The Minnesota Wild looked to keep their win streak and playoff hopes alive when they took on the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday evening, March 14. They were without Joel Eriksson Ek, who was injured in their last game against the Arizona Coyotes on March 12. However, that misfortune gave another player a chance to crack the lineup, and that was their new Russian prodigy, Marat Khusnutdinov.
The Wild started the game strong, scoring the first goal late in the opening period. They held the lead into the second, adding another goal early to take a 2-0 lead. Despite some close calls, the Wild kept the Ducks off the board, and into the third, they went. The Ducks had a goal waved off due to offsides, and the Wild kept their lead.
The action continued back and forth throughout the final frame, with near goals both ways. However, the Wild were able to protect their lead and came out on top for the third game in a row, which helped their playoff hopes even more. The Wild’s top line helped them come out on top once again, and that’s where we’ll start.
Wild’s Hartman Steps Up
Just when the Wild had their top line the way they wanted and added points in nearly every game, they had to change it. With Eriksson Ek’s injury, they had to move someone else to the top line, and that was Ryan Hartman. He’s been in that position before but he hadn’t been paired with Matt Boldy and Kirill Kaprizov together.
The chemistry worked, and both Hartman and Kaprizov showed the magic they’ve always had with the game’s first goal. It can be rough when changing lines up, even with just changing out one player, but not this time. Hartman fit in pretty seamlessly and played quite well. He’s been steady most of the season, but his game is almost always better when he’s paired with Kaprizov.
Hartman may not have scored the goal, but he made the heads-up pass to Kaprizov, who was waiting at the open corner to one-time it in. With Eriksson Ek out for an unknown amount of time, it’s encouraging to see the top line still performing how it needs to.
Wild’s Khusnutdinov Everything They Want
Khusnutdinov has been almost as highly touted as Kaprizov and did not disappoint. While he didn’t score in his NHL debut, he had more of a defensive side to his game than Kaprizov did in his early days. He was fast on his feet and had a great hockey IQ knowing where to be and when. He showed no signs of nerves and played with confidence.
Related: Wild’s Khusnutdinov Could Be the NHL’s Next Great 2-Way Center
He had one hit but won six out of nine faceoffs for 66.7 percent, and he blocked a team-leading four shots, including one that went off the blade of his skate. His offensive game will come, but it’s great how strong his defensive game is already. The Wild can never have too many defensive-minded forwards, especially with Eriksson Ek out.
Khusnutdinov has only played one game, but he’s already shown a lot of potential, and he can only go up from here. One part of his offensive game that the Wild really need is his ability to win faceoffs. The team has struggled with that for a long time, and if he can keep winning faceoffs, he’s exactly what they have been looking for.
Wild’s Fleury & Bogosian Do Well
Marc-André Fleury continued his strong play, this time earning a shutout, stopping all 17 shots he faced. He even had some players get in his face a little bit, but he stood tall against them. He continues to hit milestones this season, as that was his 560th career win and 75th shutout. It was his third straight start, and it’ll be interesting to see if they continue having him start since he’s on a hot streak.
Shutout no. 75 for the 🌸#mnwild pic.twitter.com/3xQyVh281e
— Minnesota Wild (@mnwild) March 15, 2024
Someone else who has been playing solidly and earned a contract extension is Zach Bogosian. He wasted no time taking a shot from the point to score the first goal of the game and give his team the boost they needed to play strongly. His play is typically behind the scenes, but against the Ducks, he was front and center after his goal. Hopefully, he can add a few more as they continue to work their way towards a playoff spot.
Wild’s Next Opponent
The Wild will travel for the next three games, with the first possibly the most crucial of the season thus far. They’ll face the St. Louis Blues on Saturday evening, March 16, and it’s a must-win game. The Blues are right behind the Wild in the postseason race, and if they can get a few more points ahead, they will be even closer to securing a spot.
The Wild’s defense must be ready for the top-scoring power of Robert Thomas, Pavel Buchnevich, Jordan Kyrou, Torey Krug, and Brandon Saad. However, the offense must find a way past Jordan Binnington or Joel Hofer. If Fleury and Binnington are in the net, things could get heated quite quickly, as those two tried to fight in the past. Hopefully, the Wild can keep things calm and cool to secure another win and distance themselves from the Blues.
