Gustavsson’s tone was understandable.

He was coming off a disappointing season, he had almost undoubtedly been shopped by general manager Bill Guerin during the offseason, and now he seemed to be the odd man out for playing time in a crease that included a future Hall of Famer (Marc-Andre Fleury) and one of franchise’s key young pieces (Jesper Wallstedt).

There wasn’t much to smile about it and Gustavsson knew it. He also knew he had the ability to change that gloomy outlook.

So far, that’s what Gustavsson has done.

Wild defenseman Brock Faber congratulates Filip Gustavsson during a preseason game at Xcel Energy Center. (MHM Photo / Rick Olson)

Gustavsson’s 23-save effort in the Wild’s 3-1 victory on Saturday in Columbus — he lost the shutout when the Blue Jackets scored with only 1 minute, 25 seconds remaining — gave him a 3-0-1 record in the team’s first five games. Gustavsson’s 1.49 goals-against average and .950 save percentage places him sixth among NHL goaltenders in both categories.

Gustavsson is making both the difficult and, probably more importantly, the routine saves that he didn’t a year ago. Coach John Hynes has vaulted him to the top of the goalie depth chart. Fleury, who has said this will be his final season, has started one game and Wallstedt is back with the Iowa Wild of the American Hockey League after beginning the season in Minnesota.

“(Gustavsson) looks really solid in there,” Hynes told reporters. “He’s seeing the puck through traffic. His rebound control is strong, and that’s what you need from him.”

That’s what the Wild didn’t get a year ago after the Wild rewarded him with a three-year, $11.25 million contract following his first season in Minnesota.

Gustavsson had been acquired from Ottawa for fellow goalie Cam Talbot in July 2022. The Wild got more than they expected as Gustavsson’s 2.10 goals-against average and .931 save percentage put him second in the league in both categories.

But Guerin had to be questioning his decision to reward Gustavsson last season. His 3.06 goals-against average put him 37th among all goalies and his .899 save percentage was 34th.

The decision to bring back Fleury for a final season on a one-year, $2.5 million contract created the expectation that he would pair with the 21-year-old Wallstedt this season and help ease the rookie’s full-time transition to the NHL.

Gustavsson showing he’s the top choice in net
If that was the plan in the spring, it changed in the summer when Gustavsson remained in Minnesota. The 26-year-old Gustavsson found himself in a situation no goalie wants, and that’s the potential of being the third guy.

It’s still very early, but Gustavsson gets the credit for quickly ending that logjam by becoming the main guy.

The fact that Gustavsson added the first goalie goal in Wild history in a 4-1 victory last Tuesday in St. Louis only adds to the story. The goal came with the Wild on the power play near the end of the game and the Blues having pulled their goaltender. Fleury had told Gustavsson during a timeout that with a two-goal lead, if he got the puck he should attempt to shoot it the length of the ice.

Gustavsson did exactly that and became only the 15th goalie in NHL history to score a goal and only the 10th to do it into an empty net. There have been 18 goalie goals in the league’s history, but Martin Brodeur did it three times and Ron Hextall twice. Gustavsson also is only the third goalie to score on a power play.

As much fun that might have been, the Wild continue to start Gustavsson because he is now stopping pucks both 5-on-5 and for a penalty kill that was among the worst in the NHL last season.This isn’t all about goaltending either. In their first full season under Hynes, the Wild are doing more to help their goalie, even with captain Jared Spurgeon out of the lineup.

Not surprisingly, that has put Gustavsson in a far better mood than he was a month ago.

“I think we as a team have played really good defensive hockey, and we trust each other back there,” Gustavsson told reporters in Columbus. “Everyone’s doing their part of the job, and when you trust each other, it makes you comfortable and then you play your best.”

Gustavsson is doing exactly that, and for that reason he has exchanged a once tenuous hold on a roster spot for a nearly nightly spot between the pipes.

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The post No Gloomy Gus appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

It was so bad that Fleury heard boos from the crowds at Xcel Energy Center and was replaced by newcomer Filip Gustavsson in the second period of the Kings game. Gustavsson was given the start in the Wild’s next game against Colorado, also played in downtown St. Paul, and gave up five goals on 37 shots in a 6-3 loss to the Avalanche.

The Wild’s goaltending situation, and defense, looked like a mess.

Fast forward a year to opening night at Xcel Energy Center on Thursday and the storyline could not have been more different. Gustavsson, now entering the season as the Wild’s No. 1 goalie ahead of the 38-year-old Fleury, stopped 41 shots by the Florida Panthers in a 2-0 victory over the defending Eastern Conference champions.

Filip Gustavsson watches play in front of him against the Florida Panthers. (MHM Photo / Rick Olson)

The 18,976 who packed the X were on their feet throughout as Gustavsson made key save after key save. The Wild were outshot, 41-21, including 14-5 in a poor first period and 15-5 in the third, but Gustavsson never looked rattled and was always in control.

“(He’s) definitely the reason we got two points,” Wild winger Marcus Foligno said.

This type of performance was the reason that Wild general manager Bill Guerin rewarded Gustavsson with a three-year, $11.25 million contract during the offseason. That extension came a little more than a year after Guerin obtained Gustavsson from Ottawa for veteran goalie Cam Talbot.

That trade was only made because it was clear Talbot was not going to be happy having to share the net with Fleury and Guerin isn’t going to keep anyone who doesn’t want to be on his team. Gustavsson had played in a combined 27 games with the Senators the previous two seasons and many thought Guerin was taking what he could get for the disgruntled Talbot.

Those same people, present company included, had to rush to the Internet to find out who Gustavsson was and came away assuming he might not last the season.

Gustavsson quickly proved that given an opportunity, he belonged as an NHL starter. He started 37 regular-season games, only eight fewer than Fleury, and finished the season second in the league in goals-against average (2.10) and save percentage (.931). Gustavsson was brilliant in the Wild’s 3-2 overtime victory at Dallas in their first-round series, stopping 51 of 53 shots.

The 25-year-old — known as the Gus Bus and the subject of a fantastic commercial the Wild have begun airing in their “Not Weird. Wild” ad campaign — was the beneficiary of goals by defenseman Brock Faber, his first in the NHL, and center Joel Eriksson Ek. But that wouldn’t have been nearly enough if Gustavsson hadn’t kicked out shot after shot and stopped any rebounds that came his way.

“It’s not going to be like that every night, that’s for sure,” he said. “But sometimes you’re lucky, and you create your own luck.”

Gustavsson was being modest. There was nothing lucky about making 10 saves on Matthew Tkachuk or four on Evan Rodrigues or three on Aleksander Barkov.

His fourth career shutout had little to do with luck and far more to do with proving he belongs as the Wild’s No. 1 goalie.

The post All Aboard the Gus Bus appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

Filip Gustavsson follows the action in an Oct. 17, 2022 game at Xcel Energy Center vs. the Colorado Avalanche. (MHM Photo / Rick Olson)

The decision is made more interesting by how coach Dean Evason approached the Wild’s first-round playoff series last year against St. Louis. Coming off a franchise-record 113-point season, Evason started Fleury in Game 1 of the opening round against the St. Louis Blues and stuck with him until the Wild trailed 3-2 in the series. Facing elimination, Evason went to Talbot but it was too late. The Wild lost 5-1 in Game 6 and a once-promising season was finished. Talbot, who had gone 13-0-3 in his last 16 regular-season starts, didn’t hide his displeasure.

Fleury had been acquired at the trade deadline from Chicago, so it wasn’t a massive surprise that he got the start in the opener. What was surprising was that Evason didn’t turn to Talbot after back-to-back 5-2 losses in Games 4 and 5. Blues coach Craig Berube hadn’t hesitated to replace Ville Husso with Jordan Binnington after the Wild took a 2-1 lead in the series.

It would have been unfair to pin all blame on Fleury — Minnesota scored five goals in the final three games and was shutout in the opener — but, as Berube showed, a willingness to make timely changes in the playoffs can be the difference.

That thought should be in Evason’s mind as these playoffs approach.

Gustavsson has been outstanding this season — he is second in the NHL in goals-against average (2.03) and save percentage (.932) to Boston’s Linus Ullmark — and has been in a rotation with Fleury for the past 12 games. Fleury has a 2.82 goals-against and .910 save percentage in 44 games, while Gustavsson has played in 36 games.

During a 16-2-5 stretch that began in mid-February and vaulted the Wild to the top of the Central Division, Gustavsson has gone 8-1-4 with a 1.78 goals against and .942 save percentage. Fleury is 8-1-1 with a 2.28 goals against and .933 save percentage.

The answer to how Evason approaches this postseason might be available by going back 20 years in Wild history. This spring marks the anniversary of the franchise’s improbable playoff run in 2003, only the third season in the Wild’s history. Wild coach Jacques Lemaire helped guide that team past Colorado and Vancouver in the opening two series’ by not committing to either goalie.

Dwayne Roloson started the first four games against the Avs, but was sat after giving up two goals on four shots in Game 4. Manny Fernandez replaced Roloson and played the remainder of the series as the Wild rallied from a 3-1 deficit to shock the heavily favored Avalanche in overtime of Game 7.

Fernandez’s success got him the Game 1 start in the second round against Vancouver, but after a 4-3 overtime loss, Lemaire went back to Roloson for two games, used Fernandez in another overtime defeat, and then started Roloson for the final three games as the Wild again came back from a 3-1 deficit.  Fernandez then started three of four games in Anaheim’s sweep of Minnesota in the Western Conference Finals.

Lemaire wasn’t using a rotation, but he was open to riding the hot hand. So why couldn’t Evason do the same? Fleury and Gustavsson both want to be the starter, but the two seem to have a relationship where there will be no friction caused if Evason goes with one or the other. 

Marc-Andre Fleury focuses on the puck in a March 19, 2023 game vs. the Washington Capitals at Xcel Energy Center. (MHM Photo / Rick Olson)

In many ways, this Wild team reminds me of a more talented version of that 2003 group. Last season, the Wild was built for the regular season but not the playoffs. The team’s ability to stage late rallies and score timely goals made them entertaining, but that formula wasn’t going to work in the springtime. Guerin has built a team this season that has talent, but also is a bigger, more physical collection that can win close games by sticking to the structure Evason wants to see on a nightly basis.

The Wild will need Fleury or Gustavsson to make a few huge saves each game, but if they don’t try to match their opponent’s talent and instead play a physical brand of hockey that takes away time and space, there is potential for playoff success.

Using both Fleury and Gustavsson in a playoff series also makes sense in part because the two have such different styles. Gustavsson is cool, calm and collected and uses excellent technique that can frustrate foes. Fleury is more of a throwback, sprawling and rolling all over the place to make saves that are much more likely to make the highlight-reel than Gustavsson’s stops. A switch from Fleury to Gustavsson or vice versa, is going to force opponents to make changes in approach.

The most important thing is not to get too hung up on who gets the Game 1 start but rather how the situation is handled after that. Evason has two quality goalies at his disposal and it’s on him to pull the right strings. That likely will mean using Fleury and Gustavsson in each series and not waiting until it’s too late before he does so.

The post No Easy Decision appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

Marcus Foligno and his Minnesota Wild teammates once again find themselves with plenty of time to ponder what went went wrong in the postseason. (MHM Photo / Rick Olson)

Instead of using home-ice advantage to get past St. Louis before taking their chances against Colorado, the Wild bowed out in the opening round for the sixth time in seven years. The other time, 2018-19, Minnesota failed to qualify for the postseason.

It wasn’t shocking the Blues, who won the Stanley Cup in 2019, eliminated the Wild, but it was shocking how they did it. After taking a 2-1 lead in the series with a near perfect road performance in Game 3, the Wild got sloppy in dropping Game 4, fell apart in the third period of Game 5 at Xcel Energy Center and didn’t bother to show up in Game 6.

It was what you would have expected from the Wild team that included Mikko Koivu, Zach Parise, Ryan Suter, Jason Zucker and others. But they had all been cleared out by one-year-and-done general manager Paul Fenton and his replacement, Guerin. All season long everyone associated with the Wild, from the front office to the players, talked about how tight this group was and how much different everything felt with the locker room lawyers long gone.

This team was likeable and had leaders who seemed to care more about the final score than their ice time. That’s what made the end so hard to stomach. The Wild had spent all season thriving when adversity hit and, yet, in the opening round this roster didn’t look any different from so many that had gone before it.

And, now, as well as this group got along en route to setting franchise marks in wins (53), points (113) and goals (310) it will suffer at least one, if not more, key departures. Guerin’s decision to clear Parise (not surprising) and Suter (a shocker) out of the locker room last July by buying them out, enabled several players to have more important roles both on the ice and in the locker room. The gamble was the buyouts — which amounted to a reasonable $4.7 million in 2021-22 — now will result in three years of massive salary-cap headaches for the Wild.

The dead cap hits will be $12.7 million next season and $14.7 million each of the next two years. The NHL salary cap for 2022-23 will be $82.5 million, meaning it’s slashed to $69.8 million for the Wild. That leaves Guerin with only $8.18 million of available room as the offseason begins and that’s not enough to field an entire roster.

If Guerin faced this dilemma coming off a run to the Western Conference Finals, or better yet, the Stanley Cup, the problem wouldn’t be nearly as daunting because the success would have been so great. No matter how you spin the Wild’s regular-season success, the end was a huge flop.

Is Marc-Andre-Fleury one-and-done in Minnesota? (MHM Photo / Rick Olson)

It’s fair to wonder who still will be in a Wild jersey when training camp opens in September. Guerin said at his season-ending press conference on Tuesday that he would like to re-sign veteran goalie Marc-Andre Fleury and wants Cam Talbot back as well, despite the fact Fleury starting the first five games of the postseason didn’t sit well in the Talbot household.

Nonetheless, it won’t be surprising if both stick around.

It will be a surprise if winger Kevin Fiala isn’t moved. The Wild’s second-most talented winger behind Kirill Kaprizov, Fiala had a career-high 33 goals and 85 points in 2021-22 and was brilliant late in the regular season. Fiala’s point total was the second-most in a single season for the Wild, trailing the 108 that Kaprizov produced in a magnificent second season in the NHL.

That came with Fiala playing for $5.1 million and headed into restricted free agency for a second consecutive summer. This is likely the offseason that Fiala is going to get paid on a multiyear deal and, for a while, there were many who thought Guerin should pay that price by jettisoning defenseman Matt Dumba and whoever else had to go in order to keep the Wild’s second-best goal scorer.

That was before the postseason. While Kaprizov had seven goals on 27 shots in six games, Fiala had no goals on 15 shots with three assists and a team-leading 16 penalty minutes. He also was a minus-5. Fiala has one goal in his past 13 playoff games for the Wild, dating to last season’s seven-game first-round ouster by the Vegas Golden Knights.

Fiala should be able to fetch the Wild a far more substantial return than Dumba or anyone else who would be subtracted from the payroll. Teams that have been linked to Fiala in rumors include Ottawa, New Jersey, the Islanders and Vancouver. A high draft pick or big-time prospect, or both, could put Guerin in position to have a player under team control while the Wild are battling cap issues.

“There’s uncertainty,” Guerin said on Tuesday. “I mean, we’d love to have Kevin back. I don’t know if it’s going to be possible.”

Guerin rarely lacks a plan, so he likely knows exactly what he will do when it comes to Fiala. There are other players from this feel-good regular season who are probably headed out the door as well.

The fact these moves have to be made isn’t a surprise. Everyone saw it coming. But the fact they have to be made after another disappointing first-round loss in the postseason is another story.

The post Déjà Blues appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

Marc-Andre Fleury appears pleased with his new surroundings. (MHM Photo / Rick Olson)

So it should have come as no surprise that Guerin again showed that being good isn’t good enough as he made multiple deals before the NHL trade deadline on Monday. The biggest landed future Hall of Fame goalie Marc-Andre Fleury from Chicago for a conditional second-round pick that will become a first-rounder if the Wild reaches the Western Conference Finals and Fleury wins at least four games in the opening two rounds. (Guerin would happily walk that first-round pick to Chicago if that happens.)

These guys have done their part to today, so I have to do my part. — Wild GM Bill Guerin

Guerin also sent backup goalie Kaapo Kahkonen to San Jose, along with a fifth-round pick, for big defenseman Jacob Middleton. This came two days after the Wild obtained fourth-line winger Nicolas Deslauriers from Anaheim for a 2023 third-round pick. Guerin started his deadline-related maneuvers last Tuesday by acquiring center Tyson Jost from the Avalanche for Nico Sturm.

There had been some feeling that Guerin might not want to make too many changes because the Wild had become a cohesive team and sending players packing, or having guys come in and take their jobs, might not be the best idea with the playoffs around the corner. Guerin, however, didn’t win two Stanley Cup titles as a player, including one with Fleury in 2009, and two more as an executive with the Penguins by worrying about whose feelings were getting hurt.

Is disrupting chemistry something that Guerin had to consider? Of course. But far more important was bringing in guys who can help the Wild capitalize on what has looked like a special season at times but also featured some troublesome bumps in the road.

Fleury denies Kevin Fiala en route to a 35-save, 4-0 win over Minnesota in Game 4 of the Wild’s Stanley Cup playoff first-round series with the Vegas Golden Knight’s on May 22, 2021 at Xcel Energy Center. (MHM Photo / Rick Olson)

“These guys have done their part to today,” Guerin said, “so I have to do my part. And, you know what? It’s because of them. It’s not what I’m doing today, it’s because of what these guys have done all year and the way that they’ve played and the way that they’ve changed things around here. This is a credit to them. Like I said, I’m doing my job, I’m doing my part.”

It would have been far more concerning if Guerin had done nothing in goal after starter Cam Talbot and Kahknonen failed to show the type of consistency needed for a team that wants to make it past the first round. By many measures, the Wild goaltending situation couldn’t be trusted. Fleury, 37, posted a 2.95 goals-against average and .908 save percentage in 45 games, but that was playing behind a bad Chicago team that had high hopes when it acquired him from Vegas last offseason.

Fleury was coming off a season in which he won the Vezina Trophy with the Golden Knights. He posted a 1.98 goals-against average and .928 saves percentage and then played in all seven games in the opening round as Vegas eliminated Minnesota. It was Fleury who also helped lead the expansion Golden Knights to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2018.

The 18-year veteran is considered hockey royalty and one of the better locker room guys in the sport. Fleury should be rejuvenated in Minnesota and the Wild locker room should be equally excited to add a player many members of the Wild probably looked up to as kids.

It was on the opening day of training camp this season that Guerin addressed the team in a clip that caught the attention of many. The GM asked his players if they “knew what this was all about?” Silence followed until Guerin called on Spurgeon. “Hard working and having fun,” Spurgeon responded. The words had barely gotten out of Spurgeon’s mouth when Guerin snapped back, “(Bleep) that. This is about winning.”

Much remains to be expected from Cam Talbot, both in the crease and in the dressing room, for the Wild to achieve postseason success. (MHM Photo / Rick Olson)

Assurances were given shortly thereafter that there was nothing staged about this moment. Spurgeon had responded with what he believed to be the correct answer and one that for years probably would have been tolerated by a franchise that was used to quick playoff exits. But if Guerin was serious about his response he needed to do more than pay lip service to the stated goal. He needed to provide action that will knock Talbot into a backup role, that will cost a fourth-line winger his spot and also put a top six defenseman into the press box.

The Wild had gotten off to a 19-5-1 start that put them in first place in the NHL and had a 9-0-1 run at another point. But it had become clear the Wild needed help in net — Talbot’s five-game winning streak was nice but didn’t change Guerin’s mind — and needed to be bigger, meaner and tougher to have a chance in the postseason.

Middleton brings size (6-foot-3, 219 pounds) and is a shutdown defenseman. Deslauriers will take care of anyone who happens to bother Kirill Kaprizov, meaning Marcus Foligno can focus on staying on the ice. The teams that pushed the Wild around in recent weeks have been put on notice, and the high-flying Avalanche now will have to watch their backs against the Wild.

This provides no guarantees the Wild will make a run in the postseason, but it does reiterate Guerin’s message: Bleeping winning is more important than anything else.

The post No Mixed Messages appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

But has this fixation caused us to overlook what privately might be a bigger concern for Guerin and coach Dean Evason? That would be the goaltending position where Cam Talbot and Kaapo Kahkonen had been rotating of late. There is no doubt, however, that Talbot is seen as the Wild’s top goalie and the guy who would be expected to start in the playoffs.

The Wild haven’t had many missteps but a two-game skid last week at Winnipeg (6-3) on Wednesday and at home against Florida (6-2) on Friday provided cause to ponder Minnesota’s goaltending situation. Evason went away from the rotation and gave Talbot both starts. He stopped 25 of 30 shots against the Jets, and gave up four goals on 34 shots versus the Panthers as Minnesota also surrendered two empty-net goals.

Was Talbot solely to blame for the defeats? No. Did the 34-year-old make the saves a team needs when the pressure is on? Also, no. This would qualify as a small sample size, if it were focusing on only two games. But that’s not the case.

Questions remain as to whether the Wild can ride Cam Talbot deep into the playoffs. (MHM Photo / Rick Olson)

Talbot is ranked 32nd in the NHL in goals-against average (2.91 in 30 games) and 25th in saves percentage (.911). The advanced metrics also haven’t been kind. Talbot has a 1.80 goals saved above average (GSAA) in all situations to rank 16th among 26 goaltenders who have played at least 1,500 minutes this season. He is 22nd among the same 26 goalies in high-danger save percentage (.812). Last season, Talbot ranked 10th in GSAA (6.82) and 12th in high-danger save percentage.

Guerin and Evason have gone out of the way to talk about how well Talbot has performed and to point out that he has made big stops at crucial moments. Asked about Talbot’s disappointing goals saved above average for a recent ESPN story on his team, Guerin said: “I disagree with the numbers then. We’re getting saves at key moments in the game. Both our goalies have been awesome.”

So have quotes like this resulted in many, including me, ignoring something that should  be a concern?

Guerin can’t be blamed for avoiding criticism of Talbot, but he also knows he has a team that is having a special season and is facing salary cap issues in the three years ahead. The last thing Guerin, or Evason, want is for an opposing goalie to stand on his head in the first round and Talbot not be able to answer that type of performance.

Kaakonen, who entered Sunday’s game in Edmonton tied for 10th in the NHL in saves percentage (.921 in 18 games) and 15th in goals against average (2.53), has had hot stretches in both his first two seasons but consistency was an issue in 2020-21 and it seems unlikely the Wild would feel comfortable riding Kaakonen in the postseason.

That also would be a big gamble given that many expect the Wild can win a first-round series — something the franchise hasn’t done since 2015 — and compete with Western Conference power Colorado in a subsequent round.

One potential option on the trade market would be veteran Marc-Andre Fleury from Central-division rival Chicago. The Blackhawks are going nowhere and the 37-year-old known as the Flower is in the final season of his contract. Fleury can submit a 10-team no-trade list to Chicago, but Minnesota seems like it would be a good landing spot for a few months.

Might Kaapo Kähkönen become deadline trade bait? (MHM Photo / Rick Olson)

Fleury hasn’t had a great season after being traded by Vegas last summer — his .912 saves percentage ranks 23rd in the league and his 2.80 goals-against average is 27th — but he’s playing for a struggling team that entered Sunday a minus-47 in goal differential. That’s among the worst in the league.

Fleury, who this season became only the third goalie in NHL history to record 500 career wins, knows all about playoff pressure having won three Stanley Cups with the Penguins and helping the Golden Knights to the Finals in that franchise’s first season. Guerin also spent time with Fleury in Pittsburgh, first as a player in 2009 and then as an executive with the Penguins.

In the Golden Knights’ first round win over the Wild last season, Fleury started all seven games, had a .931 saves percentage and stopped all 35 shots in a Game 4 victory. The Wild’s desire to get Fleury would be twofold, given one of his other potential suitors could be the Avalanche. Colorado could pair starting goalie Darcy Kuemper with Fleury, giving them security if Kuemper is injured or struggles.

The one thing that wouldn’t be a concern is how Fleury would be received in the Wild’s locker room and whether the team’s chemistry would be upset. Fleury is one of the NHL’s most popular players and his Hall of Fame resume would give him immediate credibility. The question is what would Chicago ask for in return? The fact that a few teams certainly would be interested in Fleury — the Edmonton, Pittsburgh and Washington come to mind — could drive the price up but Fleury’s age and the fact he’s a rental means no team would pay an enormous sum for him.

The Wild likely would offer Kahkonen and a high draft pick or a prospect (not Matthew Boldy, Marco Rossi or Jesper Wallstedt) in return, if they pursued him. This also will be the last season for a while in which the Wild can absorb salary cap space without it being an issue. The team’s cap space at the trade deadline is set to be $11.8 million, and Fleury’s cap hit for the entire season is $7 million. If ever there was a time to pursue a deep playoff run, this is going to be it.

Of course, if Guerin and Evason are really as happy with the Wild’s goaltending as they say, the focus might continue to be on acquiring a center. If they aren’t, don’t be surprised if they decide to go Flower shopping before the deadline arrives.

The post Flower Shopping? appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

The post The Sieve & The Scribe: Ep. 6 appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

Facing elimination for the second game in a row, the Wild outlasted Vegas in a tight-checking, no-one-wants-to-make-a-mistake Game 6 on Wednesday night at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul. The Wild broke through the scoreless tie for a trio of third-period goals on the way to a 3-0 victory and their second shutout of the series.

“It’s an elimination game, and those types of games are just a game of mistakes,” said forward Ryan Hartman, who scored his second goal of the series Wednesday. “It’s who’s going to budge first.”

Not only did the Wild score three goals in front of 4,500 home fans, they completed a couple of pretty plays in the process. Early in the third period veteran Zach Parise, playing in only his third game of the series after sitting as a healthy scratch, got the first scoring play started. At center ice, he thread the needle perfectly for teammate Kevin Fiala, bouncing a pass off the boards toward Fiala who entered the zone with Hartman on the other side. Fiala finished the play with a cross-ice pass to Hartman who made no mistake roofing the puck over a sliding, tumbling Marc-Andre Fleury.

The Wild then held the all-important 1-0 lead.

The Wild have won three games in this series. Goaltender Cam Talbot has been a major factor in all of them. That might sound a bit obvious, considering he’s the goalie and teams in the playoffs need a good goalie to advance. But Talbot has two shutouts this series (1-0 in overtime in Game 1), and he hasn’t given up a few of those fluky, back-breaking goals like Wild fans have grown accustomed to seeing in the past from other netminders.

According to NHL Stats, per Minnesota Wild PR on Twitter, Talbot recorded the first shutout at home in franchise history a game the Wild faced elimination.

Vegas forward — and Wild nemesis — Alex Tuch gets a bird’s-eye view of one of Cam Talbot’s 23 saves en route to shutting out the Golden Knights. Photo by Rick Olson for MHM

Talbot didn’t necessarily steal Game 6, but he came up with big saves when needed and stopped all shots. Can’t ask for much more than that. One thing that’s been a factor in this series is quick answers when a team scores (some pucks in the net didn’t count, but that’s another story). About two minutes after the Wild made it 1-0 Wednesday, Talbot slid to his left and followed the puck along the ice to hold the lead for his team.

Talbot credited his teammates in front of him for helping the Wild to play what he called “probably our most complete game of the series.”

“I’m just trying to go out there and play my game and give us a chance to win,” Talbot said. “So I’m just playing behind an elite group in front of me.”

He’s a goaltender with a calm demeanor and doesn’t get too animated, Hartman said.

“He makes saves look easy, and he gets over for the hard ones as well,” Hartman said. “ We love having him back there for confidence.”

A couple of minutes after that big save for Talbot, Vegas center Chandler Stephenson fired a shot through traffic that landed in the Wild’s net. But Alex Tuch was clearly in the blue paint. The official signaled goal before the official call on the ice was no-goal. Vegas challenged, and this time was unsuccessful. So, the goaltender interference battle is all even and forgotten now, right Wild fans?

The Wild also didn’t have a power-play goal this series. Even when the home fans begged for calls, the Wild didn’t do much with any chances given. That tide also turned Wednesday with the delay of game penalty on Vegas following the no-goal call.

With about 10 minutes to play in the third period and the man advantage, Fiala took a feed from Jared Spurgeon and bounced a long shot toward the net and through Fleury. He was pretty pumped in his celebration, a much different look than last game when he broke his stick over the net in frustration at his lack of goal production. His first goal of the series didn’t come until Game 6, but it was a sigh of relief.

Still, there was a lot of time left for what some might dub the “worst lead in hockey” at 2-0. But the Wild sealed their fate to play another day with 4 minutes, 43 seconds remaining in regulation. The speedy Nico Sturm worked along the boards to feed a pass to Nick Bjugstad in the offensive zone after he got by the Vegas defense. Bjugstad skated through the slot and patiently scored with a backhander as Fleury flopped and tumbled on the ice.

The Wild didn’t let Vegas get a chance at any comeback momentum. It was 3-0 at the final horn with Wild fans cheering and waving their rally towels.

“I think the players deserve a lot of credit for just believing, and believing in each other, and I think that’s been the key – not just in the playoffs, it’s been key from Day 1 with this group,” said Wild coach Dean Evason.

Nick Bjugstad’s breakaway goal past a sprawling Marc-Andre Fleury sealed Minnesota’s Game 6 victory over Vegas. Photo by Rick Olson for MHM

If the Wild are going to pull off a series victory, they’ll do it having overcome a three-games-to-one deficit. It might not mean much to the current roster of Wild players, except maybe Blaine native Bjugstad, but the Wild has been in this spot before. The 2003 squad surprised the hockey gods by overcoming two 3-to-1 deficits against Colorado and Vancouver.

No, this 2021 Wild team has nothing to do with the 2003 team. Yes, Wild fans are free to relive those fond memories in order to hold out hope that this year their favorite team can watch another Wild opponent blow a 3-1 series lead.

“We don’t know the results in a couple days, but we know that we’re in it,” Evason said. “We know we can compete. We know we’re going to battle. At the end of the night, we’ll see where we sit.”

The winner faces an awaiting Colorado Avalanche team that should be pretty rested after its sweep of the St. Louis Blues. The jottings have been noted about Vegas, still only in its fourth season as a franchise, being battled tested and playoff-tested. A trip to the Stanley Cup Final in its first year will provide that kind of clout.

A Vegas-Colorado matchup will make for some great hockey. Though nostalgic Wild fans know how fun the rivalry with the Avalanche can be. There’s 2003, of course. And Nino Niederreiter’s overtime series-clincher in 2014. Besides the playoffs, Colorado is the only team that’s remained in the same division as the Wild for Minnesota’s entire franchise history.

Colorado finished first in the division this season for a reason, however. It’s definitely the favorite to win the next series, no matter the opponent.

Getting there, Fiala knows, won’t be easy to overcome a 3-1 deficit.

“We’ve been through a lot this year,” Fiala said. “It’s been a weird year, you know. We stuck together the whole year.

“I have a lot of confidence in my group and guys, now let’s do it.”

The post Seventh Heaven appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

Sounds like a few ingredients for a letdown, right?

In the end, yes.

The Wild (31-14-3) looked like a different team in the third period, in a bad way, and the night ended in a 4-3 defeat at the hands of the rival St. Louis Blues (22-19-6) Wednesday at Xcel Energy Center. The game-winner hit the back of the net with 23 seconds remaining in regulation.

“It slipped away at the end,” said Wild coach Dean Evason. “Majority of the game, we were real good. Had majority of the play, and we made some mistakes at the end. It’s disappointing, no question.”

For the first two periods, the Wild kept its foot on the gas and generated offensive-zone time, took 1-0, 2-0 and 3-1 leads. But things did not go well in the third period for a Wild team that was one of the first in the NHL to clinch a playoff spot.

“We just kind of get complacent and leave our tendy out to dry,” said Wild forward Marcus Foligno. “It’s a crappy feeling, especially the way you lose with 20-something seconds left on the clock. Yeah, we didn’t do the little things right. They did the little things right.”

Some of those “little things” were puck possession and turnovers.

Jordan Greenway checks Justin Faulk into the boards.  Photo by Rick Olson

The Wild held a 3-1 lead headed into the third period, but the Blues cashed in on their second power-play chance of the game to make it 3-2 about 4 minutes into the period. A bad turnover behind the Wild net by defenseman Matt Dumba led to the tying goal a few minutes after that, leaving 25 alone in front for the goal, although the puck seemed to awkwardly slip off his stick before bouncing past Cam Talbot and into the net.

The loss snapped a seven-game winning streak for the Wild, which feasted on the likes of Arizona, San Jose and Los Angeles. Without a goal on the night, Wild rookie Kirill Kaprizov saw his five-game goal streak come to an end, too.

The Wild looked good to start the game, and through pretty much 40 minutes of play. Talbot, who’s cemented himself lately as the top choice in net, came through with an early pad save on a mini breakaway on Jordan Kyrou to keep the game scoreless. Nico Sturm created a turnover at the St. Louis blue line a few minutes after that to spring Zach Parise for a solid scoring chance.

But no other line’s presence was felt as much as the tandem of Jordan Greenway, Joel Eriksson Ek and Foligno. They were on the ice for all three Wild goals.

Jonas Brodin put the Wild up 1-0 with about two minutes to play in the first period when he fired an off-balance shot from the top of the circles. On the play, Greenway kept the puck in at the blue line, and Foligno fed the puck to Brodin.

Eriksson Ek made it 2-0 only 32 seconds into the second period, putting home a rebound into a wide-open net. Greenway generated that play as well, while Foligno skated right in front of the goal. Foligno kept the momentum going in the second when his wrister from the high slot made it through traffic for a 3-1 lead 1 minute, 2 seconds after the Blues got on the board with a power-play goal.

“Moose and Greener were doing a great job on the forecheck, and I was just trying to read off them and support them,” Eriksson Ek said. “But we’ve got to keep playing for 60 minutes if we want to win like this.”

Even in the third period, Foligno still thought their line played well, continuing their trend throughout the season.

“I thought our line’s been dominant all year,” Foligno said. “It was a good line game by us. I thought we still competed hard.”

Jordan Greenway and Marcus Foligno tangle with a Blues player for the puck.  Photo by Rick Olson

Foligno, with his gritty play, enthusiasm and veteran leadership, is one of the reasons the Wild are a playoff team this year. Foligno was reunited with his line after missing 15 games with a lower-body injury. In his eight games back, he’s scored three goals and three assists.

In addition to his goal and assist on the night, Foligno recorded a game-high five hits in his 16:12 on the ice. Foligno and his linemates feed off each other as a smart, physical, hungry line, he said.

“Ekker’s been a huge part,” Foligno said. “You talk about a two-way forward who can handle everything when it comes to physicality and the offensive side, too, it’s been pretty exciting for him to see how he’s grown into the player he is now. And Greener, too, just taking big strides, those young guys.”  

For his part, Greenway’s two helpers pushed him to a career-high 30 points this season (6-24—30) in 48 games. He scored 8 goals and 28 points in 67 games last season. Greenway also added a physical play late in Wednesday’s third period, bowling over two Blues players at the same time in open ice.

Eriksson Ek officially doubled his career-high goal total from a year ago, bringing his tally for the season to 16 and 26 points, three off his career-high total. Eriksson Ek went down after a collision at neutral ice in the third period, but he spoke with the media afterward and confirmed he’s “good.”

It’s a good thing because keeping Ek’s line together will be key come playoff time, no matter the opponent.

The post Late letdown appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

Despite a couple of dud games (the Wild got outscored 11-1) in Colorado that ended the overall streak, the Wild returned to its winning ways on home ice. A 2-1 win over the Anaheim Ducks on Monday pushed the team’s streak to nine consecutive victories at home, a new franchise record.

“It was a little bit sloppy, but not every game is going to be pretty,” said defenseman Carson Soucy. “We’re not going to have all these fancy goals. We know that we can stick with it though.”

Two goals ties the least amount the Wild has scored on its home winning streak. But every game won’t be scoring six goals with everybody all smiles, said defenseman Ryan Suter. They’ll have to grind out wins, too, he added.

“I think we’re going through a bit of a slump with energy, but we’re finding ways to win, which is important,” Suter said.

It’s true that Monday’s game wasn’t the prettiest. The first period alone seemed disjointed and saw one solid Wild scoring chance from Nico Sturm. The Wild took a pair of penalties and were outshot 10-5 in the first 20 minutes.

In the second, the Wild didn’t have a shot on goal until nearly five minutes into the period. It was more of the same type of play with not a lot of shots, not a lot of consistent offensive-zone time.

Then the Wild found themselves down 1-0 at 5:17 of the second on an unassisted goal from Troy Terry after Mats Zuccarello lost an edge with the puck at neutral ice. Terry roofed a backhander past goalie Cam Talbot.

The Wild were awarded three power plays in the second period though. Of course, that hasn’t seemed to matter much on the scoresheet for the league’s worst power play. The Wild rank 31st with a power play that came into the game 8-for-94 at 8.5%.

On the third power play, Kevin Fiala fanned on a shot. Zuccarello turned the puck over. But a minute into the advantage, Suter wound up for a shot from the point. It made it through traffic and into the back of the net, tying the game for his first goal and 10th point of the season.

Still tied in the third, the Wild generated a few strong shifts early on. Forward Nick Bjugstad tossed the puck out to neutral ice off the boards and carried the puck into the offensive zone. He passed the puck over to Nick Bonino, but that play was broken up, so Sturm took a shot that went off the end boards. Bjugstad tried to backhand the puck on net from the side. The puck went out to Soucy in the high slot who fired the puck.

“It starts in the D-zone,” Bjugstad said. “It was an all-around good shift.”

With Anaheim goaltender Ryan Miller way out of position and among bodies in front, the rebound drifted over to a waiting Bjugstad, who put the puck in the open net for the go-ahead and eventual game-winning goal.

Nine of Bjugstad’s 12 points this season have been scored on home ice. The pride of Blaine couldn’t put a finger on what exactly is so different playing at home versus on the road. Although being a fan of the rink growing up maybe helps.

“It’s nice being home, sleeping in your own bed, being around family,” Bjugstad said. “Maybe that’s it. I couldn’t tell you. It’s fun playing here. I’ve always loved the Xcel Energy Center since I was a young kid.”

In goal, which hasn’t been a problem at all for the Wild, Cam Talbot improved to 7-5-1 overall with 24 saves. He’s working on a home win streak of his own, going 5-0-0 with a 1.31 GAA and a .949 save percentage in the six games he’s played in St. Paul this season. He’s allowed one goal or less in five of those games.

Talbot came up with some big saves near the end of Monday’s second period to keep the game tied.

“Not only the saves, but his ability to recognize when we were reeling a little bit,” said Wild coach Dean Evason. “Just recognizing the feel of the team. His calming presence and leadership was very valuable tonight.”

The Wild’s nine-game winning streak started Jan. 31, with a 4-3 overtime victory over Colorado. The next one didn’t happen until nearly a month later, after the Wild sat out a couple of weeks due to a COVID-19 outbreak and had a six-game road trip.

The Wild has been one of the best teams in the NHL since mid-February and its return to play, with a big chunk of that coming during the recent 5-0 homestand.

“We’ve stressed on how we want to be dominant here,” Soucy said. “With nine in a row, we want to keep that going, keep those games, keep building off of them.”

An eight-game home win streak was recorded three other times in franchise history: Nov. 23 to Dec. 29, 2016, Dec. 5, 2006 to Jan. 2, 2007 and Oct. 5 to Nov. 2., 2006. The Wild have outscored opponents 30-12 on the current streak at home, including three shutouts in goal.

“We’ve been able to win big, we’ve been able to win tight games,” said Zach Parise, who added how important it is to win in the home rink. “I think we’re going to have to continue that for the rest of the season, try to make this place a tough place to play.”

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