The Minnesota Wild were looking to have their first back-to-back wins of the season when they faced the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday evening, Oct. 19. In every game this season, they’ve taken an early lead and have yet to trail even for a minute something they’ve struggled with in the past.
This time, Marco Rossi put them on the board in the first, and they held that lead through the rest of the period. The second period was scoreless for both teams, so the Wild were able to hang on to their one-goal lead. In the third period, they didn’t waste any time when the Blue Jackets had two players head to the penalty box and gave the Wild a 5-on-3.
One of the Wild’s power play specialists, Kirill Kaprizov, took just five seconds to score on the two-man advantage to give his team a two-goal lead. They weren’t done there, however, as Kaprizov’s linemate, Mats Zuccarello added a goal of his own to extend the Wild’s lead to 3-0 later in the period. The Blue Jackets did score one goal late to take away Filip Gustavsson’s shutout, but they still prevailed and took the 3-1 win. This is the longest point streak the Wild have had in 16 years, and they hope to keep it going. In this article, we’ll examine a few key takeaways to the Wild’s win, starting with the Wild jumping on the scoreboard first.
Wild Command Game Early
What has changed about the Wild’s game this season is their ability to get and keep the lead. While they have struggled in that area this season with their two overtime losses, they still scored first, which was key to them beating the Blue Jackets. Outside of their first game of the season against the Blue Jackets, they’ve started the game with speed instead of hanging back.
Even with missing Ryan Hartman, who provides an edge to the game, and Jared Spurgeon, known throughout the NHL for his defensive skills, the Wild still took command early and held on. The Blue Jackets are a big shooting team, and despite their efforts to throw the Wild off from the start, the Wild didn’t budge.
While their offense got off to a strong start, so did their goaltending. Gustavsson was ready to go before the puck dropped and stayed with it until the end. The Wild are one of only a handful of teams left without a regulation loss, and getting the first goal has been key to that streak.
Wild Focus on Own Play
Once again, in the past, the Wild struggled with keeping their heads in the game when things went against them, such as a penalty call, an overturned goal, etc. This season, they’ve already been tested several times and have passed with flying colors. They’ve had penalty calls go against them, and in their game against the Blue Jackets, they had a goal overturned that could’ve gone either way.
Instead of allowing their frustration to consume them and ruin their game, they kept focused and continued playing. That was key to keeping their lead against the Blue Jackets after their goal was overturned in the second period, and they were rewarded in the third. Hopefully, the Wild have noticed. Keeping their composure has rewarded them in this early start, and they’ll need to keep it up.
Wild’s Bright Spots Keep Shining
Rossi has been one of the Wild’s brightest stars this season and continued to be against the Blue Jackets. He got his team on the board and gave them the start they needed to win the game. While Rossi has been a repeated bright spot for the team throughout these five games, someone else stepped up and had a strong game.
Wild defenseman Jake Middleton had a true all-around game, from strong defense to impactful offense. His first attempt at a goal was overturned, but he kept trying and gave his team some great chances. He had two shots on goal and three blocked shots which were both valuable to the Wild’s win.
The final bright spot in the Wild’s game was Joel Eriksson Ek’s and Marcus Johansson’s returns. Eriksson Ek will wear a full bubble for the next few weeks to protect his broken nose, and Johansson has healed from his injury. Both players made an impact in their first game back, and hopefully, they’ll make even more of an impression in their next game.
Wild Head South
The Wild will continue on their road trip as they head to the sunny state of Florida on Tuesday, Oct. 22, to take on the defending Stanley Cup Champions, the Florida Panthers. The Panthers will also be coming into this game on a win and ready to take on the Wild. The Wild had the upper hand last season and came out with the series win; it’ll be interesting to see if they can do the same this season.
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The Wild will have to take an early lead like they have been doing all this season, and they’ll need to remain focused. The Panthers play hard, and the Wild can’t allow that to disrupt their mentality, or they will struggle. Finally, they’ll likely keep playing Gustavsson as he’s proven to be the hot goaltender, and they’ll need him to step up even more to be ready for the Panthers. Hopefully, the Wild will keep playing this strong and come out on top against the Panthers.
