The Minnesota Wild hosted the Montreal Canadiens and the Wild were trying to get back in the Win column after an overtime loss to the Chicago Blackhawks. The Montreal Canadiens are finishing a 4-game road trip and they just snapped a 6-game losing streak with a 7-5 victory over the Buffalo Sabres.
2024-25 Minnesota Wild Schedule and Results
10-2-3 (W-L-OTL) (23 points)
2nd in the NHL Central Division
2024-25 Montreal Canadiens Schedule and Results
5-9-2 (W-L-OTL) (12 points)
8th in the NHL Atlantic Division
The Minnesota Wild are the 2nd best team in the league by points percentage while the Montreal Canadiens are the 2-worst team in the league (tied for worst) but none of that matters when you…
Drop the ClutterPuck!!!
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Here’s how the teams lined up:
Minnesota Wild
Scratched:
Daemon Hunt, Michael Milne
Injured:
Jonas Brodin (upper body)
Status report
Brodin is day to day after the defenseman was injured during a 2-1 overtime loss at the Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday.
Montreal Canadiens
Scratched:
Justin Barron, Michael Pezzetta
Injured:
Patrik Laine (knee), Raphael Harvey-Pinard (broken leg)
Status Report
The Canadiens did not conduct a morning skate Thursday.
Game Recap
1st Period
The shots were 4-2 in favor of the Minnesota Wild in the 1st period so there wasn’t a ton of good scoring chances but… Minnesota Wild G Filip Gustavsson did have to make this save…
NIIIIICE!!!!
The Minnesota Wild lost Fs Mats Zuccarello & Joel Eriksson Ek on consecutive shifts over a 50-second span (between the 7:08 & 6:18 mark), and neither came back. Zuccarello took a Brock Faber shot to the groin:
Joel Eriksson Ek sustained a lower-body injury. I went through his shifts and didn’t see much that showed where or what he injured.* He did back into the boards while pursuing the puck.
It looked like he wasn’t skating well for his last 3 shifts but that could be a placebo-like effect of me knowing he had suffered a lower-body injury.
2nd Period
The Minnesota Wild got some work on their penalty kill early in the 2nd period courtesy of a Marco Rossi tripping penalty as his stick got between the legs of Montreal F Cole Caufield. The Wild penalty kill was successful.
With 2 forwards out from the top line, Minnesota Wild head coach John Hynes had to adjust lines and one of those ended up being Matt Boldy centering Kirill Kaprizov & Marcus Johansson. The Wild looked like the better team but the game was still scoreless until 7:30 minutes left in the 2nd when an errant pass allowed Matt Boldy to get the puck and carry it into the left side of the offensive zone. He explored his options then sent a pass towards Marcus Johansson in front of the net and he tried for the tip but Montreal G Sam Montembeault made the save. The rebound went Kirill Kaprizov & he took the puck behind the net then skated to the other side and when he reached the faceoff circle, he made a quick turnaround pass to Marcus Johansson in front of the net. Johannson made a one-time pass to Matt Boldy and BAZINGAAAAA!!! The Minnesota Wild lead 1-0!!!
7:17 – Goal – Minnesota – Matt Boldy (10) from Marcus Johansson (3) & Kirill Kaprizov (10)
Buy a Ticket if you want to Watch the Game, guys!
Montreal Canadien F #71 Jake Evans & D #48 Lane Hutson did try to help on this play but it obviously wasn’t enough. 71 looked back to see where Wild F Matt Boldy was but then did nothing about it. 48 told his defensive partner to cover Wild F Marcus Johansson but he then reacted to the puck instead of reading the play so he had the best view of Matt Boldy scoring his 10th goal of the season. Montreal D #58 David Savard only got close to Johansson then tried to break up the pass instead of taking away Johansson’s stick.
Hey! Defense isn’t easy but watching the puck rarely works because that little piece of vulcanized rubber can move very fast and it’s also pucking small. A human adult & the stick they’re holding is much easier to follow, defend and hit.
Montreal Canadiens 0 | 1 Minnesota Wild
The Wild outshot Montreal 11-7 in the 2nd period and lead 14-9 in total shots.
3rd Period
7:41 – Goal – PPG – Minnesota – Marco Rossi (5) from Jared Spurgeon (4) & Declan Chisholm (4)
Montreal Canadiens 0 | 2 Minnesota Wild
0:20 – Goal – ENG – Minnesota – Kirill Kaprizov (10) from Frederick Gaudreau (7)
Montreal Canadiens 0 | 3 Minnesota Wild
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Final
Montreal Canadiens 0 | 3 Minnesota Wild
Goals
MN:
Matt Boldy (10); Marco Rossi (5)-PPG; Kirill Kaprizov (10)-ENG
MTL:
None
Assists
MN:
Marcus Johansson (3), Kirill Kaprizov (20); Jared Spurgeon (4), Declan Chisholm (4)-PPG; Frederick Gaudreau (7)-ENG
MTL:
None
Goalies
MN:
Filip Gustavsson
Saved all 19 Shots; 1.000 Save %, 2.08 GAA*; 8th Win
MTL:
Sam Montembeault
25 Saves on 27 Shots; .923 Save %, 3.29 GAA*; 8th Loss
*Goals Against Average
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Next up:
The Dallas Stars visit the X on Saturday night at 7 pm on FanDuel Sports Network North and I will be there!
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