The Minnesota Wild started a 3-game road trip against the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday night and they were looking for some revenge against LA after losing 7-6 in their 2nd game of the season. They also hadn’t played for 4 days since a 4-0 shutout loss at home against Seattle.
Alright. Enough words. Let’s…
Drop the ClutterPuck!!!
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Here’s how the teams lined up:
Minnesota Wild
at
Los Angeles Kings
The Wild called up Fs Adam Beckman & Joseph Cramarossa from the Iowa Wild. They also activated F Jordan Greenway off injured reserve. Adam Beckman was scratched, Fs Marcus Foligno & Brandon Duhaime were out with Upper Body Injuries (UBI). F Ryan Hartman is on injured reserve.(IR-UBI). Hartman & Duhaime did not accompany the team on the trip.
Game Recap
1st Period
This Wild started the game pretty slow then Minnesota Wild F Mats Zuccarello took 2 penalties in the span of 2:51. The Wild killed off both of them, though. The Kings outshot them 10-3 in the 1st. Wild G Marc-Andre Fleury made some great saves to keep the game scoreless.
2nd Period
Wild F Marco Rossi had a great chance off the forecheck but he partially fanned on the shot for what could’ve been his 1st NHL goal. DOH!
The Kings scored but it was immediately waved off as it came off a high tip in front of the net. A quick review confirmed the call.
The Wild found their game after the slow start in the first period and were putting on pressure. They were outshooting the Kings 5-3 halfway through the middle frame.
Kings F Anze Kopitar got in on a partial breakaway but Wild G Marc-Andre Fleury waited him out and made the save then he had to scramble to get back to the net to be ready as the puck was still in the zone.
A scrum happened after the eventual whistle and Wild D Matt Dumba threw an uppercut that the official saw so he went to the box for roughing for the 3rd Kings Power Play.
The Wild killed it off and went back to work.
Then Wild F Kirill Kaprizov was in a battle with Kings D Drew Doughty and he cross-checked/high-sticked him to put the Kings on another power play. The officials called it a match penalty and went to review the call to either confirm it or lower it to a minor/double minor. The broadcast went to a commercial. ESPN+, ladies and gentleman.
Back from commercial and they were still reviewing the play and they decided it was a Match penalty for Intent to Injure so that’s 5 minutes and a game. That’s not intent to injure & if it is, there would be a lot more match penalties called. Kirill is turning around to cross-check him and clips him in the face. How is that intent to injure?
He doesn’t even get him with his stick. He got him with his glove.
Doughty was hammering Kirill before he took the penalty but they just let all of that go which is part of the reason why Kirill reacted the way he did. That doesn’t make it okay but if the officials aren’t going to call anything, what should he do? Kirill gets hacked in every game and they don’t call most of it.
Well, this makes for an interesting rest of this game, huh?
FYI: A high-stick penalty can apparently only be a minor, double-minor or a match penalty. They reviewed it and still called it a match penalty even though he doesn’t even get him with his stick. Why don’t they see that?*
*Check the Game Notes section at the bottom of the article for more on this topic.
The Minnesota Wild killed off the entire 5 minutes then drew a penalty when Kings F Brendan Lemieux took an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. He reacted to Wild F Mason Shaw throwing a body check on Kings D Alexander Edler but the camera was not on him. No matter what he did, that’s a stupid penalty.
3rd Period
The Minnesota Wild started the period on the power play but without Kirill Kaprizov. Fredérick Gaudreau took his place on the 1st power play unit. They didn’t score.
With just over 6 minutes remaining in regulation, the Kings dumped the puck in down the left boards with a tip at the red line. Wild D Jonas Brodin sent it around the right corner where Jordan Greenway tried to stop it then clear the zone but Kings D Drew Doughty was on him as soon as the puck got to him and he ended up stopping the clear and sending the puck back down the right boards to Kings F Anze Kopitar. Kings F Gabriel Vilardi was skating into the zone looking to get open. Kopitar turned to protect the puck when it came back down to him and he made pretty much made a blind pass to the slot knowing Vilardi was going to that spot and Vilardi one-timed it through the 5-hole of Wild G Marc-Andre Fleury.
That’s a heckuva pass, huh?
1-0 Los Angeles
With a goal on a turnover, the only thing to really say is that Jordan Greenway needs to make the play on the boards. Are any of his teammates telling him “Man On” to let him know Doughty is coming?
You could add that Jonas Brodin may have been able to send the puck back down the left boards from where it came or maybe even just grabbed it and used his skating ability to evade the oncoming forechecker. We’ll assume he was being told to wrap it. Jordan Greenway was playing his 2nd game and he only played 6 shifts in his 1st game on October 20th.
The Wild pushed hard and had a lot of sustained time in the offensive zone but the Kings were clogging up the crease making it hard to get shots through. They took their time out with 1:47 left.
The Wild were creating chances during the final 1:47 and probably should’ve drawn at least one penalty but the officials didn’t call any of them and they couldn’t get one past Jonathan Quick so they’ve been shut out for 2 straight games after the 4-0 loss to Seattle at home.
Marc-Andre Fleury was a stud in goal but the Wild couldn’t help him out with any offense.
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Final
Los Angeles Kings 1 | 0 Minnesota Wild
Goals
MN:
None
LAK:
1. Gabriel Vilardi(10)
*PPG=Power-Play Goal, ENG=Empty-Net Goal
Assists
MN:
None
LAK:
1. Anze Kopitar(11), Drew Doughty(6)
Goalies
MN:
Marc-Andre Fleury – 29 Saves on 30 Shots, .967 Save%, 3rd Loss
LAK:
Jonathan Quick – 21 Saves on 21 Shots, 1.000 Save%, 5th Win, 1st Shutout
Game Notes
*
Official Review comes back with the Same Call!
If you watch the video of the Kirill Kaprizov penalty, he hits Drew Doughty with his glove. The official called it a match penalty on the ice. They have to make the match penalty call on the original call because that’s the only way they can review the call. They can’t review a minor penalty and raise it to a major/match penalty.
They reviewed the call. They can change the call down to a minor penalty or confirm the call and… they confirmed the call. That’s Amazing! Are they not looking at it close enough? If he doesn’t hit him with his stick there, can it really be considered “intent to injure?” It’s hard to believe that being possible since players throw punches a lot of the time and it’s called roughing instead of fighting. Isn’t a punch an “intent to injure?” Or were they just roughhousing like buddies?
Are Drew Doughty & Kirill Kaprizov buddies? Hmmm… it would appear the clear answer is No but it could be like a boxing match where during the actual competition, they are both just competing to win and afterward it’s hugs and congratulations. Maybe? Yeah. Probably not.
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Adam Beckman to make Wild Season Debut vs Anaheim
The Minnesota Wild forward prospect started his 2nd full professional season with 3 straight scoreless games in the AHL with the Iowa Wild then he scored 3 goals and added 3 assists in the next 5 games. He was also a -3 in those first 3 games but improved to a +5 in those next 5 games.
Rumor has it he’ll be in the lineup against the Ducks but we shall see.
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Wild F Brandon Duhaime placed on Injured Reserve
“The Minnesota Wild have placed Brandon Duhaime on injured reserve, according to CapFriendly.” He missed the Wild’s last game with an upper-body injury and did not accompany them on their current road trip.
“Duhaime was injured in a November 1 win against the Montreal Canadiens. With his IR placement retroactive to that date, he is technically eligible to be activated at any time.”
We haven’t heard about the seriousness of any of these injuries other than reporters/broadcasters saying Ryan Hartman & Brandon Duhaime won’t be back anytime soon.
Marcus Foligno may play on Wednesday in Anaheim &/or Friday in Seattle.
Postgame
Minnesota Wild Head Coach Dean Evason talks to the media after the game in Los Angeles.
Other NHL Notes
Evander Kane took a skate across his wrist for a scary injury. Credit him for realizing it, putting his glove over it and getting to the bench as quickly as possible. Hopefully he’s alright.
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Next up:
The Ducks of Anaheim tomorrow night, Wednesday, November 9th, on TNT at 9pm!
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