Missed Opportunity for Wild as Hurricanes Storm Back
The Minnesota Wild entered the game seeking a third straight win and managed to take the lead twice. They also rallied to tie the score 3-3 before the Carolina Hurricanes turned the momentum and secured a 4-3 comeback victory.
Matt Boldy ended a scoring slump by netting two goals, while Brock Faber contributed his second goal of the season. Despite solid special-teams play, Minnesota couldn’t hold off Carolina’s response to every surge.
“Unfortunately, we didn’t find a way to win the hockey game, but it was a hard-fought battle by both teams,” said Wild coach John Hynes. “They had pushes and surges, and we had pushes and surges. But, unfortunately, we weren’t the team to win it tonight.”
Wild goalie Filip Gustavsson, in his 12th start of the season, endured a rough opening stretch as the Hurricanes scored four times on their first eight shots. He later settled in and finished with 23 saves.
“This is a really good team we’re playing against, and we’re matching up against them pretty good today,” said Gustavsson, noting that he didn’t change much to regain rhythm later in the game.
With the loss, Minnesota dropped to a 5-7-3 record and has yet to win when trailing after the first period (0-6-1). The Wild earned the game’s first power play but failed to record a shot on goal.
Author’s Summary
The Wild showed resilience but couldn’t withstand Carolina’s comeback, leaving Minnesota still searching for consistency in clutch moments.