The Minnesota Wild played host to the Winnipeg Jets for the first time this season on Monday evening, Nov. 25, which was also the Wild’s “Hockey Fights Cancer” night. Players and fans filled out “I Fight for…” signs, and many wore purple to show their support. This was the second time these two teams had played this season, with the first going to the Jets 2-1 in overtime back in October.
The Wild had a scare last week when Kirill Kaprizov looked to injure his knee. While he did miss one game against the Calgary Flames on Saturday, Nov. 23, he was back on the ice against the Jets. Mats Zuccarello remained out as he healed from surgery, and Marat Khusnutdinov was still recovering from an injury as well. The Wild fought hard but couldn’t get past Connor Hellebuyck and fell 4-1.
Wild Face Strong Goaltending
While Filip Gustavsson has proven himself to be one of the best goaltenders in the league, there is someone who is equally as strong as him this season, and that is the goaltender in the opposing net, Connor Hellebuyck. For every strong save Gustavsson made, Hellebuyck made one, too, and then some, as his team was outshot by the Wild 44-32.
Neither of the two goals at the beginning was outright on Gustavsson’s shoulders; the second one especially wasn’t on him as two of his teammates, Joel Eriksson Ek and Yakov Trenin got caught in the offensive zone in fisticuffs while the rest of the play went to the defensive zone. If the players had gotten back on defense, it likely wouldn’t have left Nino Niederreiter wide-open for a shot. The first goal was equally on the defense being out of position and Gutavsson unable to adjust in time.
Hellebuyck was dominant all game, and even when he threw up some big rebounds, the Wild couldn’t convert. He made 43 saves on 44 shots for a .977 save percentage, giving his team the chance they needed to win.
Wild’s Special Teams Fail Them
The Wild’s power play looked to be getting back on track against the Flames on Saturday, but it wouldn’t last. The Wild had two power plays but couldn’t convert on either one, and it partially cost them the game. They had Kaprizov back and some great looks, but Hellebuck stood tall, and despite numerous rebound attempts, the Wild couldn’t get it past him.
The Wild’s penalty kill had been doing well lately, but it fell against the Jets. While that goal didn’t win the game for them, it deflated any hopes the Wild had of coming back. The penalty was at a crucial point in the game when the Wild had all the momentum. The penalty was called, and the goal was scored, which gave the Jets a 3-1 lead.
The Wild know what they need to do on both the penalty kill and power play to be successful, and they need to find a way to make it happen and get back to it. They were doing the right things on the power play, such as moving their feet and passing the puck efficiently, but again, they couldn’t make it happen. Hopefully, this is short-lived, as they need both to win games.
Wild’s Defense Continues to Step Up Offensively
While the top line repeatedly had the strongest chances throughout the night, the defense was the bright spot offensively as they stepped up again to deliver a goal. Jake Middleton, who’s earned his contract and been playing more and more like a forward, scored his fourth goal of the season and gave his team an early lead.
Brock Faber and Middleton have been continuously pushing it offensively, and those efforts have had pros and cons. The Wild want their defense to step in, but they must be careful not to give up too much. Even Jared Spurgeon and Declan Chisholm have gotten in on the action and gotten some shots on goal.
Hopefully, they can continue to fine-tune this area of their game because it would be great to have some offensive contributions from the defense, especially when the forwards struggle to get things going.
Wild Head to Buffalo
The Wild will return to the road for a quick trip to Buffalo to face the Sabres on Wednesday, Nov. 27. The Wild will have to be ready because the Sabres are on a three-game win streak and will be looking to extend that against the Wild. They played strong against the Jets and came up against an even stronger goaltender. They’ll need to shake off this loss and come out with some energy when they face the Sabres to get back on the winning path.
