TAMPA, FLA. – The Wild have been a lock when they lead, but rallying is also in their wheelhouse.
Wild rally to beat Lightning 4-2 for fourth straight win
The Wild fell behind for the first time this season, but they still haven’t lost in regulation, and their seven-game point streak is their longest to open a season since 2008.
The Minnesota Star Tribune
October 25, 2024 at 3:50AM
After falling behind for the first time this season, the Wild caught back up to the Lightning before completing a 4-2 comeback on Thursday night at Amalie Arena for their fourth consecutive victory.
Only the Wild (5-0-2) and Winnipeg Jets still haven’t lost in regulation, and the Wild’s seven-game point streak is their longest to open a season since they went 6-0-1 in 2008.
“There’s no panic there,” coach John Hynes said. “We believe in how we need to play. We know how we need to play. If we get away from it or something happens in the game, we can get back to it quickly.
“We know what the recipe is to do it.”
Matt Boldy broke a 2-2 tie only 54 seconds in the third period on the power play after Joel Eriksson Ek scored the equalizer late in a second period that saw the Wild get out of character.
When Kirill Kaprizov capitalized on the Wild’s first shot 6:23 into the first period, the Wild looked like the same team that just schooled the reigning Stanley Cup champion Panthers 5-1 two nights earlier.
Jonas Brodin tipped a neutral-zone pass around Tampa Bay’s Brandon Hagel to Marco Rossi to create a 3-on-1 with Kaprizov that Kaprizov buried with a one-timer from his office on the right side.
The Lightning did challenge to check if the Wild were offside, but video review determined Rossi had possession and control of the puck before entering the offensive zone so the goal counted. Rossi is on a career-best six-game point streak.
The seven consecutive games the Wild have opened the scoring tied the franchise record for any point of a season, and they’re also only the fourth team in the past 20 years to tally the first goal in each of its first seven games.
Goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury protected that lead the rest of the period, making 12 of his 23 saves in the first during his first start since the second game of the season on Oct. 12.
“It was a long break,” Fleury said. “Felt maybe a little rusty at first, but it’s good to have a few shots early and a couple saves to get into the game.”
Fleury had been idle while Filip Gustavsson cruised to a 4-0-1 record with a sparking .952 save percentage and 1.40 goals-against average, and Fleury felt pressure to keep the Wild’s momentum going. The Wild were still without Ryan Hartman (upper-body injury) and captain Jared Spurgeon (lower-body injury), but Spurgeon will meet the team in Philadelphia.
“I want to help,” Fleury said. “I want to help the team as much as I can. Sometimes waiting for a while is not easy, but Gus [is] playing amazing. He’s been winning lots. That’s all you can ask for. So, I just try to work hard in practice, try to stay ready.”
His return to the crease would include the Wild’s first gut check.
At 8:55 of the second, the Lightning received a shorthanded goal from Hagel before Tampa Bay moved ahead 2-1 only 2:36 later courtesy a Nikita Kucherov one-timer.
“We got a little bit wayward,” Hynes said.
The Wild went 391:31 without trailing in regulation to start the season, the second-longest streak in NHL history behind only the 1969-70 Bruins (457:21).
“You knew it was gonna happen at some point,” Eriksson Ek said. “I don’t think we changed too much. Just try to score a goal and get back in the game.”
That they did.
After Brodin eluded pressure from the Lightning at the offensive blue line, the Wild worked the puck to Zach Bogosian, who pinched to the corner and sent a pass to the middle that was directed in by Eriksson Ek with 1:38 left in the second.
Then in the third after Eriksson Ek was high-sticked, Boldy moved into Kaprizov’s usual perch on the right side of the power play and wired a Mats Zuccarello pass by goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy (14 saves). The power play went 1-for-4 and the penalty kill 1-for-1.
Kaprizov, who assisted on Boldy’s game-winner, picked up his second goal of the night when he buried an empty-netter with 34 seconds remaining.
His four-game multipoint streak is tied for the longest of his career. Overall, Kaprizov’s nine assists and 13 points are tied for second in the league.
As for the Wild, they arrived at the same outcome despite taking a different direction to get there.
“Probably faced a little more adversity than we have in the previous few games,” Bogosian said. “So, it was good to see the guys respond.”
Widely known that Minnesota sports fans are among the most suffering in the nation, this holiday season has the chance to become special, given the recent success of the Vikings, Wolves, Lynx and Wild.
