The Minnesota Wild were looking to get their first regulation win on the road when they faced division rival the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday, Oct. 15. They had to play for the second straight game without their best two-way player, Joel Eriksson Ek, who was still out with a broken nose. Due to a lower-body injury, they were also without their captain, Jared Spurgeon.
For the fourth consecutive game, the Wild started the scoring first, this time on the power play by Ryan Hartman to put his team up 1-0. There were some close calls throughout the period, but the Wild held the lead. In the second, they added another goal to extend their lead 2-0. This time, the goal was by newcomer Jakub Lauko, and it was shorthanded. Again, Filip Gustavsson was tested in the net but held strong until the third.
In the third period, the Wild kept with their theme of a goal per period and added one even strength by Marco Rossi to give his team a commanding 3-0 lead. However, the Blues found their way past Gustavsson midway through the period and looked like they may have a chance at a comeback, but the Wild held on. To seal the deal after the Blues pulled Jordan Binnington, Gustavsson sent one the length of the ice for the Wild’s second power-play goal and their first-ever goalie goal to take the win 4-1. We’ll look at some takeaways covering the Wild’s win, the first being their special teams efforts.
Wild’s Special Teams Bounce Back
After losing in overtime to the Winnipeg Jets on Sunday, Oct. 13, having their special teams shut out on the power play, and allowing a goal while shorthanded, the Wild were looking to have a better night. The Wild scored twice while on the power play and once while shorthanded, and their penalty kill was 100 percent.
They also stayed disciplined and only took two penalties throughout the game, so their penalty kill didn’t have to work quite as hard as other games. They were blocking shots and getting in passing lanes, and when the puck got through, Gustavsson was ready to make the save. It was a team effort without two of their top killers, Eriksson Ek and Spurgeon.
Their penalty kill did what was expected, and their power play had some nice setups. Again, they could make clean, crisp passes but kept moving instead of standing still. That was one of the biggest problems that has been pointed out many times since last season, the Wild loved to pass the puck on the power play but they were too predictable and by the time they took the shot, the defense was set.
With their quick passes, they’ve had better luck catching the defense out of position this season. Hopefully, they can keep up this speed and improve their plays as the season progresses.
Wild’s Gustavsson Gains Confidence
In the last two games against the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Winnipeg Jets, it was evident that Gustavsson had found his game again. He wasn’t 100 percent back to the same form he had in 2022-23, but he was clearly better and more confident than last season. Against the Blues, he was like his old self and made great stops.
He made 37 saves on 38 shots for a .964 save percentage (SV%) and now has a record of 2-0-1 with a .948 (SV%) and 1.66 goals against average, very respectable numbers, and a goalie goal can be added to that. It’s only been three games, but Gustavsson looks faster and sharper, plus, more importantly, more confident. The biggest struggle for him last season was his lack of confidence, and as soon as the other team got one by him, he couldn’t get himself back mentally to keep making stops.
This season has brought about a new and improved Gustavsson, like last season never happened. Granted, it is still very early in the season, but he’s proven he’s earned the starting spot, at least for now. It’ll be interesting to see how the Wild play this, but Gustavsson will likely be seeing a lot more of the net.
Wild Get Depth Results
The Wild’s top line had a goal and three assists, but they weren’t the only line that could produce. Lauko, from the fourth line, stepped up big with help from Marat Khusnutdinov on the penalty kill to score the Wild’s first shorthanded goal of the season. The second line also found a way to score, but not the way everyone expected. Matt Boldy, who’s been hot this season, was stumped for the second consecutive game, but Hartman came up big.
He wasn’t on his normal line at the time of the goal; he was actually on the power play and had a great pass from Kirill Kaprizov to set up the goal. Finally, to round out the depth of the lineup, Gustavsson went for a goalie goal and scored to show that the Wild have scoring throughout their lineup, including their goaltender.
The Wild have the talent to win games, and they’ve proven that despite not always getting the win these last few games. They’ve had players step up and score from different lines, and even without two of their top players, they prevailed. They’ll need this type of production to continue if they hope to keep winning games.
Wild Have Off Time
The Wild are currently on their longest road trip of the season, but they will have three days off before they have to play again, which gives them some time at home. They’ll have a day off before an outdoor practice that is open to the public on Thursday, Oct. 17, in St. Louis Park. They’ll have another practice on Friday, Oct. 18, before they head to Columbus to face the Blue Jackets on the road on Saturday, Oct. 19.
The Wild already faced the Blue Jackets once this season and found a way to come out on top, but the game was close all the way through. They’ll have to play like they did against the Blues if they want to get past the Blue Jackets a second time. Gustavsson will likely get the start, but it’ll be interesting to see what direction the Wild takes and who they trust to get the win.
