Missed Opportunity for Wild as Hurricanes Storm Back
Seeking their third straight win, the Minnesota Wild twice held one-goal leads and rallied to tie the game 3-3. However, the Carolina Hurricanes responded each time, ultimately winning 4-3.
Game Summary
The Hurricanes overcame a tough start in a challenging environment, countering everything the Wild attempted. Matt Boldy ended a scoring drought with two goals, while Brock Faber scored his second goal of the season. Minnesota's special teams performed well, but the Hurricanes' persistent comeback efforts prevailed.
“Unfortunately, we didn’t find a way to win the hockey game, but it was a hard-fought battle by both teams,” said Wild coach John Hynes. “They had pushes and surges, and we had pushes and surges. But, unfortunately, we weren’t the team to win it tonight.”
Goalie Performance
Filip Gustavsson started shakily for Minnesota, allowing four goals on Carolina's first eight shots. He then stabilized, finishing with 23 saves. Gustavsson noted the challenge facing his team and that he didn’t do anything special to regain form later.
“This is a really good team we’re playing against, and we’re matching up against them pretty good today,” Gustavsson said.
Team Status
- Minnesota’s record dropped to 5-7-3 after the loss.
- The Wild are now 0-6-1 when trailing after the first period.
- Despite an early power play, Minnesota failed to record a shot on goal during it.
Author's summary: The Wild fought hard and showed resilience but ultimately failed to sustain leads, allowing the Hurricanes to secure the comeback victory with tactical persistence.