Statistical Recap: Wild lose 6-3 to the Jets

The analytics showed the Wild were the better team at 5-on-5 but still ended up with a 6-3 loss to the Jets.

WINNIPEG - Minnesota had tons of chances last night they just couldn't capitalize on any of them. 

“I thought we generated quite a bit. I think we certainly should have had more goals than we did tonight," Wild head coach John Hynes said. "Unfortunately, they didn’t go in but I thought the chance generation, expected goals, chances for, o-zone time, I think lots of those things were in favor but didn’t get in tonight. So I think we gotta bear down. I think the process to get to those chances was good, but when you get that many looks and you’re that attacking offensively, you gotta find a way to get to the back of the net.”

According to Natural Stat Trick, the Wild finished the night with 4.4 expected goals to the Jets 3.61 in all situations of the game. They had a total of 3.28 expected goals in the first two periods to the Jets 1.64 but yet found themselves down 3-1.

“I certainly think the last two nights we played two top teams. I think when you look at expected goals and offense at a 5-on-5 perspective, we’ve been the better teams both games," Hynes said. "Last night we scored 4 5-on-5 goals and then we had the power plays then tonight it didn’t go in. Like I said, I think there’s lots of good in our game right now. Unfortunately tonight for as much as you can control the play and generate those things, we gotta bear down when we have open nets or are in scoring areas. We’re getting to those areas but tonight it didn’t go in for us.”

But despite the chances and numbers, the Wild still lost to the Jets 6-3 in a game that if they had won, they would have been tied for a playoff spot. 

“I think it’s really the consistent message that I’ve said. I think when you come down the stretch here, it’s really the style of game you’re playing and putting that same game out there consistently, reliable," Hynes said. "I think we have that for the most part. Obviously, we didn’t win the game so there are certain things we can clean up but I think in general coming into this back-to-back against two high-quality teams, I think we’ve continued to build our game. 

"I’m most happy right now not with the end result tonight but as you continue to move forward I think the style of game that we’re playing, the commitment level we’re getting from the team, is something that on most nights you’re going to win more than you lose.”

In all situations from last night, the Wild had 42 scoring chances on 39 total shots so the opportunities were there, they just didn't capitalize. Sometimes in hockey things like that happen. The Jets scored two goals off a tip and one Marc-Andre Fleury admitted he didn't see. So three of the Jets' goals weren't essentially high-danger chances, but they still ended up in the back of the net. 

“Yeah. As you know, it sucks," Brock Faber said on the loss. "Obviously, it wasn't a perfect game by any means but I think we put enough on the table to bring home a point or two. It’s unfortunate, right? We got to clean up things, six and seven on the black-to-backs. We gave ourselves a chance to win and we won the one where we got seven on us but we gotta clean that area up. So again, not perfect, but I think it wasn't a bad effort.”

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