The Minnesota Wild dropped their fourth straight game under new Head Coach John Hynes. Losing 4-1 at home against the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Wild’s injury-laden roster just couldn’t compete. The Wild haven’t lost this many games in a row since the end of former head coach Dean Evason’s tenure with the club.
Quick Recap
Final Score: 4-1 Tampa Bay
PIMS: 18 minutes, although 10 were a fight
Shots on goal: 30-23 Tampa Bay
Notable Moments: Possible Injuries, Past History, A Good Ole College Try, Bogo’s First Goal
Vibes Report: 6/10, scroll down to read the only reason why it was over 5
The Wild were once again forced to ice a team that not only were under the salary cap but whose combined salaries were actually below the floor of the salary cap. With several Iowa Wild players combined with many players moving up in the lineup, the entire makeup of the team was wacky.
Injuries started to rear their ugly heads during this game also. Only 56 seconds into the game, Ryan Hartman was escorted off of the ice and down the tunnel after a nasty check into the curved part of the glass next to the benches. Thankfully, Hartman was back 15 minutes into the period. Then Marcus Johansson took a puck to the face during the second period that, despite being bloodied, only needed minor medical aid before he too was back on the ice.
The entire first period was very back and forth, with no sustained zone time for either team. The score was 0-0 going into the first intermission, boding well for the injury-laden Wild. The Wild were doing a great job of jumping on any rebounds that Marc-Andre Fleury couldn’t swallow, making sure that the Lightning didn’t get many second chances.
Somehow, the Lightning were able to find a way to get the puck in the net twice during the second period, both being scored by Lightning defenseman Darren Raddysh. The Wild were almost able to find themselves a goal also, but the play was whistled dead just before the puck squeaked under goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy’s skate and into the net. This drew the ire of former Lightning player Pat Maroon, who believed that the whistle was blown too soon.
Maroon, who was wearing an A with all three leadership players out of commission, dropped the gloves straight off of the next puck drop to show his displeasure. After a few good rabbit punches, both Maroon and Austin Watson sat for five minutes in the box. Maroon sustained a visor cut while he was tangled up with Watson, but otherwise was ready to jump straight back into the fight once his penalty time was served.
The third period started with an almost immediate penalty by Nic Petan, putting the Wild down a man once again in the game. This time, unlike the first two, the Lightning were able to take advantage of it and net their third straight goal of the night.
While the Wild were pushing hard, they were not able to put the puck on the net like they were hoping to. In fact, 50 minutes into the game, Marco Rossi, Marcus Johansson, and Matt Boldy all had zero shots on goal. For the entire game.
Former Lightning player Zach Bogosian put the Wild on the board by putting a puck in the back of the net with 4 minutes left in the game. After being traded to the Wild from Tampa earlier in the season, this was Bogosian’s first goal in a Wild sweater.
Unfortunately, the Lightning were able to pot an empty net to end the game with the Lightning winning 4-1.
Vibes Breakdown
This game was tough vibes-wise. Having soooo many players out makes it difficult to keep a happy face on. But there were a few things to bring the vibes score up and out of the basement.
Both of the former Tampa Bay Lightning players on the Wild were wearing letters during this meeting between the clubs. Zach Bogosian and Pat Maroon both sported an A when they took on their former team. This is great in an almost joking way, but also shows the Lightning that Bogo and Maroon are Wild players now.
Hockey fights always seem to drive the vibes score up. Pat Maroon fighting someone on his former team? It shows his loyalty to the Wild and makes everyone’s affection for him grow a bit more as well.
The vibes were down slightly and that may have been partly because beloved AHL player and Minnesota boy Sammy Walker was without his normal turtleneck.
What saved this vibes score was Bogosian scoring his first goal as a Wild player against his former team.
For more Minnesota Wild game recaps and vibes, listen to Her Wild Side Hockey Podcast.
Throwing Walleye and Dented Jock Straps – Her Wild Side Hockey Podcast
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