The Minnesota Wild faced the Calgary Flames for the 2nd straight game but the Flames had a game against the Central Division-leading Dallas Stars in which they gave up a 2-goal lead twice but scored with under 7 seconds to go in regulation to get a huge win for them and maybe a huge win for the Wild.
That win meant the Wild would definitely see a different Calgary team than the one they shut out on Saturday night but it also meant the Wild could get within 1 point of the Dallas Stars for the division lead.
Alright. Enough words. Let’s…
Drop the ClutterPuck!!!
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Here’s how the teams lined up:
Minnesota Wild
Scratched: Calen Addison, Sam Steel
Injured: Jonas Brodin (lower body), Gustav Nyquist (shoulder), Brandon Duhaime (upper body)
Status Report
Sundqvist, a forward, makes his Wild debut after being acquired in a trade with the Detroit Red Wings on Friday. … Neither Brodin, a defenseman, or Duhaime, a forward, has resumed skating. … Gustavsson and Fleury will alternate starts for a seventh straight game.*
*We’re not sure who’s writing these “Status Reports” but Gustavsson started and shutout the Flames in the last game and started this game. Do better, NHL.com or @NHLdotcom!
Calgary Flames
Scratched: Adam Ruzicka, Dennis Gilbert, Walker Duehr
Injured: Michael Stone (lower body)
Status Report
The Flames did not hold a morning skate Tuesday following a 5-4 win at the Dallas Stars on Monday. … Vladar could start after Markstrom made 29 saves Monday.
Game Recap
1st Period
The Wild had the first great scoring when F Ryan Hartman sent Mats Zuccarello in on a mini-breakaway but Markstrom made the save with his blocker as Zuccy tried to go just over his right pad.
17:45 – Penalty – Calgary – Nick Ritchie for Tripping Matt Dumba
Flames F Nick Ritchie, acquired at the trade deadline for his brother, was forechecking Wild D Matt Dumba hard but Dumba was behind his own net and Ritchie got his stick in Dumba’s feet to trip him. Easy call for the official and one of those plays that makes coaches shake their head wondering why you’d put your stick there.
7:13 – Penalty – Minnesota – Ryan Hartman for Slashing Rasmus Andersson and Cross-Checking Trevor Lewis
After the whistle and Rasmus Andersson bumps Kirill Kaprizov and Ryan Hartman took exception to it so he slashed Andersson in the hand then he punched Trevor Lewis in the face and the officials called both of them.
Minutes earlier on a Wild shot on net, Wild F Joel Eriksson Ek stopped right next to Flames G Jacob Markstrom. He didn’t touch him. He just stood there and he was slashed and pushed down and there was no call for anything so you can understand Wild coach Dean Evason yelling at the officials to call it both ways.
4:59 – Penalty – Calgary – Noah Hanifin for Holding
On the Penalty Kill, Marcus Foligno got a chance on a loose puck and his speed gave him a scoring chance. As he went up the left side of the ice, Flames D Noah Hanifin put his left hand on Foligno’s right shoulder then reached around with his stick to try to get to the puck but he made Foligno fall down.
2nd Period
19:35 – Penalty – Minnesota – Marcus Foligno for Slashing Andrew Mangiapane
The replay showed Andrew Mangiapane was the player who slashed up on Foligno’s stick and it’s hard to see how Marcus Foligno did anything worthy of a penalty there.*
*See more on this call/topic in our Game Notes section at the bottom of the article.
15:36 – Penalty – Calgary – Troy Stecher for High-Sticking Oskar Sundqvist
12:31 – Penalty – Calgary – Nick Richie for Cross-Checking Connor Dewar
That’s 2 dumb penalties in the offensive zone for Nick Richie. Sutter likely had a very clear message for him that consisted of very few words.
The power play isn’t producing. How much of that is having John Klingberg instead of Calen Addison quarterbacking the power play’s 1st unit? Klingberg is still learning about his new team while Calen Addison knows them very well.
1:37 – Penalty – Coincidental for Roughing to Matt Dumba & Jakob Pelletier
Some after the whistle scrum penalties.
19:41 – Penalty – Calgary – Andrew Mangiapane for Interference on John Klingberg
During 4-on-4 play, Andrew Mangiapane was trying to stay onside while John Klingberg was trying to get back in the play and Mangiapane ended up knocking Klingberg down. Mangiapane didn’t like the call but he should do a better job of getting out of the way. Klingberg tried to jump around him which helped make it look worse than it probably was.
3rd Period
The Wild started the period with 1:41 remaining on a power play and the Wild were trying to get the puck to the net a little more but still maybe holding on to the puck too much looking for a better shot or looking for a teammate in better position to score and Calgary G Jacob Markstrom made every save.
Back to work for the Wild who did have some momentum going in the last half of the 2nd period.
The Wild had all kinds of momentum in the first 5 minutes of the period as they outshot the Flames 7-0 but the game was still scoreless.
Wild D Jake Middleton went in all alone off a pass from Oskar Sundqvist…. Save by Markstrom! OHHH!!!
Then Kirill Kaprizov sent Ryan Hartman in on a breakaway and he tried to deke but didn’t get enough on the backhand to get it by Markstrom. Hartman tried to throw back in front of the net but Markstrom didn’t let it get through. Jared Spurgeon then ended up with a great chance on the weak side but Jacob Markstrom made a great glove save to keep the game scoreless.
The Minnesota Wild’s 4th line of Mason Shaw, Connor Dewar & Ryan Reaves had 3 scoring chances on the next shift with the final one off of Ryan Reaves stick that went over the net!
And… this one went to…
OVERTIME!
As the overtime began, Bally Sports North had the “Technical Difficulties” screen on but it went back to live action before the OT began! Geez! That’s not funny!
Filip Gustavsson made a stick save about halfway through the OT on a shot aimed at his 5-hole!
There was a battle for the puck in the Flames zone at the right boards and Andrew Mangiapane won it but Ryan Hartman backchecked to get a deflection on the cross-ice pass to regain possession. Nazem Kadri lazily changed which allowed Wild F Marcus Johansson to pass to Jared Spurgeon at the offensive blue line. He passed it to Ryan Hartman and it was a 2-on-1…
Hartman took a slapshot. Markstrom made the save but the rebound bounce out to Jared Spurgeon and he put it in the upper left corner then tripped over Markstrom and did a Superman before getting jumped on by Hartman!
But…
Was the play offsides?
Jared Spurgeon had possession of the puck but the puck was in the neutral zone while both of his skates were in the offensive zone and the officials took the goal away! WOW!*
*Who remembers the Cale Makar call in last year’s Stanley Cup Playoffs? Read about that offsides play which is similar to this play in our Game Notes section at the bottom of the article.
Shootout!
Mats Zuccarello… waits… shoots… Save!
Jonathan Huberdeau came in with speed… shot… Save!
Kirill Kaprizov… shoots… Save!
Rasmus Andersson… waits… shoots… NO!
Freddy Gaudreau… dangle, dangle… shoots and HE SCORES!!!
Nazem Kadri… shoots and HE SCORES!!!
Matt Boldy… waits… dekes… but the puck rolled off his stick!
Tyler Toffoli… waits… dekes then goes 5-hole and Scores! DOH!
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Final-SO
Calgary Flames 1 | 0 Minnesota Wild
Goals
MN: None
CGY: None
*PPG=Power-Play Goal, ENG=Empty-Net Goal
Assists
MN: None
CGY: None
Goalies
MN:
Filip Gustavsson – 33 Saves on 33 Shots, 1.000 Save%, 4th Shootout Loss (also a Shutout Loss), 3rd Shutout
CGY:
Jacob Markstrom – 30 Saves on 30 Shots, 1.000 Save%, 17th Win, 1st Shutout
We’ll publish Game Notes tomorrow and they will include “Bad Penalty Calls,” “Should it have been Off-sides?” & “It’s Tourney Time!”
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Next up:
The Minnesota Wild will head up to Winnipeg for a 6:30 CST tilt on Bally Sports North.
Thanks for Reading!!!
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