The Minnesota Wild were carrying the momentum of a 5-1 win over the Seattle Kraken when they went on the road to face the Colorado Avalanche with two very important points on the line. The Wild clearly knew what was at stake in this game as they came out at a fast pace and didn’t look back. They got things started early with a goal just three minutes into the first but the Avalanche found an answer halfway through the period with a goal of their own to tie it at one.
That goal didn’t phase the Wild as they responded towards the end of the period to reclaim their lead and held onto it to end the first. They took control of things in the second with a shorthanded goal for a two-goal lead and they kept the Avalanche on their heels for the rest of the period.
The Wild kept up the pressure in the third but the Avalanche pushed back and scored in the latter half of the period to give their team some hope. However, the Wild closed out the game with another shorthanded goal on an empty net for the 4-2 win and two very big points.
Wild’s Surprising Offense Continues
The Wild have had several different players step up the past few weeks with Kirill Kaprizov injured and it continued against the Avalanche as they had a couple of other players add goals to their resumes. First up was Marcus Johansson who’s been racking up the points over the last few weeks, and he got the first goal of the game off of a beautiful no-look between the legs backhand pass from Joel Eriksson Ek.
It was Johansson’s 16th goal of the season and was exactly the start the Wild needed. When the Avalanche answered back it would’ve been easy for the Wild to fall back on their heels and get overwhelmed but they did the opposite and stormed forward. Their next goal was by Sam Steel who’s struggled on and off all season but has found the net in critical situations like his go-ahead goal against the Avs. It was his first game back in the lineup since March 19 against the Washington Capitals and he’s trying to prove he’s earned a spot. However, the real hero of the game was Frédérick Gaudreau who stepped up in a big way.
The final two goals were both on the penalty kill and both by Gaudreau who’s been known as their shootout specialist this season but he can now add shorthanded goals to that list as well. The Wild are currently third in the NHL for most shorthanded goals this season with 11 and Gaudreau is tied for second place amongst all NHL players with four of those goals.
Wild’s Special Teams Rise and Fall
The Wild’s penalty kill was in the spotlight in their game against the Avalanche when they not only killed off all four penalties but scored twice while shorthanded. It was their third straight game their penalty kill went 100 percent and the first time since March 15 that they scored while shorthanded. However, while the penalty kill shined and did its job, their power play struggled.
Related: Wild’s Boldy Shows Dominance, Dumba Struggles Offensively
It’s become evident that the power play really does rely on Kaprizov and his being out of the lineup has exploited that flaw. They have had their chances over the last couple of weeks and were successful six times. However, they had a total of 31 chances while on the man advantage and only scored on six of them but as the playoffs draw nearer, they have to do better.
It’s not going to be easy with Kaprizov still out but they still have a number of players who’ve shown they’re capable of earning power play points like Eriksson Ek, Mats Zuccarello, Ryan Hartman, Gaudreau, etc. They also need John Klingberg to step up a bit more and control the flow of the power play. He’s shown he can in the past but they could use some more from him as the regular season winds down.
Wild’s Gustavsson the Hero Again
It has felt like a nonstop storyline lately but Filip Gustavsson was once again one of the heroes. He’s gone from a shaky newbie to playing like a seasoned veteran in just a few months. He clearly had the potential all along and it just took some additional playing time to show his talents. He faced 44 shots from some of the NHL’s best in Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen, Cale Makar, etc, and stopped 42 of them for a save percentage of .955.
Gustavsson’s been one of the NHL’s best goaltenders recently and he’s been a major key to the Wild’s recent success. However, some of that success also goes to his goaltending partner, Marc-André Fleury and it’s clear the two work together well as they’ve both been playing outstanding. Goaltending is one of the most important pieces in a strong playoff team and hopefully, the Wild’s goaltending tandem can keep up their great play especially when the postseason starts in just a few weeks.
Wild Head to Vegas
After this win, the Wild have sole possession of first place in the Central Division with a three-point lead over the Avalanche. They’ll continue on the road and head to Vegas to face the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday, April 1, and hopefully extend their point lead even more. The Wild’s offense will need more players to step up and find a way past either Laurent Brossoit or Jonathan Quick in the Golden Knights’ net.
The Wild’s defense will also have to step up and focus on keeping Jack Eichel, Chandler Stephenson, and Jonathan Marchessault off the scoreboard. If the Wild can do those things, plus keep their penalty kill perfect and possibly add a few power play goals, they’ll be able to come out on top against the Golden Knights and keep their first-place spot in the division.