Minnesota Wild Keep Rolling With Win Over Carolina Hurricanes
3. 98. Final. 1. 109
Surviving a second period in which it was badly outshot, the Minnesota Wild scored twice in the closing frame to take a 3-1 win over the Carolina Hurricanes and pull within striking range of the Central Division elite.
Good morning, Minnesota Wild fans. Playing its second game on the road in as many nights, the Wild snagged both points from a feisty Hurricanes squad to sweep the western road trip. Charlie Coyle, Mikael Granlund, and Zach Parise all scored for the Wild while Riley Nash had the lone tally for the Hurricanes. Thomas Vanek was a late scratch due to an unspecified illness.
First Period:
The Minnesota wild came out like a team playing two games in a row. Most play between the 2 teams took place in the neutral zone, and very few shots or shot attempts really took place. Both teams also committed repeated icings throughout the first frame.
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Jeff Skinner served a bench minor for too many men on the ice right at the end of the eight minute to send the Wild to its first power-play. The top power play unit did its usual thing passing around without really getting anything anywhere before the second unit came to the ice and maintained reasonable zone pressure. Then, three seconds after the power play expired, Charlie Coyle opened the scoring. Mathew Dumba recovered a clearing attempt with about four seconds remaining on the Skinner penalty, passed off for Granlund who sprung a 3-on-2 with Coyle and Nino Niederreiter. Niederreiter, cruising down the left-wing wall held off on a shot, instead choosing to pass for Coyle on the weak side, and Coyle fired a wrist shot high over the glove of Carolina goaltender Anton Khudobin to make it 1-0 wild at 11:00 of the first period.
The Wild got its second power play chance in the 17th minute thanks to a hustling Granlund. The Wild’s power play, which is a ghastly 14.8% on the power play this season, managed zero shots on net, which is depressing given how poorly Khudobin was playing all night. He looked uncomfortable in the crease, honestly.
Shots after one period: Minnesota Wild 8, Carolina Hurricanes 5
Second Period:
The second period was absolutely awful for the visiting Wild. I had some faith when they registered the first two shots on goal, but the Hurricanes responded in a huge way.
Erik Haula took a hooking penalty in the 6th minute after failing to get a shot away during a 3-on-2. The Wild’s second ranked PK stepped up in a huge way, though Carolina put several quality shots towards Devan Dubnyk, who was forced to scramble quite a bit. Skinner and Jordan Staal each had fantastic chances.
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Carolina, out shooting the Wild by a 3 to 1 margin all period, wouldn’t be held off the board. In the offensive end, Chris Stewart attempted a pass to Jonas Brodin who came in from the blue line all the way to the base of the face-off circle. Skinner intercepted the pass and forced a 2-on-1 with Riley Nash. Ryan Suter overplayed the rush, giving Skinner a wide open passing lane to Nash. Nash fired a quick snap shot over the blocker of Dubnyk to make it a 1-1 tie at 15:18 of the second period.
The Wild had back-to-back icings to end the 3rd and failed to register a shot on goal in the last 10 minutes of the frame.
Shots after two periods: Minnesota Wild 12, Carolina Hurricanes 21
Third Period:
I’m not sure what Mike Yeo said in the locker room. In fact, I’m not sure he said anything at all, but the Wild turned its game around in the 3rd.
Zach Parise had an awesome chance early in the 3rd that got stuffed by Khudobin.
In the 3rd minute, Stewart put a quality shot on goal from a sharp angle that forced a rebound to the low slot, but Niederreiter couldn’t quite get to it before getting swarmed by red sweaters.
After the Wild’s 4th line forced a few turnovers in the offensive zone, the top line went to work and re-took the lead.
, Mikael Granlund, and Zach Parise went to work along the left-wing wall and behind the net. Pominville set up Granlund for a wrister from low in the left face-off circle before sliding to the weak side of the net. Granlund’s wrist shot went off the skate of forward
and past Khudobin to make it
2-1 Wild at 04:22 of the third period.
Just under 2 minutes later, Parise put the game out of reach for the Hurricanes.
Folin chipped the puck in to the offensive zone which Khudobin kept moving behind the net and gave the puck over to
. Parise forced Hanisey to giveaway the puck, which Pominville collected. Pominville put a shot right in to the lap of a sitting Khudobin. With no chance to collect a rebound from his back side, Parise picked up the loose puck and put a wrist shot over the glove of the scrambling Carolina goaltender to make it
3-1 Wild at 06:18 of the third period.
A late power play for the Hurricanes yielded nothing against the Wild. Game over, Wild win 3-1 in regulation.
Final shots on goal: Minnesota Wild 19, Carolina Hurricanes 38
Allowing 38 shots on goal and blocking 25 more isn’t generally conducive to winning a hockey game, so I’m not sure how the Wild pulled this one out. A lot of that is thanks to Dubnyk, who continues to play stellar hockey in net. I’m absolutely shocked he held on in this game after playing the night before.
The possession stats for the Wild get worse. Not one wild player was positive in possession. Mathew Dumba was even at 50%. That can’t continue for the Wild going in to an extremely difficult stretch. 14 of the Wild’s remaining 17 games are against teams actively in the playoff hunt or holding on to a playoff spot.
Pominville and Parise now have back to back 2-point games. That’s good news for the Wild, which seems to find scoring when they need it.
I’m off Sunday, but I’ll be at the game, so feel free to say hello if you see me. The absolutely fantastic Andrew McCormack will cover Sunday’s game recap. Talk to you next week and thanks for reading!
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