Wild exit Winnipeg with a point after overtime loss to the Jets

Sarah McLellan, The Minnesota Star Tribune on Oct 13, 2024

Published in Hockey

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WINNIPEG, Manitoba — The Minnesota Wild never solved the Jets last season, getting swept to continue what’s become a lopsided Central Division rivalry, and the Wild still don’t have an answer despite a gutsy effort.

Usually leaving Winnipeg hurt, the Wild arrived hobbled but eked out a point from a 2-1 overtime loss on Sunday night at Canada Life Centre to sit 1-0-2 three games into their season.

The Jets’ Kyle Connor broke a 1-1 tie on the power play 51 seconds into overtime and goaltender Connor Hellebuyck had 26 saves for Winnipeg’s fifth consecutive win over the Wild, a streak that dates back to the 2022-23 season.

But losses haven’t been the only eyesore for the Wild in this matchup.

They’ve also taken physical punishment from the Jets, with Brock Faber and Filip Gustavsson getting injured last season in Winnipeg; Kirill Kaprizov was sidelined after trips in each of the past two seasons.

For their most recent visit, the Wild were already injured.

Joel Eriksson Ek has a broken nose after getting elbowed in the face during the 5-4 shootout loss to Seattle on Saturday night and didn’t travel with the team. Neither did captain Jared Spurgeon, who suffered a lower-body injury in that game.

Spurgeon was still getting evaluated Sunday and is considered day-to-day.

Eriksson Ek, however, is expected to suit up on Tuesday at St. Louis when the Wild continue a stretch of seven straight road games.

Liam Ohgren made his season debut in Eriksson Ek’s absence, and since Marcus Johansson was a game-time decision, the Wild had to assign goaltender Jesper Wallstedt to the minors to bring up an extra forward in Travis Boyd as an emergency recall. Johansson, who left Saturday’s game briefly after a collision with the Kraken’s Jordan Eberle, stayed in the lineup.

But despite missing two of their top players and playing their second game in less than 24 hours, the Wild capitalized first; a floater from the blue line by Jake Middleton eluded Hellebuyck only 4:06 after the opening faceoff.

That lead almost lasted the entire period.

With Hellebuyck on the bench for an extra attacker, the Jets won an offensive-zone faceoff to Mark Scheifele, who walked into a one-timer that sailed by Gustavsson with two seconds to go.

Winnipeg applied more pressure after the buzzer-beater, occasionally getting the Wild scrambling around their own zone for lengthy spells, but neither goalie budged in the second period.

Finally, Connor’s shot from the right faceoff circle during a 4-on-3 advantage in overtime ended the stalemate.

Late in regulation, Zach Bogosian was whistled for holding Scheifele’s stick in front of the Wild net. This was the Jets’ second power-play opportunity, while the Wild went 0 for 3.

Gustavsson, who turned in another strong effort after backstopping the Wild to their season-opening, 3-2 victory over Columbus, finished with 33 saves.

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