ST. PAUL, Minn. — As hard as it’s been for the Minnesota Wild to generate a goal the past two months, and especially over the past eight games, it truly is amazing the Wild have not started to cheat, have not strayed defensively and continue to bring the type of work ethic we saw Thursday night.
We all know things aren’t easy right now and there is no margin for error. And that surely was the case against the New York Rangers as the Wild, who have scored a league-low 2.2 goals per game in 25 games since Jan. 9, twice battled back from a goal down in the third period before losing 3-2 in overtime.
But at this time of year, with four teams chasing from the rear and the Wild playing with three irreplaceable players hurt, every point matters and the Wild once again probably deserved more.
So while it’s a chore to score, coach John Hynes still feels the Wild, who are now eight points up on eighth-place Calgary and ninth-place Vancouver, will be better for enduring the adversity when things really matter if the Wild are fortunate to get back to the postseason.
“The way we’ve decided to look at it is, ‘OK, the puck’s not going into the net easy for us, but are we generating chances? Are we getting outplayed and then not getting any offense? No, that’s not the case,’” Hynes said. “We’re playing some really good hockey, but we’re not getting the bounces, we’re not getting any puck luck.
“But on the flip side of that, we’re playing in tight games, we’re conditioning ourselves to play down the stretch in intense games that matter and mean something. And when you play in those games, you have to have a heightened focus, you have to have a high compete level, you have to understand every puck matters, the details of the game. So for me, it’s a real encouraging process for us because we’re doing the right things. … We’re committed to playing the right game. We don’t crack. We stay with it, we do the right thing, and that’s ultimately what you need to win.”
Marcus Johansson and Freddy Gaudreau each scored on the power play in the third period to force overtime before Rangers defenseman Braden Schneider’s winner 1:51 into the extra session.
It was the first time the Wild lost in a game that went to overtime in their last eight since Nov. 23, but the goal put a damper on a terrific game by Brock Faber and was maybe another example of how the heavy workload he’s having to endure right now catches up to him late in games. On a night he logged 29 minutes, 42 seconds — over five minutes more than any teammate — Faber couldn’t get his shot through and then was beaten to the middle by Schneider in the defensive zone.
BRADEN SCHNEIDER SHOWS OFF HIS HANDS TO WIN IT FOR THE RANGERS 🔥 pic.twitter.com/GMqAeFlxvP
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) March 14, 2025
The Wild will take Friday off and host the desperate St. Louis Blues, who still have playoff hopes, Saturday night.
Scoring is so unbelievably hard
Facing a team that had allowed 3.06 goals per game and 13 in its previous three, the Wild couldn’t score at five-on-five.
Scoring twice on the power play in the third felt like a coup.
The Wild had scored one goal in each of the previous three games and in five of their previous seven. Entering the third period, the Wild had scored three goals in the previous 12 regulation periods plus an overtime.
The Wild came out with a shooting mentality, but Igor Shesterkin looked as solid as Mackenzie Blackwood, Tristan Jarry and Kevin Lankinen in the three games prior, until Johansson split the defense and scored just as a Matt Rempe minor ended and Gaudreau scored a highlight-reel goal after looking like a center posting up and shooting a jump shot.
FREDDY GAUDREAU WITH A BEAUTY ON THE POWERPLAY. 2-2 pic.twitter.com/blE2nk0pAV
— Spoked Z (@SpokedZ) March 14, 2025
“I think we’ve been having chances. We just can’t find the net,” said captain Jared Spurgeon, who had two assists. “I think the biggest thing is just sticking with it and not changing stuff. Obviously, you shoot the puck — it’s an important thing, but at the same time, are we gonna make plays at the same time to create those opportunities? I think we are, and we’ve gotta stay with it so that they do start falling.”
What’s so hard about the Wild’s lack of goal support is the pressure it’s putting on goalie Filip Gustavsson. He gave up a second-period goal to Vincent Trocheck and it felt like he couldn’t lose an iota of focus the rest of the game. So when Jonny Brodzinski used Jon Merrill as a screen and whistled one through his legs, that half a second of losing sight of the puck led to a goal against.
“That’s the charm about being a goalie,” Gustavsson said. “You have no room for error. Like if you make a mistake, it’s usually a goal backwards. Right now there’s no place for errors because we’re trying to find more goals.”
This line deserved a big moment.
Love seeing #NYR Jonny Brodzinski score with money on the board.
And great to see Jones and Rempe pick up assists. pic.twitter.com/MzD8oYXprG
— Jonny Lazarus (@JLazzy23) March 14, 2025
Fortunately for Gustavsson, the Wild kept fighting. Zac Jones took a double-minor high-sticking penalty 20 seconds later and Gaudreau tied the score with his 15th goal.
The Wild are trying to keep their head above water until Kirill Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson Ek return, but there continues to be no update on either forward. Neither has started skating and Kaprizov appears a couple weeks off from even that.
At least injured defenseman Jonas Brodin got on the ice with skating and skills instructor Andy Ness for the first time since his Feb. 28 injury at Colorado. He missed his sixth game in a row and there isn’t a timetable yet for how long it’ll take for him to start skating with the team.
Brazeau plays his best game
On a night Marat Khusnutdinov scored his first goal for Boston, Justin Brazeau, the forward the Wild acquired from the Bruins, played his best game for the Wild.
He was held off the scoresheet, but at least he was noticeable on the forecheck in his eight shifts, drew a penalty, made some plays and would have had his first goal if not for a Shesterkin robbery.
Great save by Igor Shesterkin to keep #NYR in the lead🙅🏽♂️ pic.twitter.com/cCeSvqaUE8
— Dan Godlewski (@Danthfc_) March 14, 2025
“I think the last two games he’s been good,” Hynes said. “I had just a little chat with him. I think it was difficult circumstances when he first joined our team. I think, with the trade and the travel (from Raleigh to Vancouver and then back to Minnesota for an afternoon game) and how that all set up, it just wasn’t great.
“But I thought that (Yakov) Trenin, (Devin) Shore and Braz played really well tonight. They won their shifts and they won their matchup. I think the last two games that line has been good, and it’s nice to see Braz feeling more comfortable in how we’re doing things, finding this niche and finding this game. So I think there’s more there, too.”
Penalty kill coming around
The Wild, who entered the game with the 31st-ranked penalty kill went three-for-three and are now five for their last five.
It was just the sixth time this season they had a perfect penalty kill yet didn’t end up victorious. They’re a league-best 23-4-2 in such situations. Of course, what’s not good is they haven’t allowed a power-play goal in a league-low 29 games out of the 66 they’ve played.
Hynes declined to address the penalty kill after the game as not to jinx it.
“That’s a positive we can keep building on,” Gaudreau said. “Big blocks here and there. So, for sure, I felt like we were connected on the PK. Some good shares there, too. Like I said, those are positives that we gotta keep building on.”
(Photo of J.T. Miller and Jared Spurgeon: Matt Krohn / Imagn Images)
