The Minnesota Wild wanted to keep their winning streak and playoff hopes alive as they took on the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday afternoon, March 30. It was a tight game from the start, with a lot of back-and-forth action and minimal stoppages. The first period ended scoreless despite the Golden Knights outshooting the Wild.
Things got heated in the second, as some penalties were called, but others missed. After what he felt was a missed call, the Golden Knights’ Jack Eichel retaliated with a spear against Kirill Kaprizov, which resulted in a five-minute major and game misconduct. The Wild scored just once on the five-minute major, but it gave them the lead they held through the period.
The Wild outshot the Golden Knights in the second and third periods, but the Golden Knights answered in the third to tie things up right after the Wild’s Filip Gustavsson made a huge save to protect his team’s lead. The tie was held throughout the rest of the period, and overtime was needed.
The Wild’s head coach, John Hynes, knew his team needed points, and he pulled their goalie for the second time this season in overtime. Unfortunately, this time it worked against them as the Golden Knights scored on the empty net and took the two points while the Wild received only one. The Wild held on until the third, and that’s where we’ll start.
Wild’s Defensive Mishap Costs Them
Obviously, pulling the goaltender in overtime didn’t work out for the Wild this time, but it was a risk their coach felt they had to take. Whether it was one point or zero, if they didn’t win that game, the point likely wouldn’t have made a difference when they needed two. That was the losing goal, but it wasn’t the one that cost them the game; that was the Golden Knights’ first goal, resulting from a defensive mistake.
The Wild were in the offensive zone, and Jake Middleton pinched down low while Marco Rossi dropped back to cover the point. Brock Faber was further back, trying to stay behind the Golden Knights player who was cherry-picking. Ultimately, the Golden Knights threw the puck out to their waiting player. Faber was able to cover that player, but Rossi couldn’t get back in time to cover the other Golden Knights forward, who received the pass and shot it right past Gustavsson.
If the Wild are going to have a defender pinch in the offensive zone, they have to make sure the player covering them is ready. Rossi did his best as he’s one of the fastest skaters on the team, but he couldn’t catch up, and they left Faber and Gustavsson alone with a very strong Golden Knights offense.
Wild’s Opposite Special Teams
This loss likely takes away the Wild’s chance at making the postseason, but the game had some good spots. It was a very back-and-forth, quick-moving game the majority of the time, and the Wild didn’t make any glaring mistakes but could’ve done more on the five-minute power play they had. They scored only once when they could have forced at least two goals to give themselves a little more of a lead against the Golden Knights. The Wild have struggled lately to capitalize on their power plays, and it’s costing them.
On the other hand, the Wild’s penalty kill stood tall throughout the game despite the Golden Knights having three chances. Having Joel Eriksson Ek back from injury along with Jonas Brodin has helped strengthen their penalty kill, and it worked out in their favor, even if the result was a loss.
Wild’s Gustavsson Back in Form
Again, despite the loss, there was some good, and Gustavsson’s performance was one of those good things. He faced 30 shots, let in one goal for a save percentage of .967, and played a strong game. The one goal he allowed was more on his defense than him, and he had just made a spectacular save before that play.
After Marc-André Fleury had the net for consecutive games, Gustavsson had his turn, and he proved he was capable in the net. It’ll be interesting to see who they go to in their next game, as this loss to the Golden Knights was not Gustavsson’s fault. With their postseason hopes likely dashed, they could alternate goalies until the end of the season. They would have to win all nine games left and the teams ahead of them to lose every game to even have a chance at getting into the postseason.
Wild Face Senators
The Wild will remain at home, but this time, they’ll face an Eastern Conference team in the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday, April 2. The Senators are far from a postseason spot but that doesn’t mean they aren’t playing to win games.
Related: Wild’s Power Play Issues Remain in Loss to Senators
If the Wild want to win, they must watch Tim Stützle, Brady Tkachuk, Claude Giroux, Drake Batherson, and Jakob Chychrun to prevent them from scoring. On the other hand, the top line that’s been producing nearly every game will have to find a way past Anton Forsberg or Joonas Korpisalo in the net.
Playing against one of the Tkachuk brothers means the game will likely be physical, and the Wild must be ready. They’ll be without Marcus Foligno, who is having season-ending surgery, which was announced following the loss. Hopefully, the Wild can scrape some wins together and make the end of the season fun for fans.
