In a preseason game where the lineups may have been a little lopsided, the Minnesota Wild took down the Winnipeg Jets 8-1. It looked like it could have been worse, with the Wild up 7-0 after the second.
The loss didn’t sit well with Jets coach Paul Maurice, as it shouldn’t, but in no small part because he felt the Wild were running up the score. In the post-game press conference, sounding intensely flustered, Maurice told reporters “They’re going to keep putting out players… when they’ve got an eight one lead… when they’ve got a power play, their best is coming out… in an exhibition game.”
Later in the press conference, when asked if he has “some frustration with [his] opponents,” he said, “No. No. It was just an honor to be in the same building with them tonight.”
To get the full scope of Maurice’s snark, watch the video below.
To be fair, what Maurice is talking about wasn’t the case the whole game. Wild coach Mike Yeo put out the team’s top power play in the third period out of frustration that the Jets, particularly Anthony Peluso, were taking runs at some Wild players, according to the Star Tribune’s Michael Russo.
Maurice said sarcastically it was an honor to share the bldg with #mnwild. Yeo said No. 1 PP out late bc he was upset Peluso running around
— Michael Russo (@RussoHockey) September 28, 2015
There was a lot of mucking it up happening in the third with the Jets very frustrated and down 8-0.
Prior to the power play that got Maurice so salty, the Wild’s top power play unit had become Erik Haula, Ryan Carter (both 4th liners last year) and Brett Bulmer (spent last season in the AHL). So, Maurice maybe needs to take a little credit for helping bring out the big guns late in a blowout. (This just days after Ryan Carter told me in an interview that it’s important to know your role and he knows he won’t be “sniffing any power play time” this season.)
Seems like Maurice might not give Yeo his vote for Jack Adams again this year.
