The Minnesota Wild faced the Edmonton Oilers in a quick one-game road trip on Saturday night, Jan. 31, to end the month. They were hopeful that Zach Bogosian would be able to return to the lineup, but he was not quite ready and remained out plus Nico Sturm was also out due to an illness. Jesper Wallstedt was back in the net after Filip Gustavsson was in for their most recent win against the Calgary Flames on Thursday, Jan. 29.
The Wild started out behind but battled back twice through the first period before they took their first lead early in the second. They added to it late in the period that gave them a two-goal lead. The Wild continued to score through the third period to take the 7-3 win. In this article, we’ll look at a few takeaways, starting with their goaltending.
Wild’s Wallstedt Made the Stops
Although he allowed two goals early in the game, Jesper Wallstedt was solid throughout the game. He started the game with a huge save on a Connor McDavid breakaway attempt, and from then on, he was solid. Again, some goals did get past him, but that’s going to happen when playing a team like the Oilers.
He faced 42 shots and made 39 saves, the fourth highest of the season for him. He made strong saves against all of the big names from McDavid to Leon Draisaitl to Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and everyone else. He also stepped up and helped his team offensively as he got the secondary assist on the first power play goal of the game.
Allowing the first goal under five minutes into the game to a team like the Oilers could be enough to derail a goaltender’s mindset, but Wallstedt stuck to it. It also helped that his team responded quickly, not once but twice, and had his back throughout the whole game.
Wild’s Big Guns Step Up
In their recent win over the Flames, the Wild got their scoring started with players who aren’t typically on the scoresheet; against the Oilers, it was the opposite. They climbed back into the game after getting down early with a goal from Joel Eriksson Ek. Then, when the Oilers took the lead again, the Wild’s star Kirill Kaprizov answered to tie the game once again.
After Eriksson Ek and Kaprizov, it was Mats Zuccarello’s turn. He stepped up on a faceoff win and one-timed the puck right past the goaltender to give his team their first lead of the game early in the middle period. That wasn’t the final goal either; their next goal was scored by their newest big gun in Quinn Hughes.
The next two goals were Vladimir Tarasenko and Tyler Pitlick, both players aren’t on the list of big scorers, but they gave the Wild the cushion they needed. Their final goal was scored by another big name on the list, and that was Brock Faber, who has started to contribute to the lineup more and more. The Wild needed a lot of names on the scoresheet to get past the Oilers, and they accomplished that.
Wild’s Power Play Makes a Difference
Although the Wild scored seven goals throughout the night, it was their first two goals that made all the difference, and they were both on the power play. They got behind early, but instead of falling back on their heels, they fought back and used their man advantage to climb back into the game, not just once but twice.
There have been several games this season that could’ve had different outcomes if the Wild had found success on their power play. That was true against the Oilers as well. If the Wild hadn’t found a way to respond on back-to-back power plays, it’s possible the game could’ve gone the other way, and the Oilers could’ve taken the lead.
Related: Wild Trading Wallstedt for O’Reilly or Wright Could Make Sense
While their power play made a clear difference on the scoreboard, their penalty kill also stepped up to keep the Oilers off the board, which was just as important. The Wild only gave the Oilers two chances on the power play, and they stopped both of them, which also helped them earn the win alongside their own power play.
The Wild will head back home to play their final home game before the Olympic break on Monday night, Feb. 2, against the Montréal Canadiens. Following that game, they’ll have one more on the road before they’re done until the end of the month.
