Wild coach makes a statement after embarrassing loss.

Let it be known, Minnesota Wild interim coach John Torchetti is not going to accept embarrassing performances any longer.

After his team suffered an embarrassing 7-4 loss at the hands of the New Jersey Devils on Thursday night, Torchetti made a statement today by benching a healthy forward.

Torchetti has decided to make Wild forward Thomas Vanek a healthy scratch for Saturday's crucial game against the Carolina Hurricanes.

the 32-year old has just two assists in his last six games and he finished Thursday’s game with a minus-2 rating despite playing under 14 minutes.

The Wild are in the midst of an intense playoff race and today's game feels like a must-win.

The Wild are three points behind the Avalanche for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. Today’s game against Carolina is Minnesota’s game in hand.

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Feels like a must-win game today, and Thomas Vanek is a healthy scratch for the #mnwild

Chris Porter also out. I believe Nate Prosser, too

— Michael Russo (@Russostrib) March 19, 2016

Images Courtesy of Keystone Press