The Minnesota Wild earned a hard-fought 5-4 shootout victory over the Utah Hockey Club at Delta Center on Tuesday, with Marcus Johansson leading the charge by scoring one goal and recording two assists. Johansson’s performance was crucial, especially in the closing moments when Marco Rossi tied the game 4-4 with 44 seconds left in regulation, capitalizing on a pass from Johansson. Despite facing some challenges, including two tough goals allowed in the third period, Johansson remained positive about the team’s resilience. “Winning is all that matters,” he said, acknowledging the tough stretch in the third period but emphasizing the importance of coming back for a crucial win.
The Wild’s offense also saw contributions from Kirill Kaprizov and Marat Khusnutdinov, while Filip Gustavsson made 21 saves and was perfect in the shootout, stopping all three of Utah’s attempts. Minnesota’s coach, John Hynes, praised the team’s mental and physical toughness, noting that despite the ups and downs of the game, the Wild stuck with their plan and earned the two points. “Toughness wins,” Hynes said, highlighting the strong play of both teams throughout the game. The Wild’s victory marked their sixth win in the last seven games, improving their record to 19-5-4.
On the other side, Clayton Keller of Utah was a standout, scoring twice to help the Hockey Club stay competitive. Goalie Karel Vejmelka made 34 saves in the losing effort, and despite Utah’s solid performance, the team could not hold on for the win. Utah coach Andre Tourigny recognized the challenge of facing a strong opponent like Minnesota, especially when his team was low on energy. “We could feel we’re not as energetic as we normally are,” Tourigny said, but he still appreciated the team’s late push in the game, even if they couldn’t close out the victory.
The game started with Utah taking a 1-0 lead when Kevin Stenlund scored a one-timer on Gustavsson in the first period. However, a review in the second period helped Minnesota avoid falling further behind, as Utah’s Dylan Guenther’s goal was overturned for being offside. The Wild capitalized on the break, with Khusnutdinov tying the game on a breakaway after intercepting a pass from Mikhail Sergachev. Minnesota then surged ahead with Kaprizov’s breakaway goal 36 seconds later, giving them a brief 2-1 lead.
In the third period, Keller’s two power-play goals helped Utah claw back, the second tying the game at 3-3. The Wild responded with Johansson’s goal to regain the lead, but Utah’s Juuso Valimaki scored to give his team a 4-3 advantage. Despite this, the Wild’s late-game heroics, including Rossi’s tying goal and the subsequent shootout win, sealed the victory. Keller expressed his optimism despite the loss, acknowledging the team’s improvement and the potential for growth going forward. Both teams played hard, but Minnesota’s perseverance ultimately earned them the win.
