Tag: Minnesota Wild

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NHL (National Hockey League)

Two Kings achieve milestones in victory over Wild

Los Angeles Kings and Minnesota Wild

Adrian Kempe and Alex Laferriere scored in the first two periods as the Los Angeles Kings extended their winning streak to five games with a 4-1 win over the Minnesota Wild on Saturday night.

Trevor Moore added two empty-net goals, and Anze Kopitar recorded an assist in his 1,400th career game. Los Angeles goaltender Darcy Kuemper made 22 saves in his 400th career game, helping the Kings earn their second win of the season against the Wild, who are tied for the NHL’s best points total.

Yakov Trenin scored for the Wild, and Marc-Andre Fleury made 30 saves. The Wild’s five-game winning streak was snapped on the second night of a back-to-back, and it was their second regulation loss on the road this season.

Minnesota’s Kirill Kaprizov, who led the NHL in points going into the game, had his three-game goal streak and five-game point streak end.

The Kings took a 1-0 lead with 43 seconds left in the first period when Kempe drove to the net. His shot, after a save by Fleury off a Kopitar attempt, deflected off his skate and into the net for his 13th goal of the season.

Minnesota Wild (NHL)

Kopitar, playing in his 1,400th game, also had an assist, bringing his total to 23 for the season. He is the 43rd player in NHL history to play 1,400 games and one of just four still active.

Los Angeles made it 2-0 at 8:33 in the second period with Laferriere scoring on a power play, firing a shot from the left circle that went just inside the right post for his 12th goal of the season.

Moore made it 3-0 with an empty-net goal at 1:54 left in the third period, just before Trenin scored for the Wild at 1:13 to break Kuemper’s shutout. Moore added another empty-net goal eight seconds later.

The Wild only had three shots on goal in the second period and finished with 23 shots in total, compared to the Kings’ 34.

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NHL (National Hockey League)

Wild and Kings aim to extend their longest win streaks of the season

Minnesota Wild (NHL)

The Minnesota Wild, currently on a season-high five-game winning streak, will face a quick turnaround as they visit the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday.

On Friday, the Wild won 5-1 against the Anaheim Ducks, following a scoreless first period. Marco Rossi scored twice and added an assist, while Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy also had three-point games. Goaltender Filip Gustavsson made 26 saves.

The Wild, with an NHL-best 40 points, have been excellent on the road, extending their away points streak to nine games (7-0-2). Kaprizov has been a key player, recording points in 13 straight road games and leading the league with 42 points in 25 games.

“The team keeps winning and it’s easy to play for myself and it’s easy to play for the whole team,” Kaprizov said. “You come to the rink and you love to come here. Everybody is smiling, joking around and having some fun. You go into the game and try to show your best.”

Minnesota’s winning streak began just before Thanksgiving in Buffalo. During this stretch, the Wild have displayed the best defense in the NHL, allowing only 1.4 goals per game, and have given up a league-low 61 goals this season.

Los Angeles Kings before the game

Against the Ducks, Rossi scored both of his goals early in the second period, and Boldy added another in a six-minute span. Kaprizov assisted on two of the second-period goals and scored early in the third. He became the fastest player in franchise history to reach 40 points, surpassing his previous record from the 2022-23 season.

“He’s a maniac, he’s insane,” Boldy said of Kaprizov. “It’s fun to watch and it’s fun to be out there with him.”

The Kings are also on a strong run, winning four straight games, including a 3-2 victory over the Dallas Stars on Wednesday. Despite trailing 2-0 after the first period, they rallied in the second and took the lead early in the third, with Warren Foegele scoring the game-winner. Foegele and Tanner Jeannot each scored a goal and recorded an assist, while Joel Edmundson also found the net.

“They’re just hard workers,” Edmundson said of Foegele and Jeannot. “The way the game was going, it was going to be a couple of greasy goals, and they’re just around the net. That’s their game, and nothing too flashy. … Every team needs guys like that.”

The Wild and Kings last played on Nov. 5 in Minnesota, with the Kings winning 5-1. Trevor Lewis scored twice in the third period to seal the win. It was the Wild’s only loss in a six-game stretch and one of just two losses during a 9-2-0 run.

However, Lewis has struggled since then, failing to score in the Kings’ next 11 games, and he was placed on injured reserve Wednesday with a lower-body injury. The injury-plagued Wild are also missing key players, including forwards Joel Eriksson Ek and Mats Zuccarello, as well as defenseman Jonas Brodin.

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NHL (National Hockey League)

Wild continue their dominance over the Ducks with a 5-1 win

Minnesota Wild and Anaheim Ducks

Marco Rossi scored two goals and added an assist as the Minnesota Wild stretched their winning streak to a season-high five games with a 5-1 victory over the Anaheim Ducks on Friday night.

Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy each scored a goal and recorded two assists, and Yakov Trenin also scored for the Wild, who improved to 17-1-0 in their last 18 games against the Ducks and 12-2-0 in their last 14 visits to Anaheim.

Filip Gustavsson made 26 saves for his fifth career win over the Ducks (5-1-0).

Brock McGinn scored for Anaheim, which has lost three of its last four games (1-3-0).

John Gibson stopped 28 shots but dropped to 0-5-3 in his last eight starts against the Wild.

Rossi opened the scoring on a power play at 4:22 of the second period, redirecting a pass from Kaprizov past Gibson for his eighth goal of the season.

The Wild made it 2-0 when Rossi scored off the rebound of Boldy’s point shot at 8:03 of the second, giving him his ninth goal of the season.

Anaheim Ducks (NHL)

Boldy completed a passing play with Kaprizov and Rossi for his 12th goal of the season at 10:51, putting Minnesota ahead 3-0.

Rossi has points in four straight games (three goals, three assists).

The Wild extended their lead to 4-0 at 1:21 of the third period when Kaprizov scored on the rebound of Boldy’s point shot for his team-leading 17th goal.

Kaprizov, who has three goals and three assists in two games against the Ducks this season, has points in five straight games (four goals, four assists).

Anaheim got on the scoreboard at 16:37 of the third when McGinn, recently activated from injured reserve, redirected a Cam Fowler shot past Gustavsson for his fourth goal of the season.

Trenin scored his first goal of the season with a short-handed empty-netter at 18:43 of the third.

Before the game, Ducks forward Trevor Zegras was placed on injured reserve with a lower-body injury he suffered in Wednesday’s loss to the Vegas Golden Knights.

On Friday afternoon, Anaheim traded for defenseman Jacob Trouba from the New York Rangers in exchange for defenseman Urho Vaakanainen and a conditional fourth-round draft pick in 2025.

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The Minnesota Wild defeated the Vancouver Canucks in overtime 3-2 on Tuesday

Minnesota Wild and Vancouver Canucks

Kirill Kaprizov scored in the last minute of overtime to give the Minnesota Wild a 3-2 win over the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday night in Saint Paul, Minn.

Frederick Gaudreau and Jake Middleton also scored for Minnesota, which won its fourth consecutive game, with the last two going into overtime.

Quinn Hughes and Jake DeBrusk each scored for Vancouver, which earned one point by reaching overtime. The Canucks have played in overtime in their last three games, winning the first two.

Wild goaltender Filip Gustavsson saved 30 of 32 shots to get the win. Kevin Lankinen stopped 26 of 29 shots for Vancouver.

Kaprizov scored the game-winning goal on a two-on-one rush into the offensive zone. Marco Rossi carried the puck across the blue line and passed it to Kaprizov, who fired a one-timer from the right circle to score his team-leading 16th goal of the season.

Quinn Hughes
Quinn Hughes – Vancouver Canucks

Vancouver got on the board first with a power-play goal at 11:23 of the first period. Hughes took a wrist shot through traffic for his sixth goal of the season and second in the past four games.

Minnesota tied the game at 1-1 with 12:04 remaining in the second period when Gaudreau scored on an odd-man rush for his fifth goal of the season.

The Canucks regained the lead in the final minute of the second period. Carson Soucy’s long shot was blocked before it reached the crease, but Elias Pettersson found the loose puck and passed it to DeBrusk, who scored his 11th goal. DeBrusk has five goals in his last three games, including a hat trick on Sunday.

Minnesota quickly answered to tie the game at 2-2 with 18:17 remaining in the third period. Middleton stopped a Vancouver clearing attempt, turned to his forehand, and scored from the left circle for his fifth goal.

Vancouver was 1-for-3 on the power play, while Minnesota was 0-for-1.

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Jared Spurgeon delivers once more, scoring the game-winning goal in overtime to lead the Wild past the Predators

Minnesota Wild and Nashville Predators

Jared Spurgeon scored the game-winning goal just 58 seconds into overtime to give the Minnesota Wild a 3-2 win over the Nashville Predators on Saturday night in St. Paul, Minn.

Spurgeon and Kirill Kaprizov each had a goal and an assist for Minnesota, which won its third straight game. Declan Chisholm also scored a goal.

For Nashville, Fedor Svechkov and Ryan O’Reilly each scored, as the team lost its third consecutive overtime game. Roman Josi recorded two assists.

Wild goalie Filip Gustavsson made 25 saves on 27 shots to secure the win, while Predators goalie Juuse Saros allowed three goals on 28 shots.

Kaprizov set up the game-winning goal by carrying the puck into the offensive zone and sending a backhand pass to Spurgeon in the slot. Spurgeon then scored with a one-timer, his third goal in two games.

Nashville Predators (NHL)

This was Spurgeon’s second game-winning goal in as many days, as he also scored to help the Wild defeat the Chicago Blackhawks 3-2 on Friday afternoon.

Minnesota took a 1-0 lead with 1:03 left in the first period. Chisholm fired a slap shot through traffic for his first goal of the season and the fourth of his career.

Nashville tied the game with 21 seconds remaining in the first period when Svechkov scored his first NHL goal with a one-timer from the right circle. Svechkov, a 2021 first-round pick, celebrated with his teammates.

The Predators took a 2-1 lead on a power play with 17:31 left in the second period. Steven Stamkos passed to the slot, where O’Reilly redirected the puck into the net for his fifth goal.

The Wild responded with a power-play goal of their own at 11:36 of the second. Kaprizov redirected the puck into the net with one hand for his team-leading 15th goal.

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NHL (National Hockey League)

Predators look to improve offense in matchup against Wild

Nashville Predators (NHL)

The Minnesota Wild will try to win again on Saturday when they face the Nashville Predators in St. Paul, Minn. after their 3-2 victory against the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday. Captain Jared Spurgeon scored twice and Marco Rossi added a goal, helping Minnesota secure its second straight win. Now, they are aiming for a third win in a row.

“Straight lines and simple hockey, that works for us,” Spurgeon said.

The Predators will be looking to disrupt the Wild’s winning streak. Nashville also played on Friday, losing 3-2 in overtime to the Tampa Bay Lightning at home. Captain Roman Josi scored both goals for Nashville, which earned one point but has now lost two straight games in overtime.

Nashville coach Andrew Brunette said the team needs to improve offensively.

“Nobody’s really feeling it,” Brunette said. “If you look up and down our roster, we’re having a hard time scoring. So, nobody’s really feeling great about their game. And usually when you don’t feel good about your game, these kind of things happen. So, we have to try to find a way to feel a little better about our game.”

Minnesota Wild vs Seattle Kraken

Spurgeon has been important for the Wild this season after missing six games in October while recovering from hip and back surgeries. His leadership and contributions have helped Minnesota’s performance.

“Just having him around, having his leadership presence, it’s a night-and-day different feel as a group of guys,” Wild defenseman Brock Faber said. “Obviously, he’s the leader of that. His off-ice characteristics and on-ice (contributions) are just helping us a whole lot.”

The Predators may choose to play Scott Wedgewood in goal instead of Juuse Saros on back-to-back nights. Saros made 25 saves on 28 shots on Friday. Wedgewood has a 1-2-1 record with a 3.69 goals-against average and an .878 save percentage in five games (four starts) this season. He needs one more win to reach 50 career wins.

Wedgewood has faced Minnesota five times in his career, posting a 1-1-2 record with a 2.94 GAA and a .900 save percentage. The Wild are likely to start Filip Gustavsson in goal. Gustavsson has a 10-4-3 record this season with a 2.06 GAA and a .929 save percentage. In five career games against Nashville, Gustavsson is 2-2-1 with a 3.39 GAA and an .882 save percentage.

Josi said the Predators are focused on improving their offense. Nashville has been outscored 11-6 in its last three games.

“It’s hard to win in this league when you score two goals a game, and we’re working on it,” Josi said. “We’re trying to find it. I think we’ve got a ton of talent in here that can put the puck in the net. … The only thing we can do is press down and keep working on it and keep trying. Keep going to the net, keep shooting the puck.”

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NHL (National Hockey League)

Tage Thompson set to return as Sabres host Wild

Tage Thompson (NHL)

After a successful West Coast road trip, the Buffalo Sabres will return home on Wednesday to play the Minnesota Wild. They are likely to have their top goal-scorer back in the lineup.

Tage Thompson, the Sabres’ leading scorer, told reporters after practice on Tuesday that he would be “ready to go” for the game against the second-place team in the Central Division. The 27-year-old center, who scored 47 goals and 94 points two seasons ago, has been out since Nov. 11 due to a lower-body injury. Even though he has missed five games, Thompson still leads the team with 11 goals and ranks third in points with 18.

The Sabres swept their California road trip, defeating Los Angeles, Anaheim, and San Jose over four days. After a break on Sunday and Monday, they returned to practice on Tuesday morning.

The winning streak has Buffalo tied for eighth place in the Eastern Conference. However, Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff, who was last in charge when the team made the playoffs in 2011, knows his team needs to keep improving, especially against tough competition.

Ruff said that Tuesday’s practice did not start as well as he would have liked. “You come in off a road trip, and you’re hoping that the team can be ready to exceed the intensity that we were able to bring on the trip,” Ruff explained. “It’s the only way to get better.”

Buffalo Sabres players celebrate after a goal

One area Ruff wants to improve is staying out of the penalty box. While on the road, Buffalo gave opponents 12 power-play opportunities, while they only had seven chances on the power play.

Minnesota is coming to Buffalo after a 4-1 loss at home to Central Division leaders Winnipeg on Monday. This was their second straight loss, following a shootout defeat to Calgary on Saturday.

Even though the Wild lost, they played hard. The team set a season-high 44 shots on goal, with half of those coming in the first period. The 22 shots in the first period were the second-most of any team in a single period this season, and the most the Wild had in one period in nearly seven years.

Wild head coach John Hynes felt his team played well but couldn’t get past Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck, a two-time Vezina Trophy winner. “There’s some things that we can grow from the game, but we got a lot of hockey this week too,” Hynes said. “So, we got to put this one behind us, grab what we can take out of it, and then we got to make sure that we’re refreshed again (Tuesday) and we’re ready to go against Buffalo.”

Despite the two losses, Minnesota’s 30 points in 21 games match the franchise’s best start, which was set in the 2013-14 season.

Wild left winger Kirill Kaprizov leads the team with 13 goals and 21 assists. His 34 points are tied for third in the NHL, alongside Vegas’ Jack Eichel, just one point behind co-leaders Martin Necas of Carolina and Nathan MacKinnon of Colorado.

Minnesota might be without defenseman Jakub Lauko, who left Monday’s game early with a lower-body injury. Hynes did not provide an update on Lauko’s condition after the game.

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NHL (National Hockey League)

Alex Iafallo scores two goals as Jets dominate Wild in a big win

Winnipeg Jets and Minnesota Wild

Alex Iafallo scored two goals as the Winnipeg Jets defeated the Minnesota Wild 4-1 on Monday night in Saint Paul, Minn.

Nino Niederreiter and Adam Lowry also scored for Winnipeg, which kept the best record in the NHL with their 18th win in 22 games this season. Neal Pionk added two assists.

Jake Middleton scored the only goal for Minnesota.

Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck made 43 saves to improve his record to 15-2-0 this season.

Wild goaltender Filip Gustavsson stopped 28 shots but dropped to 9-4-3.

Minnesota took the lead with 11:23 left in the first period. Marcus Johansson took a shot that Hellebuyck stopped, but the rebound went to Middleton, who scored to give the Wild a 1-0 lead.

Iafallo tied the game at 1-1 with 9:57 remaining in the first period, scoring on a backhand shot with an assist from Rasmus Kupari.

Filip Gustavsson defends against St. Louis Blues’ Jake Neighbours during the second period of an NHL hockey game

Winnipeg took a 2-1 lead with 7:55 left in the second period when Niederreiter scored against his former team. He made a move in front of the net and scored his ninth goal of the season.

Iafallo added his second goal of the game and fourth of the season, giving the Jets a 3-1 lead with 6:40 left in the third period. He redirected a shot from Pionk on the power play for his 100th career goal, achieved in the same state where he played college hockey at the University of Minnesota-Duluth.

Lowry sealed the win for Winnipeg with an empty-net goal with 1:03 left, his fifth goal of the season.

The Jets were 1-for-3 on the power play, while the Wild went 0-for-2.