3 Takeaways From the Wild’s 4-2 Win Over the Blues – The Hockey Writers Minnesota Wild Latest News, Analysis & More

The Minnesota Wild were looking to get back on the winning track when they took on the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday evening, Nov. 19. After struggling against the Dallas Stars until the final few minutes; the Wild got a boost to their lineup with Jonas Brodin and Joel Eriksson Ek returning to the lineup following some minor injuries that held them out for two games. 

It was a back-and-forth effort. The Wild scored first, but the Blues answered back, and it repeated itself twice before the Wild pulled away in the final minutes of the third period. They took the 4-2 win, and in this article, we’ll take a look at how they fought through and succeeded in getting back on the winning path, starting with their consistent offensive push. 

Wild Keep Pushing 

The Wild haven’t had the same spark recently as they did at the beginning of the season, but they are finding small bursts of energy throughout games. They make those times count, and against the Blues, it was no different. However, the Blues found ways to answer back, which threw the Wild a bit. 

While their goal scorers were no surprise, with the exception of Jonas Brodin, who ended up with the game-winner, they did have others step up to get shots. Jake Middleton, Marat Khusnutdinov, and Jakub Lauko all stepped up with their speed and nearly had their own goals. Middleton and Khusnutdinov have been very noticeable lately as they have worked hard to carry the puck through the offensive zone all the way to the opposing goaltender. 

During the game, the ESPN broadcasters had head coach John Hynes do a quick behind-the-bench interview, and Hynes emphasized how important playing as a “five-man unit” is. That thinking helped them get this win, and even when the Blues came back to tie it twice, they kept that thinking, and it got them the win. 

Wild’s Top Line Produced 

Apart from their consistent pushback, the other reason the Wild came away with the win over the Blues was that their reunited top line stepped up in a big way. With Mats Zuccarello injured, the Wild put together Kirill Kaprizov, Joel Eriksson Ek, and Matt Boldy like they did last season. There was immediate chemistry again, and they had some strong chances until they broke through in the third after Ryan Hartman did in the first. 

The line had two goals, both by Kirill Kaprizov and a combined 13 shots on goal, plus Boldy had an assist, which gave the line a total of three points. Eriksson Ek was skunked in terms of points, but he accounted for three of those 13 shots, while Boldy had six and Kaprizov had four. 

The top line is known for its offensive production, but they didn’t forget about their defensive responsibilities either. Boldy stepped up to block two shots, and Kaprizov also got in a block; again, Eriksson Ek wasn’t able to get a block, but he contributed with three hits to Boldy and Kaprizov’s zero hits. The line balances itself out well, and if they continue to produce every game, they may have to put Zuccarello back on the second line instead of the top when he returns from injury.

Wild’s Special Teams Struggles Return

The Wild’s power play was held to zero goals for the second straight game despite having two opportunities in their game against the Blues. They had some good shots but couldn’t get anything past Binnington on the man advantage, but the Blues found success on their power play. 

Things looked good for the Wild on the penalty kill at first as they killed off their 17th straight penalty and the first of the Blues two chances. However, on the second power play, the Blues found an opening at the corner of the net where they snuck behind the Wild’s defense and got it past Gustavsson, who couldn’t get to that side of the net in time. 

The Wild’s penalty kill was perfect five games in a row, and it nearly was against the Blues as well. Even with the shorthanded goal, the Wild have only allowed 10 goals on the penalty kill out of 51 penalties taken. Hopefully, this is a small bump in the road, and the Wild can get their penalty kill and power play working at 100 percent again. 

Wild Face Oilers 

The Wild will face a team not in their division next in the Edmonton Oilers on the road this Thursday, Nov. 21. While the Oilers have struggled to start this season, the Wild have to take them seriously especially with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl in the lineup. Both teams will be coming off wins and will be looking to keep their respective streaks alive. 

Related: Wild’s Filip Gustavsson Has Cemented Himself as Team’s No. 1 Goalie

It’s unclear if Gustavsson or Marc-André Fleury will be in net but they’ll have to be ready for the big guns on the Oilers. Hopefully the Wild can build off this win and start with a jump in their step against the Oilers and come out with another win.