The Minnesota Wild were finally back in action after ten days without a game played. They were on the road with a later start time against the Chicago Blackhawks who were without superstar Connor Bedard. The Wild were without Connor Dewar and Patrick Maroon, who are still on the injured list with Maroon undergoing back surgery, but they did get Marc-André Fleury back on the bench to back up Filip Gustavsson, who got the start.
The Wild got things started not once but twice before it actually counted. It appeared they had scored early in the first, but it was waved off for goaltender interference. However, they got it to count later in the period and took a 1-0 lead. They protected the lead through the rest of the first, but then, in the second, a breakdown on defense allowed the Blackhawks to tie things up at one.
The true test came in the third, to see if the Wild could bounce back despite giving up another lead. Things looked a little tense until Gustavsson made some big saves, and then the Wild found a way to sneak one in and retake the lead. That lead held despite some close calls, and they started their return from the All-Star Break on the right foot. One of the main storylines of the night was the Foligno brothers, and that’s where we’ll start.
Foligno Brothers Battle
It was the 24th time Marcus and Nick Foligno, both alternate captains for their respective teams, have played against each other, and Marcus has had a slight advantage over the seasons with 14 wins to 10, according to the TNT TV broadcast. Nick started out with the upper hand as he scored to get his team back into the game, but then his brother had to have the last say.
Marcus scored to give the Wild a lead late in the third and somewhat redeemed his time in the penalty box. He secured all nine penalty minutes for the Wild and owed his penalty kill a thank you, as they were perfect all night. He’s been more reliable this season, and now that he’s got another goal, hopefully, he can start scoring more often.
Wild Full Effort
The break did some good for the Wild; although they didn’t come out with much energy, they weren’t making lazy mistakes either. They seemed to be doing almost everything right in terms of play. Their offense was dropping back and helping out on defense while their defense stepped up and took shots on the offensive side.
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They remained calm and didn’t give up the puck as often as they had been before the break. They were also communicating well, something they’ve struggled on and off with all season. While Jake Lucchini didn’t have the game-winner, he got things going for his team and deserves a mention as he took the shot instead of trying to find the perfect pass, and it paid off, something everyone on the team should do.
In the final minute, everyone on the ice stepped up to block shots and be aggressive to force the Blackhawks out of the zone. Usually, the Wild had been on their heels in past games and allowed the other team to control play, but not against the Blackhawks. They need to remember these things as they continue their season, as they’re key to winning games.
Wild’s Gustavsson the Hero
Gustavsson stood tall despite several strong chances for the Blackhawks that looked like they would be for sure goals. He kept his team in the game save after save, and while the Wild weren’t playing badly, they needed his help to keep things going. Even when Gustavsson knows he gets beat on one side, he can stretch his body enough to make a save on the opposite side.
Some of those saves could be considered luck, but it’s also an extreme amount of talent to know how far to stretch to make that save, and that’s what the Wild have in Gustavsson. He wasn’t alone, however, as Vinni Lettieri, who was just back from injury, came in to help save the day when Gustavsson went a little too far outside his net. Lettieri got the boot of his skate in the way just in time to block the shot and save the lead.
Wild Back Home for Fleury’s Night
The Wild will return home on Friday night, Feb. 9, to host the Pittsburgh Penguins. There will also be a pregame celebration to honor Fleury’s latest achievements of reaching 1,000 games and snagging second place all-time in career wins with 552. It’ll be a special night for both teams as Fleury spent most of his career with the Penguins alongside Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang, and others. They’ll be in attendance to help Fleury celebrate, and he’ll also be in net following the ceremony.
While it’s great for Fleury to see his friends, he’ll have to get his game face on quickly along with his teammates to stop Crosby, Malkin, Jake Guentzel, and Erik Karlsson. The scoring power will be hard to stop, but the Wild’s offense will also have to find a way past goaltenders Tristan Jarry or Alex Nedeljkovic. Hopefully, this win over the Blackhawks will show the Wild they can do this and spark a winning streak.