Wild, inspired by Matt Boldy, open NHL season with 3-2 victory over Blue Jackets

Sarah McLellan, The Minnesota Star Tribune on Oct 10, 2024

Published in Hockey

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ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Wild probably won’t know they’re no longer in danger of repeating last year’s woeful start that sabotaged the season until they’ve made it out safely — or not.

Will it take one month? Maybe two?

One game for sure isn’t enough to call this do-over different, but kicking off the season with a 3-2 victory over the Blue Jackets on Thursday night at Xcel Energy Center is better than the alternative.

Matt Boldy picked up a goal and two assists despite missing all the preseason due to injury. Marcus Johansson had two assists, and their center Joel Eriksson Ek scored before a decisive goal from Mats Zuccarello on the power play with 10 minutes, 2 seconds to go in the third period.

First up in the three-goalie rotation, Filip Gustavsson stopped 30 shots and was airtight during a scramble in the final minute.

The Wild are back at home on Saturday to take on the Kraken before seven straight road games.

Before puck drop, the Wild honored Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew after they were killed on Aug. 29 when they were struck by a vehicle while riding bikes.

Johnny Gaudreau, who was nicknamed “Johnny Hockey,” broke into the NHL with Calgary after starring at Boston College where he played one season alongside Matthew. Wild and Columbus players stood for a video tribute before 13 seconds of silence, a nod to the number Johnny Gaudreau wore during his career including the last two seasons with the Blue Jackets.

The Wild also recognized former coach Dean Evason, who was coaching his first game against the Wild since he was fired last November.

Evason, who went 147-77-27 at the helm of the Wild during parts of five seasons, was hired by Columbus in July, and he saw mostly familiar faces from his perch behind the visitors’ bench.

Only forwards Yakov Trenin and Jakub Lauko were making their team debuts; although rookies Liam Ohgren and Jesper Wallstedt cracked the team’s initial roster, neither was in the lineup.

Actually, Wallstedt was sent to the minors earlier in the day so the Wild could add Daemon Hunt; fellow defenseman Declan Chisholm has been sick. Hunt, however, didn’t play, with veteran Jon Merrill suiting up.

With few changes to the Wild, training camp was more about getting well-versed in coach John Hynes’ system after a crash course last season and discovering the urgency needed to get off to a good start.

The Wild went 4-2 in the preseason and finished with back-to-back dominant performance vs. Chicago, but they were off early against the Blue Jackets.

Their passes were errant, and they whiffed on shots.

As such, they were even with Columbus (a bottom-five team last season) until Boldy wired in a Johansson pass with 2:09 left in the first period; Eriksson Ek was setting the screen in front of goaltender Elvis Merzlikins (23 saves).

Only 2 minutes into the second, the Blue Jackets responded when Kent Johnson turned into a shot from the slot.

Columbus pushed another puck behind Gustavsson near the halfway point of the period while on the power play, but Gustavsson was bumped by James van Riemsdyk and the Wild overturned the goal by challenging for goaltender interference.

That put the go-ahead goal back in play, and Eriksson Ek scored it when he walked into a heads-up feed from Johansson at 16:35.

This line first debuted two seasons ago after Johansson was brought in before the trade deadline.

They clicked immediately, with Boldy and Johansson ranking one-two in Wild scoring after Johansson arrived, and Johansson received a two-year contract extension.

But when the three were reunited last season, they weren’t as effective and the Wild sputtered into a slump that led to Hynes taking over for Evason.

Boldy also shined on the power play, which went 1 for 3.

He forwarded a Kirill Kaprizov pass to Zuccarello for a one-timer at 9:58 of the third period.

Zuccarello’s insurance goal was upgraded to a game-winner after the Blue Jackets’ Zach Werenski scored on the power play with 2:54 remaining; the Wild penalty kill finished 1 for 3.