The Minnesota Wild tried to get back on track at home after a 1-3 road trip as they faced the Philadelphia Flyers for the 1st time this season. The Flyers started their season going 7-3-2 in their first 12 games but they then lost 10 consecutive games gaining just 3 points on 2 overtime losses & 1 shootout loss. Since that time, they’ve 13-11-3 but that includes going 9-4-1 in their last 14 games.
The Wild played a great game in Tampa Bay on Tuesday but got nothing for it so they’re sure to be in a foul mood and ready to battle for a big win especially since the red hot Colorado Avalanche have knocked them out of a playoff spot for the time being.
Alright. Enough words. Let’s…
Drop the ClutterPuck!!!
––––– CP –––––
Here’s how the teams lined up:
Minnesota Wild
Scratched: Alex Goligoski, Ryan Hartman
Injured: None
Status report
Fleury will start consecutive games for the first time since Dec. 29-31. … Hartman, a forward, will be a healthy scratch for the first time this season…
Dean Evason before the game vs the Flyers.
Philadelphia Flyers
Status report
Hart will make his ninth start in 12 games.
Game Recap
Goal – Philadelphia – Noah Cates
The Wild couldn’t get the puck out and it eventually got back to the right point and Noah Cates (one of us from Stillwater) planted himself in front of the net for a tip and the puck may have just hit him and then barely got over the goal line but it don’t matter how fast they cross the line.
1-0 Flyers
The Wild responded well to the goal as they had sustained offensive zone time but may have not registered a shot as the Flyers are one of the best shot-blocking teams in the National Hockey League then…
There were 3 fights in a span of 16 seconds:
Ryan Reaves vs Nicolas Deslauriers
Mason Shaw vs Wade Allison
Marcus Foligno vs Zach McEwen
3:44 – Dumba poke-checked as he tried to exit the defensive zone but Fleury says NO to keep the game at 1-0 Flyers!
2nd Period
2:45 into the 2nd period and we got another fight when Brandon Duhaime threw down with Patrick Brown. Duhaime had the better fight in that round.
Then…the Wild get the game tied when Matt Boldy scored his 15th goal of the season off a quick pass from Marcus Foligno from beneath the goal line. The pass was deflected by the defender but Boldy had the presence of mind, skill & ability to kick the puck up to his stick and beat Flyers G Carter Hart to tie the game at 1!
3:39 – Goal – Minnesota – Matt Boldy from Marcus Foligno & Jared Spurgeon
Wild F Freddy Gaudreau brought the puck back towards the blue line from the right half-wall then gave it to Jared Spurgeon to go back down towards the right half-wall. He then passed it down to Marcus Foligno below the goal line and he one-timed a pass to Matt Boldy who was going to the net. Flyers D Cam York laid his stick down to intercept the pass but when York lifted his stick to try to get it out of harm’s way, Matt Boldy used his right skate to kick the puck up to his stick for a quick shot to the left side of the net and a…
1-1 Tie!
Sam Steel used his speed to get past the Philly defense and get in alone on Hart but either lost an edge &/or had some help to go down and slide into Flyers G Carter Hart.
11:26 – Penalty – Minnesota – Calen Addison for Hooking
Wild D Calen Addison lifted the stick of Flyers F Kevin Hayes in front of the net but he kept lifting his stick and it turned into a hooking penalty.
The Wild Penalty Kill did it’s job killing off the penalty with the help of Marc-Andre Fleury and his favorite teammate, the posts.
8:35 – Penalty – Kirill Kaprizov – Interference on Nick Seeler
Kaprizov was in position and turned to face the puck but it looked like a pick play to the official so the Wild went back on the Penalty Kill trying to keep the game tied.
They did kill it and then went back to work. Kirill set up Spurgeon for a tip in front then Boldy got a scoring chance but Carter Hart made a great save.
Then Freddy Gaudreau made a great play to get around ? then exercised some patience to get around Carter Hart then tried to sneak the puck back in behind Hart. OHHHH!!!
2:53 – Penalty – Philadelphia – Patrick Brown – Slashing
The Wild were creating chances and drew a penalty. Will they do anything with the Power Play?
Only chances again but good movement and they headed to the 3rd period with the game still tied at 1!
Shots(Total): PHI: 11(21) | 9(16) MN
3rd Period
18:07 – Penalty – Minnesota – Sam Steel – Hooking Patrick Brown
The Flyers got a good chance by going to the net with the puck but Wild G Marc-Andre Fleury and Wild F Connor Dewar kept the puck out of the net. After the whistle, Dewar was pushing a Flyer out of the crease and Flyers D Scott Laughton came in and punched/face-palmed Dewar and the officials gave him a 2-minute minor for roughing.
16:51 – Penalty – Philadelphia – Scott Laughton – Roughing Connor Dewar
15:12 – Goal – Minnesota – Matt Boldy from Kirill Kaprizov & Mats Zuccarello on the Power Play
On the Power Play, Matt Boldy passed the puck to Wild D Calen Addison at the left of the middle of the blue line. Addison passed to Mats Zuccarello at the top of the right circle. Boldy was at the top of the left circle then broke for the net when he saw Flyers F Travis Konecny wasn’t paying enough attention to where he was then Zuccarello passed to Kirill Kaprizov at the right of the net just in front of the goal line. Kaprizov caught and passed the puck in one motion to Boldy in front of the net for a tip in for his 2nd goal of the game and the Wild led…
2-1 Wild!
A Philly shot on goal was saved by Fleury but the puck was loose and Travis Konecny threw a big hit to make Jon Merrill fall into Fleury and both Joel Eriksson Ek & Marcus Foligno went after him behind the net so everyone got in the scrum and Flyers D Travis Sanheim literally jumped on Jon Merrill.
7:49 – Penalties – Philadelphia – Travis Konecny for Interference on Jon Merrill & Roughing Marcus Foligno
7:49 – Penalty – Minnesota – Marcus Foligno for Roughing Travis Konecny
That resulted in coincidental minors to Travis Konecny and Marcus Foligno for Roughing which gave the Minnesota Wild a Power Play.
Boldy had a chance at another hatty but shot the puck off the heel of his stick to send it out of play! It may have gone off the post & the crossbar. OHHHH!!!
A fan actually threw their hat on the ice. Oops!
The Flyers killed off the penalty and had 5:49 left in regulation to get the game tied.
1:28 – Goal – Philadelphia – Tony DeAngelo from Kevin Hayes & Ivan Provorov
With just over 1:30 remaining in the regulation, the Flyers pulled Carter Hart for the extra attacker. As that extra attacker (Kevin Hayes) reached the offensive zone, he received the puck from Ivan Provorov at the left point. Wild F Jordan Greenway was pointing to Hayes with his stick with 4 of the 5 Wild skaters on the ice bunched together in front of the net. The player Greenway should be worried about was the eventual goal-scorer. That was Flyers D Tony DeAngelo and he slapped his stick on the ice to call for the puck then caught the pass and shot the puck to the upper right corner off of & over Wild G Marc-Andre Fleury’s left shoulder.
The Flyers also pushed hard in the waning moments of the 3rd but this one went to…
OVERTIME!!!
Fleury made a HUGE save as the Flyers got a 3-on-1 after both Freddy Gaudreau & Matt Boldy went down in the Flyers zone.
Addisson then gave Mats Zuccarello the puck in the defensive zone and he went up the ice with speed, put the puck between the legs of Flyers F Travis Konecny to get in alone on Carter Hart and he faked going to his forehand then put a quick little forehand over Hart’s left pad as he was sliding to his right!
ZUUUUUUCCYYYYY!!!!!
What a Game and what a battle from both teams!!!
––––– CP –––––
Final-OT
Philadelphia Flyers 2 | 3 Minnesota Wild
Goals
MN: 1. Matt Boldy(15), 2. Matt Boldy(16)-PPG, 3. Mats Zuccarello(19)
PHI: 1. Noah Cates(7), 2. Tony DeAngelo(8)
*PPG=Power-Play Goal, ENG=Empty-Net Goal
Assists
MN: 1. Marcus Foligno(), Jared Spurgeon(), 2. Kirill Kaprizov(), Mats Zuccarello, 3. Calen Addison(21), Matt Boldy(20)
PHI: 1. Rasmus Ristolainen(5), 2. Kevin Hayes(30), Ivan Provorov(16)
Goalies
MN:
Marc-Andre Fleury – 28 Saves on 30 Shots, .930 Save%, 15th Win
PHI:
Carter Hart – 20 Saves on 23 Shots, .870 Save%, 15th Loss
––––– CP –––––
Next up:
The Wild will look to make it 2 in a row against the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday on
Hockey Day Minnesota!!!
8pm on Bally Sports North!
Thanks for Reading!!!
Bring the Clutter in the comments &/or on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or LinkedIn…
AND…as always…
