The Minnesota Wild were coming off a big win over the Florida Panthers when they took on the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday afternoon, Jan. 21. While they took down the Panthers, they also lost some key players. Marc-André Fleury and Connor Dewar were both injured, and they had also lost Frédérick Gaudreau the previous night against the Tampa Bay Lightning, which led to the callups of Jake Lucchini and Jesper Wallstedt.
The Wild carried the same energy they had against the Panthers into their meeting against the Hurricanes. They started the game down a goal but found a way to tie things at one before the period ended. They switched things up and scored the only goal of the second to take a 2-1 lead into the third, where things got interesting.
The Wild held the lead for most of the period, but then the Hurricanes snuck one in to tie it at two. However, they answered almost immediately to retake the lead, and many back-and-forth actions followed. They held the lead and even added not just one but two empty net goals to take the win 5-3 and head home on a high note.
Wild’s “Gus Bus” & “Kirill the Thrill” Are Back
Both Filip Gustavsson and Kirill Kaprizov were injured in their game against the Winnipeg Jets back on Dec. 31, and they both came back in the same game on Jan. 13. Since then, they’ve been working hard to get back into the swing of things but have struggled. On this trip, they both seemed to climb that final hurdle and show they were back on the right track.
Gustavsson started things off with some big saves and kept his team in the game, especially in the first period when they were outshot 18-3, and he let in just one goal. That one goal was due to a breakdown in front of him, and he could not block the shot from the uncovered player.
He still saved the other 17 shots and went on to have a total of 40 saves out of 42 shots for a .952 save percentage (SV%), his highest since their shootout win over the Vancouver Canucks on Dec. 16, where he saved 35 of 36 shots for a .972 SV%. Not to be outdone, Kaprizov worked hard to get on the scoreboard not once but three times.
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It was Kaprizov’s first hat trick of the season and the third of his career. He got his team going with the first two Wild goals of the game, while Joel Eriksson Ek got the third. Kaprizov jumped in once again with his third goal of the game, fourth for the Wild, after blocking a huge 93 mph shot from former Wild defenseman and fan favorite Brent Burns. Hopefully, this is just the start for both Kaprizov and Gustavsson, as the Wild need them both at their best.
Wild’s Defense Becoming Aggressive
Some of the Wild’s success in their win over the Hurricanes can be attributed to their defense playing more aggressively. They did slip up a few times in their zone, which led to the Hurricanes’ multiple goals, but they made up for it. Throughout the game, when they broke into the offensive zone, one of the defensemen would find a way to work deep into the zone. Jake Middleton is one of those players who is always trying this move. Dakota Mermis was another player who nearly scored while trying this move.
Mermis worked well with Mats Zuccarello and Kaprizov, and the trio had a very nice setup that was unfortunately stopped. Under head coach John Hynes, the defense has been more aggressive with each game, and it’s paid off. While Middleton didn’t score this way, he snatched an empty-netter on a strong shot; they want their defense to keep doing it as they’ll get more opportunities to score.
Wild Lots of Missed Chances
The one downside to their win over the Hurricanes, besides their toying with too many penalties again, was their lack of shots. They allowed the Hurricanes to outshoot them in every period, and thanks to Gustavsson making big saves, they got the win.
Their dismal first period in shots was already mentioned, but in the second they were outshot 13-7 and then drew the gap a little closer in the third 11-9. They had a total of 19 shots compared to 42 by the Hurricanes, but they still scored three times. The Wild must find a way to register more shots; they won’t get this lucky every time they get outshot.
Thankfully, although they were outshot, they did block more shots than they had in the last few weeks. Hopefully, with Kaprizov getting his goal-scoring back, he can take more shots and get his teammates to follow suit. They’ll also need their blocked shots to continue, as that helps out their goaltender a lot as well.
Wild Homeward Bound
The Wild will be home for their final three games before the All-Star Break commences. They’ll play host to the Washington Capitals, Nashville Predators, and Anaheim Ducks. Their first opponent in the Capitals has been a handful the last couple of seasons, but the Wild found ways to beat them.
They’ll have to do the same this season and watch out for their top scorers, Alex Ovechkin, Dylan Strome, John Carlson, Tom Wilson, and Anthony Mantha. T.J. Oshie would normally be at the top of this list as well, but he’s missed time due to injury but did record a hat trick of his own on Jan. 18 against the St. Louis Blues.
Related: Wild Lose Gaudreau, Fleuery & Dewar to Injury on Florida Trip
The defense will be very busy, but their offense must also keep things up. They’ll need Kaprizov to keep his scoring going, and his teammates must help as well. They’ve turned a corner in their season once again, and hopefully, they’ll be able to keep it going for more wins.
