Ryan Hartman’s playing style has an extra benefit for the Wild

Between whistles, the NHL is dominated by the speed and skill of its superstars.

Nathan MacKinnon has already eclipsed 100 points for the Avalanche, the Oilers’ Leon Draisaitl isn’t too far behind and Capitals phenom Alex Ovechkin is only nine goals away from passing Wayne Gretzky’s career record — with a game in St. Paul two weeks away.

But getting whistles?

That’s another story.

When it comes to putting their team on the power play, that niche is cornered by the gritty gamers who are aggravating to play against.

Think the Senators’ Brady Tkachuk, former Bruin now Panther Brad Marchand and the Capitals’ Tom Wilson.

The Wild are no exception.

Ryan Hartman has drawn the most penalties on the team. He has a knack for getting the opposition to break the rules, a talent that has headlined the forward’s return from suspension and given the Wild offense a chance to snap out of its slump.

“We’ve cashed in on some of them,” Hartman said. “It should help us in the long run.”

Before the Wild held off Colorado 2-1 in a shootout Tuesday at Xcel Energy Center, Hartman elicited his 20th penalty and fifth in four games since he finished serving an eight-game suspension for roughing Ottawa’s Tim Stützle.

It was a first-period interference call to go along with another interference penalty and a high-sticking double minor from the 3-1 loss to Pittsburgh on Sunday. In the Vancouver game (also a 3-1 defeat), Hartman was tripped; after the trip from Kiefer Sherwood, Hartman and Sherwood tussled briefly, the ensuing fighting major the only penalty Hartman has committed since he’s been back.

“I’ve always been able to draw penalties,” Hartman said. “That’s something I’ve done [in] my career. I’m playing the game fast, and sometimes that creates things. There’s nothing I can do about getting high-sticked in the face or stuff like that.”

But the interference and tripping infractions are indicative of Hartman, 30, being involved, and that’s showed up in other ways, too.

Not only has he chipped in a goal and assist since rejoining the lineup, with his goal coming on the power play after he was interfered with by the Penguins’ Evgeni Malkin, but while Hartman has been on the ice, the Wild have outscored and outchanced the other team. He’s also among Wild leaders in individual scoring chances and high-danger chances, according to Natural Stat Trick, and he’s created the most rebounds.

Through 52 games, Hartman has eight goals and 11 assists.

“I feel really good,” said Hartman, whose eight-game suspension — originally 10 before Hartman appealed and NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman reduced it — was prolonged by the two-week break for the 4 Nations Face-Off. “I’m back at center. Beginning of the season, I was playing center before I got hurt and then after getting back from being injured, there were still things going on that I couldn’t really still play center with draws.

“So, I was out of that position ‘til now. I like being at center. I feel I’m more at home, playing with the puck more, around the puck a lot more than standing at the point in the defensive zone as a winger.”

But not all penalties are caused by having the puck.

Case in point: MacKinnon is 31st in penalties drawn, Draisaitl 12th, while Ovechkin has merited only one penalty.

David Pastrnak is the only top-five scorer who’s also top five in penalties drawn, but the Boston forward wouldn’t even be first on his team if Marchand wasn’t recently traded to Florida. Marchand, with 31 penalties drawn, trails only Tkachuk (32), with Wilson at 30.

What all three players have in common with Hartman is how pesky a matchup they can be.

“I’ve always drawn penalties trying to play the game frustrating guys,” Hartman said. “It’s a way to help out in my role.”

Considering production has been limited lately for the Wild, those power plays can be vital.

The Wild have one goal in each of their past three games going into Thursday’s home tilt vs. the Rangers, and two of those three goals have been scored with the man advantage.

“We feel good as a group,” Hartman said. “Even the last two games before this one, the losses have not really felt like they should have been losses. We like the way we’re playing. We’re playing together. We’re playing fast and keep doing good things.

“I know we only scored one goal again [vs. Colorado], but the pucks are going to start going in.”