Yakov Trenin and Marcus Foligno have given the Minnesota Wild their edge back and made life much easier for their linemates. Their physicality doesn’t just excite the crowd or increase the number of hits. It literally cuts through the ice, opening up lanes and buying time until Minnesota’s skill takes over.
When Trenin and Foligno are on the ice, defenders must first prepare for contact and then worry about the puck. This slight shift in priorities is where teammates find room to maneuver. When they attack sharply on the forecheck, defenses stop playing aggressively in the neutral zone and begin to retreat. They know that if they try to stop at the blue line, they can get run over.
Trenin is the league’s top hitter with over 225 hits, and opponents know he’s coming every shift as he stretches his physical play to be among the top.
Foligno has been one of the Wild’s best wall players for years, winning battles and simply pinning defenders deep, turning innocuous dumps into extended offensive zone shifts. Defenders are worried about getting hit, so they retreat half a step faster or peel off the wall faster. This creates a wider central lane for the center to cut through or for trailing wingers to arrive late to soft spots in coverage. Often it’s the difference between a rushed outdoor shot and a clean look from a dangerous area.
Trenin and Foligno don’t always feature in the spotlight, but they have a meaningful impact on plays that lead to goals. Riding shotgun with skilled players like Danila Yurov and Ryan Hartman, they clash, exploding the first battle and arriving second with the skilled player already loosening the pack.
Trenin has enough touch to score double-digit goals, but his real offensive value lies in winning races, keeping defenders off balance, and kicking the puck over the middle or over when the coverage around him collapses.
This kind of post-shift pressure means their line spends more time in the offensive zone than a normal checking unit. It also forces opposing coaches to make uncomfortable decisions. If they use their top pair against Kirill Kaprizov’s line, they risk exposing their softer defenders to Foligno and Trenin’s physical style.
The value they bring without the pack is just as important. Coaches rely on them every time the game gets tense. Foligno draws difficult defensive zone starts because he can close cycles, shut down boards, and finish hits without leaving the play. Trenin’s combination of size, speed and meanness makes him a natural fit on the penalty kill or as a matchup forward against bigger, heavier lines.
That style fits very well into playoff hockey. As the seven-game series continues, the defense hastened to make decisions because they didn’t want Foligno to bury him in the corner. Mr. Trenin’s repeated contacts have a similar effect. By Game 4 or Game 5, opponents are chipping away at the puck earlier, feeding it into Minnesota’s structure and keeping the puck out of their own net.
There is also an emotional and cultural dimension to their activities. Foligno has been a tone-setter in the room for years, and he backs up those words with the way he plays: tough, honest, and willing to answer the bell for his teammates. Trenin arrived with a reputation in the playoffs as the kind of power forward who could carve up offensive depth, fight his own battles, and make every shift a harrowing experience for opposing teams.
Together these give Wilde a distinct identity. They can skate and score, but they can also play a physical game if that’s what they need. Thanks to their physicality, skilled players are able to stay with the puck instead of constantly breaking through tight gaps and taking clean hits. Stars gain space. Trenin and Foligno will be punished for creating it.
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