ST. PAUL, Minn. — When you get humiliated on home ice like the Wild were Thursday night, sometimes you need something — or somebodies — the next game to help reenergize.
The timing could not have been more perfect. Still, two days after Jake Middleton sustained a serious injury that would keep him out for several weeks, and with center Joel Eriksson Ek still sidelined for more weeks, Jonas Brodin and Mats Zuccarello came to the rescue Saturday afternoon.
Brodin assisted on one of Kirill Kaprizov’s two goals. Zuccarello assisted on Marco Rossi’s snipe and drew a penalty. And both were Corsi machines during a 4-1 victory over the Flyers as the Wild once again kept one loss from becoming two in a season of avoiding losing streaks.
Zuccarello is proud that no matter how many injuries the Wild have sustained this season, they still have 20 wins and points in 24 of 30 games.
“Obviously, it sucks to be injured, but it really helps when the team wins,” Zuccarello said. “All the boys are hustling and playing well. Obviously, you want to come back, but it’s harder to be injured when you’re losing. And that was not the case. It was fun to watch. Sucks to watch on TV, but other than that, it’s going good. The team’s going well.”
GO DEEPER
Kaprizov scores twice, Brodin and Zuccarello return as Wild bounce back: 3 takeaways vs. Flyers
Observations from the Wild’s latest victory:
Zuccarello doesn’t miss a beat, talks about gruesome injury
The Wild’s resident Mr. Sarcasm greeted yours truly after Saturday’s win with, “Four weeks without you guys. It’s been lonely.”
It’s truly impressive how he didn’t miss a beat despite not being able to do a thing for three weeks since he ruptured a testicle on Nov. 14 when struck by Brock Faber’s shot against the Ottawa Senators. He said he only skated two or three times, but since the schedule is so condensed now and the Wild barely practice these days, he decided he should get into game shape by playing games.
Zuccarello found himself getting fatigued quickly, but overall, he was satisfied.
This was our first chance to delicately ask Zuccarello about Faber’s shot that exploded his cup.
Zuccarello down the tunnel pic.twitter.com/bjTGJlYKRa
— Spoked Z (@SpokedZ) November 15, 2024
“It was a rough week, week and a half with pain, but the doctors and everyone did a good job,” Zuccarello said. “Obviously, when it happened, couple days after that, it was painful. But after a couple of weeks, it felt good. But, still, there’s a lot of physics down there or whatever you say, so like the core, you can’t lift, you can’t do anything. So it’s one of those freak injuries where you just have to listen to the doctors for once.”
Asked how guilty Faber felt while he was hospitalized following surgery, Zuccarello said, “I hope he’s feeling really guilty!”
“I’ve been in front of the net twice (in my career). Once I got hit in my head and I was in the hospital for a long time and now I got hit in my nuts,” Zuccarello cracked. “So that’s why I stay on the perimeter and outside the crease and let the other guys do the dirty job.”
Zuccarello to Marco Rossi 🚨 #mnwild pic.twitter.com/lxcQ88DLxw
— MN State of Hockey (@MinnesotaSOH) December 14, 2024
On setting up Rossi rather than a trailing Kaprizov, Zuccarello said, “Well, (Kaprizov’s) been looking off me a couple times (this year).”
Marcus Foligno said Kaprizov’s mood instantly changed in Salt Lake City earlier this week when he heard Zuccarello — his mentor, best friend and favorite linemate — had begun skating.
“I’m not going to lie, he wasn’t the happiest (the last month),” Foligno said. “Then he heard Zuccy was skating and he was like a creaky little kid on Christmas morning.”
Rossi’s goal was made even sweeter because his entire family flew to Minnesota to surprise him for Christmas. It was the first game seeing him in the NHL for his sister, Marielle, niece, Amira, and brother-in-law, Jasko.
Rossi’s family from left to right: girlfriend Stefanie, mother Claudia, sister Marielle, niece Amira, brother-in-law Jasko and father Michael. (Courtesy of Michael Rossi)
Impact of Zuccarello and Brodin
Marc-Andre Fleury, who made 21 saves to improve to 6-1-1, said it was tremendous how Brodin stabilized things. With Middleton injured, he slid into the left side on the top pair with Faber.
Brodin, unfortunately, has had to deal with his share of injuries in his career, yet every time he returns, it’s bonkers how he steps right in and makes it look simple. Brodin and Faber had 69.57 Corsi for percentages.
And Zuccarello was his normal stealthy self.
“Jimmy and Zuccy made a heck of a difference tonight, holy smokes,” Foligno said. “Brodes, I mean, it’s a different game back there. It’s so easy for him back there and it’s so much easier when he’s in the lineup. He breaks us out a lot of times, just his sticks and gaps, you know?
“Zuccy is just dynamic, right? He gets Kirill open. Kirill is more of the receiver, and not having to be the disher as much, and it just adds another dynamic offensively to our team.”
Coach John Hynes had long conversations with both players after Friday’s optional practice because even though they were each cleared medically, Hynes didn’t want them returning too soon if they weren’t ready to be difference makers.
“I’m really happy to be back with the guys and be playing again,” Brodin said. “It’s been good watching them, too, playing good. But it’s even more fun to be back playing. (With Middleton hurt), that’s been kind of good timing there. I’ve been skating now five days, I think, me and Zuccy. So I’ve been feeling good.”
Brodin’s injury is one he’ll need to monitor for the rest of the season. Asked if he’s confident this is behind him, he said, “I hope it’s gonna be good. It’s been bugging me a little bit, but it’s fine. I feel good now, so hopefully it stays like that.”
Brodin helped the Wild’s 29th-ranked penalty kill go 3 for 3.
Fleury’s ‘glovery’
Fleury doesn’t hide the fact that he sometimes exaggerates glove saves with a little flair for the dramatic because he enjoys putting on a show for himself and the crowd.
His glove save in the first period on Travis Konecny was a true robbery. And after the larceny, you could see his smiling face through his mask.
THIS FLOWER DOESN’T WILT! 🌸
What a remarkable save by Marc-Andre Fleury! pic.twitter.com/xF9pJuerrz
— NHL (@NHL) December 14, 2024
“Like a forward loves scoring goals,” Fleury said. “I think it feels good for them, but for me, for goalies, I think when you can rob one and you see the guy’s face … like, I don’t know. I say it’s good getting excited. It’s fun.
“This one was late and because the guy was right in the slot, I felt like I still had to stay square to him because he could have shot, too. So that’s why I was a little late getting across. So I got a little lucky, but I’ll take it.”
Speaking of luck, on a second-period penalty kill, Konecny had an open net and somehow hit the stick of Matvei Michkov.
“Oh, my God,” Fleury said. “I was like, ‘Uhhhh,’ and then this guy’s there. A little bit unbelievable, but we’ll take it for sure.”
Matvei Michkov just stopped Travis Konecny from scoring 😬 pic.twitter.com/jK1fhuFjvw
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) December 14, 2024
Surly Flyers coach John Tortorella didn’t love it.
“I’ve seen it before. I’ve seen it before, and I wish I didn’t see it tonight,” he said.
Boldy’s breakaway goal after taking another minor
Hynes hasn’t been elated with Boldy’s offensive-zone penalties lately. He wasn’t upset with his one in the defensive zone Saturday because he felt it was a hockey play and, let’s be honest, the Wild killed it off.
Boldy would love to stay out of the box though. He has taken five penalties in the past three games.
“Yeah, obviously I’m not trying to do that,” Boldy said. “Sometimes it just happens. But, yeah, it’s something that I got better about.”
But like his shootout goal in Utah, Boldy scored the winning goal on a breakaway when he had all day to chase down a puck and score.
Matt Boldy is VERY good at hockey pic.twitter.com/yiaMkUq70B
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) December 14, 2024
“Good play by Brock,” Boldy said of Faber’s head-man pass he skated into. “Just tried to make (Samuel Ersson) move, and found a way to get it in.”
Foligno’s quick scrap with Hathaway
Garnet Hathaway got away with a lot of extracurriculars in the Flyers’ win over Minnesota in October, and Foligno took potshots after the game saying that’s what he has to do to stay “relevant” in the NHL.
So you knew they were going to square off on Saturday.
“I think he understood,” Foligno said. “We let those cheap shots go from last game and, yeah, he’s a tough player, physical player, and you don’t want to get taken advantage of that. Credit to him for saying yes. Doesn’t have to do that.”
Marcus Foligno had enough of Garnet Hathaway’s shenanigans #mnwild
pic.twitter.com/fxJEybG6jI— Alex Micheletti (@AlexMicheletti) December 14, 2024
Of course, it was a quick one when Foligno sarcastically inferred Hathaway turtled and “slipped on the ice, I guess.”
“Would have liked it to last longer,” Foligno said.
Kaprizov’s odd-angle goal
Kaprizov’s goal from a tight angle off Ersson’s mask was no fluke.
oh my goodness, Kaprizov pic.twitter.com/bT6rqwlanf
— Shayna (@hayyyshayyy) December 14, 2024
“He’s doing that stuff like 30 minutes after practice and we’re trying to drag him off,” Hynes said. “I mean, he hits that shot probably … I’m telling you in practice, he’s probably doing that 30 to 40 minutes after practice, then he gets in a game and does it. So it’s the Catch-22, right? ‘Kirill, can you get off, so you can be rested for the game?’ But then he does this.”
Odds and ends
• Hynes wasn’t sure what happened to Jakub Lauko in the first period and whether he sustained a new injury or aggravated the strained muscle that recently caused him to miss six games. But he was placed on injured reserve after the game, so he has to miss at least seven days.
• Yakov Trenin (upper body) is day to day and possible to return Sunday vs. Vegas.
• Goalie Jesper Wallstedt was recalled under emergency conditions, so it’s unclear if he could even start against Vegas and something is wrong with Filip Gustavsson. He did back up Fleury on Saturday and Fleury showed no signs of illness or injury after the game.
• With Brodin back, newly-acquired Travis Dermott didn’t play. “I met with him before the game,” Hynes said. “He got in late last night, so I met with him before the game and we had him come in and do warmups and be part of the meetings, just kind of see the feel for the team. So I think it’s nice for him to get settled in today.”
(Top photo of Jonas Brodin and Mats Zuccarello: Nick Wosika / Imagn Images)
