Wild Show Progress in Loss to Jets, Despite Extending Losing Streak
Despite a promising performance and visible progress, the Minnesota Wild suffered their fourth consecutive defeat on Tuesday, falling 4-3 in overtime to the Winnipeg Jets at Grand Casino Arena. The loss came despite a late rally and a determined effort against a formidable opponent boasting the NHL’s top penalty kill and one of the league’s elite goaltenders.
The Wild, currently 3-5-3, demonstrated resilience in a game that saw momentum swings and controversial officiating, leading coach John Hynes to emphasize the ongoing “process” of returning to form. “Sometimes you don’t just come right out of it. There’s a process to get out of it,” Hynes explained after the game. “There’s a style of game. There’s a dig in factor, there’s a diligence to your game that you need to have. And then you climb and you play well, and maybe sometimes you don’t get totally rewarded for what it is.”
Jets Rally for Overtime Victory
The Jets, led by Kyle Connor’s overtime goal, overcame an early deficit and a late Wild lead to secure the win. Nino Niederreiter had previously tied the game for Winnipeg in the third period. The Jets initially jumped to a 2-0 lead with goals from Gabriel Vilardi and Vladislav Namestnikov just 22 seconds apart, capitalizing on traffic in front of the Wild net.
Minnesota responded in the second period with goals from Kirill Kaprizov and Brock Faber, knotting the score at 2-2. Faber’s first goal of the season was particularly fortuitous, deflecting off the skate of Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck after hitting the glass above the end boards.
Johansson Goal Not Enough
A third-period power play goal by Marcus Johansson – his fourth in the past three games – briefly gave the Wild a 3-2 advantage with nine minutes remaining. However, Winnipeg’s relentless pressure ultimately led to the overtime winner.
Controversial Call and Officiating Concerns
The game was not without its share of controversy. In the final seconds of the second period, a questionable high-sticking call against Minnesota’s Matt Boldy sent the Wild to the penalty box. Replay appeared to show no contact between Boldy’s stick and Jets defenseman Dylan DeMelo. “He gets hit in the head, his head goes back, it’s close, so it’s a tough call for the ref,” Boldy conceded, adding, “There’s no bad feelings there at all.”
Later, a perceived “make-up call” resulted in a third-period power play for Minnesota.
Hellebuyck Stands Tall
Winnipeg goaltender Connor Hellebuyck finished with 33 saves, proving a significant obstacle for the Wild’s offense. Minnesota came out firing, sending 10 shots toward Hellebuyck in the first 10 minutes, but the netminder – renowned for his positioning – handled each attempt with relative ease.
Wild Look Ahead
Despite the loss, there were encouraging signs for Minnesota. According to one player, “If we play that same game 10 times over, I think we have a good chance of winning a lot of those games,” but acknowledged, “It stings. We’ve just got to get back to it and stick with it.”
The Wild continue their six-game homestand on Thursday against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Briefly:
As part of their 25th anniversary celebration, the Wild wore replica jerseys reminiscent of their inaugural 2000-01 season. The ceremonial puck drop featured former Wild players Marian Gaborik, Brian Rolston, Pierre-Marc Bouchard, and Stephane Vellieux.
