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The young coach, hand-picked by General Manager Chuck Fletcher, had rallied the Wild into playoff contention, earning praise all around the league.

His temporary success only served as a prelude to the greatest challenge to and of his career.

By the time the public had reacted to a surprising stretch of winning hockey, the Wild had stumbled, and franchise player Mikko Koivu had suffered a pivotal injury. Worse, a key player, a talented veteran from Czechoslovakia, had revolted, and suddenly the affable young coach had to wonder how he was going to survive the season.

That's true today, in the wake of veteran defenseman Marek Zidlicky complaining about his role under Mike Yeo on a day when the Wild blew a two-goal, third-period lead to lose 5-4 to Nashville at the X.

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