The Minnesota Wild looked to continue their winning success after they took down the New Jersey Devils on Saturday, Feb. 11, but this time they faced the Florida Panthers, Monday night, Feb. 13. They started off with the same energy but also the same lack of shots on goal and the first period ended with no goals scored. In the second period, things started to move along; the Panthers jumped on the board early in the period but the Wild didn’t back down.
The Wild kept their energy up and responded with a goal of their own to tie things up at one. The tie held through the rest of the second period and all the way to the end of regulation which forced overtime. The game ramped up in the overtime session but the goaltenders saved everything and a shootout was required. The Panthers took it from there and got the 2-1 victory along with the extra point in the standings.
Wild’s Penalty Problems Come Back
Just as the Wild appeared to be turning a corner on their penalty problems they came back with a vengeance. They played musical chairs in the penalty box as it seemed once a Wild penalty would end another would start. Even their best penalty killer Jonas Brodin was caught in the penalty web not once but twice. Lucky for him, his teammates stepped up and not only killed off his two penalties but all of the penalties their team took.
The Wild’s penalty kill was lights out and kept their team in the game despite having to kill off seven penalties in total. Jared Spurgeon stepped up in place of Brodin and spent eight minutes on the penalty kill and had four blocked shots that led the team. While the Wild didn’t allow any power play goals, they have to stop the march to the penalty box or it will be the cause of their future losses.
Wild’s Kaprizov Tries to Carry Team
It wouldn’t surprise anyone to hear Kirill Kaprizov had carried the Wild to victory and while he tried to carry them against the Panthers, it couldn’t be done. He did get his team back in the game with the tying goal in the second period. It was his 30th of the season and he’s now the third Wild player in franchise history to have consecutive seasons with 30 goals.
Per #NHLStats, Kaprizov becomes the third #mnwild player to record consecutive 30-goal seasons with the franchise, joining Marian Gaborik and Brian Rolston.
— Minnesota Wild PR (@mnwildPR) February 14, 2023
Despite Kaprizov being pushed around a lot through the game, he managed to keep his cool and stay out of the penalty box. There was a point where he looked to be pushed to his breaking point but luckily for him his teammate Jordan Greenway stepped partially in his way and kept him from getting a roughing penalty. Kaprizov pushed hard in the third period plus both the overtime and shootout but Sergei Bobrovsky kept him to just one goal. Hopefully, that goal will spark yet another scoring streak going forward.
Wild Need More Shots & Rebounds
In the last few games, the Wild have really struggled to get shots on goal early in games and that has resulted in them getting behind early. The same thing happened against the Panthers and while they were able to respond in the second, it only lasted for that period. In the third, they didn’t register a shot on goal until past the halfway point of the period. Like their penalties, that can’t continue to happen or they will continue to lose games.
Related: Wild’s Defensive Struggles Overshadow Power Play Success
The other thing the Wild need to work on is following up on shots after rebounds. There have been a number of goals missed out on due to a player not being there for the rebound or getting there too late.
Wild Face Avalanche
The Wild’s next opponent won’t be any easier as they take on the Colorado Avalanche at the Xcel Energy Center on Wednesday, Feb. 15. Lucky for them it looks like they will have Marcus Foligno in the lineup, who left their game against the Panthers after blocking a shot on the inside of his kneecap and didn’t return. He was listed as having a lower-body injury but in their postgame interviews, head coach Evason said that Foligno should be back for their next game.
The Wild will need Foligno and the defense to be at the top of their game to keep players like Mikko Rantanen, Nathan MacKinnon, Artturi Lehkonen, and J.T. Compher off the scoreboard. Their offense will be busy also trying to find a way past Alexandar Georgiev or Jonas Johansson who was recently called up due to Pavel Francouz being injured.
The Wild can’t take this many penalties when they face the Avalanche or they will get scored on. They have to come out with energy and focus it on shots on goal with players following up for rebounds. If they can do those things, they’ll hopefully be able to get past the Avalanche and get back on the winning track.