The Minnesota Wild tried to make it 4 in a row in a big division game against the Nashville Predators. It was big because it’s in the division but it was bigger because Nashville still held on to the final playoff spot by just 4 points in the standings and Nashville had lost 3 of their last 4 games.
2023-24 Minnesota Wild Schedule and Results
NHL Hockey Standings
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 make his fourth start in five games. … Fleury is day to day; the goalie has missed two games. … Lettieri, a forward who has missed 13 games, took part in the Wild morning skate Thursday in a non-contact jersey.
Nashville Predators
Status Report
The Predators did not hold a morning skate Thursday.
Game Recap
1st Period
Nashville scored just over a minute into the game but it was ruled no goal due to the puck being tipped in off a stick that was too high by McCarron.
This game was not very exciting as both teams didn’t want to give up anything.
The Minnesota Wild were outshot 11-6 in the 1st period but it was still scoreless.
2nd Period
The Minnesota Wild were the better team in the 2nd but part of that was due to Nashville taking 3 penalties in the first 11:58 and the Wild finally made them pay when he was parked in front of the goalie and tipped in a Kirill Kaprizov shot from the left slot to put them up 1-0!
It’s kind of a weird play because Wild F Mats Zuccarello’s pass forced Kirill Kaprizov to catch the puck on his backhand and quickly move it to his forehand to take a shot. You’d think that would’ve given the Predators time to block his shot but Cole Smith wanted to get down to block the shot but forgot to extend or lead with his stick so Kaprizov was able to get the shot through and it went off of Minnesota Wild F Joel Eriksson Ek’s right knee the Nashville Predators G Jussi Saros’ glove and in the net.
12:44 – Goal (PPG) – Minnesota – Joel Eriksson Ek (21) from Kirill Kaprizov (25) & Mats Zuccarello (29)
Nashville Predators 0 | 1 Minnesota Wild
The Wild outshot Nashville 11-4 in the 2nd period.
3rd Period
The Minnesota Wild are 14-0-1 (W-L-OTL) when leading the game going into the 3rd period & 8-0-0 at home. The loss was a shootout loss against Ottawa in Sweden but you still have to play the game. Records don’t mean anything.
90 seconds into the 3rd, the Minnesota Wild kind of won a faceoff in the offensive zone but Nashville F Kiefer Sherwood got his stick underneath Kirill Kaprizov’s stick to knock it back to give his team control of the puck. D Alexandre Carrier sent the puck to his defensive partner Jeremy Lauzon. He sent it into the neutral zone in an attempt to get it to F Yakov Trenin but Minnesota Wild D Dakota Mermis broke it up. The loose puck went into the Wild’s zone. Wild D Jake Middleton tried to swat it out of the zone with a one-handed swing but it hit Preds F Kiefer Sherwood and “it was just lying there” for Yakov Trenin. Meanwhile, Wild Fs Kirill Kaprizov & Mats Zuccarello are coasting and watching the play and even when Kaprizov sees Trenin get the puck, he doesn’t take a full stride to try to get to him as quickly as possible. He shuffles to gain some speed but Trenin was still able to take a look and find Alexandre Carrier skating into open ice for a Grade A scoring opportunity and he beat Wild G Filip Gustavsson to the upper left corner to tie the game at 1-1.
12:44 – Goal – Nashville – Alexandre Carrier (4) from Yakov Trenin (3) & Kiefer Sherwood (7)*
*The scorers didn’t give Sherwood an assist! The goal doesn’t happen without him being in the way of Middleton’s clearing attempt.
Nashville Predators 1 | 1 Minnesota Wild
Jake Middleton probably could’ve played the puck a little better than just taking a one-hand swing at the puck. He could’ve been more physical or used his body to protect the puck. The swat is kind of a prayer play in that you hope it works but if it doesn’t, it can go bad quickly.
53 seconds later, the Minnesota Wild were down 2-1 after Predators F Filip Forsberg tipped a Roman Josi shot past Filip Gustavsson! Oh, boy!
2:19 – Goal – Nashville – Filip Forsberg (23) from Roman Josi (32) & Ryan O’Reilly (24)
Nashville Predators 2 | 1 Minnesota Wild
A tipped shot is probably the hardest shot to make a save on for any goaltender because they can’t expect it. They have to read & track the puck, not what might happen.
About 8 minutes later, the Nashville Predators F Ryan O’Reilly carried the puck into the right corner of the offensive zone with Minnesota Wild F Matt Boldy harassing him most of the way but O’Reilly protected the puck well enough to drop it off to F Gustav Nyquist and he passed it to D Roman Josi at the right point. Josi took a shot from about the top of the right circle near the right boards. Wild D Brock Faber was covering O’Reilly in front of the net and the puck was coming right at him so he jumped to block it or brace for it to hit him. Wild G Filip Gustavsson looks like he knows where it’s going to be and he had his catching glove ready to make the save but the puck hits part of Brock Faber’s jersey and somehow goes over Gustavsson’s glove and into the net.
11:34 – Goal – Nashville – Roman Josi (10) from Gustav Nyquist (25) from & Ryan O’Reilly (25)
Nashville Predators 3 | 1 Minnesota Wild
What should we take from this goal? Maybe do a better job of letting your goaltender see the shot so he can make the save but that’s about it.
Down by 2 now, the Wild had a lot of work to do and they got a power play when Preds D Jeremy Lauzon tripped Matt Boldy.
With 3:59 remaining in regulation and 41 seconds left in the power play, the Minnesota Wild won a faceoff at the right faceoff dot and Kirill Kaprizov sent it back to Brock Faber at the right point. Faber sent it to Matt Boldy at the right half-wall and he was pressured by Gustav Nyquist but Nyquist was more concerned with taking away the pass to the point then taking the puck away from Boldy. That allowed Boldy to move toward the faceoff dot. Nashville D Ryan McDonaugh was trying to take away the pass to Joel Erikkson Ek at the right of the net so Boldy was able to pull the puck back and fire a shot that beat Jussi Saros just over his extended right let pad and it was a 1-goal game once again.
3:51 – Goal – Minnesota – Matt Boldy (16) from Brock Faber (25) & Kirill Kaprizov (26)
Nashville Predators 3 | 2 Minnesota Wild
The Wild had some life and still time to pull the goalie to try to get the equalizer.
With 5.1 seconds left and an offensive zone faceoff, the Minnesota Wild still had some hope if they could win the faceoff. Joel Eriksson Ek was tossed out of the faceoff so Matt Boldy had to take the draw. He sent it to the left boards then was tripped by Brock Faber’s stick when Predators D Jeremy Lauzon got his stick in to disrupt the play. Mats Zuccarello went to the puck to try to get to it and throw it at the net and Lauzon put him into the boards maybe a little harder than he needed to and Zuccy didn’t like it so a scrum ensued.
These two teams play two more times this season. The first is on Leap Day, February 29th in Nashville and then on March 10th at the X so before & after the Trade Deadline. Where will they be in the standings then?
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Final
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Next up:
The Minnesota Wild will look to get back in the win column on Saturday when they close out the 18th annual Hockey Day Minnesota with a game against the Anaheim Ducks at 8 pm on Bally Sports North!
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