The Minnesota Wild started the 2025-26 season in St. Louis against the St. Louis Blues on Thursday, October 9th. It’s the Minnesota Wild’s 25th season of hockey so maybe it will be a special season as they try to go where no Minnesota Wild team has gone before, to a Championship and to hoist The Stanley Cup.
Was the way they began last season when they led the NHL on December 6th with a record of 18-4-4 (W-L-OTL) an exception or the new rule? There’s only one way to find out…
Alright. Enough words. Let’s…
Drop the ClutterPuck!!!
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Here’s how the teams lined up:
Game Recap
1st Period
The St. Louis Blues had some season-opening & home-opener energy to start the game but the Wild weathered that small bluesy storm and turned the momentum to their side very quickly as they drew a high-sticking penalty just 34 seconds into the game when Blues D Justin Faulk hit Wild F Joel Eriksson Ek in the face with his stick. TWOOOO MINUTES!!!
That Wild Power Play wasn’t too wild as they didn’t register a shot on goal. They drew another penalty when Wild F Matt Boldy was tripped in the neutral zone. Again, no shots but HEY, we’re just 11 minutes into the first game of the season. We’re positive it will get a lot better.
15+ minutes in, Wild F Ryan Hartman flipped the puck to the neutral zone and Blues D Logan Mailloux just knocked it forward. Wild F Marcus Johansson intercepted it, skated into the offensive zone, created space then found Hartman open as he was going to the net then…
4:06 – GOAL – Minnesota – Ryan Hartman (1) from Marcus Johansson (1)
Minnesota Wild 1 | 0 St. Louis Blues
That looks an awful lot like a… MAGIC LOOGEY!!!
That’s what we like to call…
A Magic Loogey!
Seinfeld Reference if you didn’t know.
The Wild kept the pressure on and 96 seconds later…
2:30 – GOAL – Minnesota – Matt Boldy (1) from Kirill Kaprizov (1) & Marco Rossi (1)
Minnesota Wild 2 | 0 St. Louis Blues
With 6 seconds left in the 1st period, Minnesota Wild F Marcus Foligno blocked a shot with his hand and he left the ice immediately but he was out to start the…
2nd Period
The Blues started the 2nd with a lot of zone time and ended up drawing a penalty but the Wild killed it off only to take another penalty 3 minutes later and that one was killed off too.
The Blues had 13 shots in the first 11:32 of the 2nd period while the Wild didn’t get their 1st shot until the 12:27 which was 8 seconds after the Blues F Brayden Schenn took a hooking penalty and…
7:33 – GOAL – POWER PLAY – Minnesota – Joel Eriksson Ek (1) from Kirill Kaprizov (2) & Matt Boldy (1)
Minnesota Wild 3 | 0 St. Louis Blues
The Wild kept playing their game. They weren’t sitting on a lead. They had a forecheck going and, with the puck behind the goal, Blues D Colton Parayko’s stick got caught on Ryan Hartman’s breezers (or ice pants for non-Minnesotans*) and Parayko waved his arms in the air trying to draw a penalty then the puck bounced to Wild F Yakov Trenin and he passed it to…
*Breezers isn’t even acknowledged as a word by Google.
2:24 – GOAL – Minnesota – Ryan Hartman (2) from Yakov Trenin (1)
Minnesota Wild 4 | 0 St. Louis Blues
3rd Period
The St. Louis Blues came close to scoring 6:43 into the 3rd period when F Robert Thomas fired a wrist shot off the left post and the Blues announcers were convinced it went in but…
It Did Not! That’s not what they mean by Hit the Net or Shot on Goal!
But… 44 seconds later…
MARCOOOO GOALOOOO!
12:33 – GOAL – Minnesota – Marco Rossi (1) from Kirill Kaprizov (3) & Matt Boldy (2)
Minnesota Wild 5 | 0 St. Louis Blues
The Wild made game 1, GAME WON. They never panicked, played with poise and had confidence in their game and their teammates to sail to a 5-0 shutout on the road against a division rival & in their building for their Home Opener.
That is a great recipe for winning hockey games, ‘Puckers!
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Minnesota Wild at St. Louis Blues – Condensed Game from October 9th, 2025
Minnesota Wild 5 | 0 St. Louis Blues
Final
Goalies
MN:
Filip Gustavsson:
27 Saves on 27 Shots; 1.000 Save %; 0.00 GAA*;
1st Win
Shout out for the Shutout!
Minnesota Wild G Filip Gustavsson Gives St. Louis the Blues – NO GOALS FOR YOU! – October 9th, 2025
STL:
Jordan Binnington:
16 Saves on 21 Shots; .762 Save %; 5.00 GAA*; 1st Loss
*Goals Against Average
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Next up:
The Home Opener at the Grand Casino Arena although it may have to be renamed the Grand Gusino Arena if Filip “Gus Bus” Gustavsson keeps shutting everyone out.
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Thanks for Reading!!!
Special THANKS to one of the Best ClutterPuckers and ClutterBringers who was at the Game!!!
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