SUNRISE, FLA. – One team was starting its third-string goaltender, playing almost the entire game without its best defenseman and dealing with other personnel issues that sapped its lineup.
The other team lost.
Despite catching the Panthers in a shorthanded jam, the Wild couldn't take advantage of the circumstances and became just another obstacle Florida cleared for a 5-3 clapback on Saturday in front of 16,759 at FLA Live Arena that dealt the Wild a second straight loss.
They wrap up this four-game road trip on Tuesday at Tampa Bay.
"Everyone we play in this league on any night is good enough to be here," the Wild's Calen Addison said. "Doesn't matter who you're playing, what guy you're playing, what team you're playing. Every team's good."
Baudette's Alex Lyon was in net for the Panthers, making 29 saves while the team's usual tandem of Sergei Bobrovsky and Spencer Knight was sidelined.
In front of Lyon was an opportunistic Panthers offense that punished the Wild for their errors and responded every time the Wild started to generate momentum, which happened when they had a man advantage.
Technically, that was nearly the whole evening since Aaron Ekblad didn't return after taking three shifts, but Florida didn't collapse in the aftermath.