ST. PAUL — The Minnesota Wild made up some ground in the wild-card race in a 3-2 victory over the Ottawa Senators at Xcel Energy Center Tuesday.
But the Wild didn't do it without a scare. They've had a penchant for not being able to preserve third-period leads in the second half of the season, which is evident by their seven blown third-period leads at home since Dec. 31 for 11 points lost in the standings.
With a 2-1 lead heading into the third Tuesday, it took the Senators and Jacob Chychrun just 2:42 to score a game-tying power play goal. But, this time, the Wild found a way to win after giving up a tying goal in the third and secured two key points in the process as their quest for a playoff spot continues.
“We've had leads that have been blown, obviously, some our fault, some unlucky, some that's just how the game goes,” Brock Faber said postgame. “So kind of ending that streak was obviously nice for us and learning from those mistakes that we did make. Again, there's never a perfect hockey game, so we're glad we got out with two points and looking just to get another two points.”
The Wild secured the win on the strength of the fourth line and and another strong performance in net by Marc-Andre Fleury, who made 30 saves. The 39-year-old made a huge third-period stop on a Ridly Greig shorthanded breakaway with the game tied 2-2. “Flower really battled in there,” Wild coach John Hynes said, “and it was a key save at a key time.”
Vinni Lettieri broke the tie and scored the game-winning goal by beating Joonas Korpisalo blocker side on a backhand in front of the net with 6:56 left. Then the Wild preserved the lead in a win that moved them to within six points of the eighth-place Los Angeles Kings with eight games left.
“The big thing is we came out with the two points,” Hynes said. “We got some depth scoring. Lots of things to clean up, but to find a way to win was obviously the most important thing here coming down the stretch.”
The Wild haven't had trouble getting leads in the second half of the season, they've had trouble preserving them. On Tuesday, they did both, even though they accomplished the latter on a second try.
In a game without Ryan Hartman, who served the first of a three-game suspension, and now with Marcus Foligno's season over, the Wild need more secondary scoring. That's what they got as the fourth line of Mason Shaw, Jake Lucchini and Lettieri delivered on Tuesday.
Lettieri sealed the game and Shaw got the Wild on the board first when he put home Zach Bogosian's perfect cross-ice feed with 7:28 left in the first.
“By no means are we towering over anybody on the ice,” Shaw said of the fourth line. “But we know what our role is and what we gotta bring every night. You always wish that you could probably help out a little more on the scoresheet. But tonight it felt really good, especially late there. It's a big goal for our line, big goal for Vinni, but just the team more than anything else right now.”
As for Shaw's first goal since March 21, 2023, in what has been a long journey back to the NHL after tearing his ACL for a fourth time on April 3, 2023?
“That one felt really good, not going to lie,” Shaw said. “Felt like a big relief personally. I would've liked that to come a little bit sooner. ... That's probably one I'll remember, for sure. That was special.”
Then Matt Boldy beat Korpisalo high glove from the slot on a Kirill Kaprizov centering pass 49 seconds into the second to double the Wild's lead. The Senators overcame the two-goal deficit with power play goals from Drake Batherson and Chychrun, but then the Wild did what they haven’t done in the past after allowing the game-tying goal in the final frame: reclaim the lead and gain two points.
The Wild wrap up their six-game homestand with games against the Colorado Avalanche and Winnipeg Jets on Thursday and Saturday.
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