
Dumba underwent season-ending surgery, which left the Wild without one of their most-used defenders, resident power-play specialist and locker-room sparkplug.
When he was sidelined, Dumba led NHL defensemen in goals (12) and was among Wild leaders in power-play points, ice time and shots.
"Just a major loss for us," goalie Devan Dubnyk said. "He was our best player hands down, and that's not taking away from everybody else. It's just he was that good for us up until the injury."
