The Minnesota Wild faced the New York Islanders and it’s desperation time for the Isle as they are barely holding on to a playoff spot. They currently hold the 1st Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference but they’ve played 4 & 5 more games than the teams chasing them. They’ve also been dealing with a lot of injuries:
Injured on the Isle:
Mathew Barzal (lower body), Cal Clutterbuck (upper body), Jean-Gabriel Pageau (upper body), Oliver Wahlstrom (lower body)
They’d obviously be winning a lot more in the Original Clutter waw in the lineup. DUH!
NHL Hockey Standings before the Games of February 28th, 2023
The Wild, on the other hand, have responded to their terrible post-All-Star break slump and they are now just 4 points out of first place with Dallas going through a slump but Colorado is making their run as they are on a 6-game winning streak and now in 2nd place in the Central Division.
Alright. Enough words. Let’s…
Drop the ClutterPuck!!!
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Here’s how the teams lined up:
Minnesota Wild
Status Report
Gustavsson will start for the fifth time in seven games. … Brodin has not resumed skating but will travel with the Wild on their upcoming two-game road trip; the defenseman has missed three games.
New York Islanders
Status Report
Sorokin is expected to make his sixth start in eight games.
Game Recap
1st Period
The Islanders came out with some energy and physicality and that led to Islanders F Ross Johnston asking Wild F Ryan Reaves if he wanted to throw down. Well, you don’t have to ask Revo twice to fight so we got a heavyweight bout and…
Yeah… that one goes to Revo!
The Islanders got some momentum from that fight, though. I guess it’s because someone stepped up and actually fought Ryan Reaves. The Islanders were battling hard and former Gopher F Hudson Fasching was getting some good offensive play going but Wild G Filip Gustavsson was calm and ready and making good saves.
Former Wild F Zach Parise* took a tripping penalty on Matt Boldy and the Wild had some good chances to score but Isles G Ilya Sorokin was also playing well.
*Did he get his check from the Wild today?
Then New York got some good offensive-zone time going and they made it count…
5:45 – Goal – New York – Josh Bailey from Scott Mayfield & Otto Koivula
There’s not much to say about this one. A shot from the right point with Wild G Filip Gustavsson screened created a rebound and Josh Bailey kicked the puck to his stick and…
1-0 New York
It didn’t take the Wild too long to respond, though.
2:00 – Goal – Minnesota – Ryan Reaves(1) from Jordan Greenway(5)
Islander D Noah Dobson went back to get a loose puck in his own zone and for some reason, he just threw it out of the zone to nobody in particular so Wild F Ryan Reaves got the puck and skated into the left side of the Islanders zone with F Jordan Greenway behind him and linemate Connor Dewar to his right at center ice. He dropped the puck to Greenway and went to the net. Greenway just shot the puck and it may have gone off of Dobson’s stick to fool his goaltender who still made the save but the puck bounced up in the air and Ryan Reaves knocked the puck out of midair with the backhand of his stick and in for his 1st goal of the season and his 1st goal as a member of the Minnesota Wild.
1-1 Tie
Can Revo add an assist to get the Gordie Howe hatty?
It was a crazy 1st period with both teams putting 15 shots on goal.
2nd Period
Both teams settled into a more defensive game for the 2nd period so there were a lot less scoring chances.
Shots were 8-6 in favor of the Wild.
3rd Period
The Islanders had a good push in the 3rd but the Wild matched them with solid defense as the shots were 14-6 in favor of New York but both teams were playing playoff-type hockey making sure to make the right play so as not to make a mistake so this one went to…
OVERTIME!
A minute in and Wild G Filip “Gus” Gustavsson had to make a save with his skate on Islander D Noah Dobson.
Then Gus had to make a save on a cross-ice one-timer on a 3-on-2 after Wild D Calen Addison got a breakaway but he had the puck poke-checked off his stick then fell into the net.
Wild D Jake Middleton got a chance in OT, too. He went up the right side and came in on Sorokin and the New York G looked like he didn’t know what to expect from the big Wild defenseman as he went backhand and came close but this would got to a…
Shootout
Mats Zuccarello shot… Save!
Simon Holmstrom deke… poke checked by Gus!
Kirill Kaprizov… shot to the blocker side… Save!
No Horvat… shot… Save!
Freddy “Shootout” Gaudreau… slow approach… shot… GOAL!
Kyle Palmieri made a slow approach… he took a shot on an aggressive Gus and…
SAVE & WIN!!!
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Final-SO
New York Islanders 1 | 2 Minnesota Wild
Goals
MN: 1. Ryan Reaves(1)
NYI: 1. Josh Bailey(7)
*PPG=Power-Play Goal, ENG=Empty-Net Goal
Assists
MN: 1. Jordan Greenway(5)
NYI: 1. Scott Mayfield(12), Otto Koivula(1)
Goalies
MN:
Filip Gustavsson – 39 Saves on 40 Shots, .975 Save%, 16th Win
NYI:
Ilya Sorokin – 30 Saves on 31 Shots, .968 Save%, 6th Overtime/Shootout Loss
