Episode 130

🏆 Final Score🏆
Minnesota Wild 1 – Penguins 3

💬 Water Cooler One-Liner:

Marc-André Fleury’s last dance vs. Pittsburgh didn’t go as planned—Sidney Crosby stole the show, leading the Penguins to a 3-1 win in St. Paul.

📊 Quick Hits – Game at a Glance:

• Winner: Sidney Crosby (2 Goals)

• Turning Point: Crosby’s third-period rebound goal that put the game out of reach.

• Standout Stat: Wild went 1-for-6 on the power play, struggling to convert.

• Goaltending Anchor: Marc-André Fleury made 19 saves in his historic matchup.

🔑 3 Key Takeaways:

1️⃣ Fleury’s Last Ride: Playing in his likely final game against the Penguins, Fleury passed Roberto Luongo for the second-most starts in NHL history (1,015). Unfortunately, he couldn’t hold off his former teammates.

2️⃣ Offensive Woes Continue: The Wild outshot Pittsburgh 30-22 but failed to generate enough scoring outside of Ryan Hartman’s power-play goal.

3️⃣ Crosby’s Dominance: The Penguins’ captain delivered when it mattered most, scoring twice and playing a key role in keeping the Wild’s offense in check.

⭐ Three Stars of the Game:

1. ⭐ S. Crosby (PIT • Center): 2 goals, game-winner

2. ⭐ T. Jarry (PIT • Goalie): 30 saves, .967 SV%

3. ⭐ J. Spurgeon (MIN • Defenseman): 1 assist, solid defensive play

📊 By The Numbers:

• Shots on Goal: Wild 30 – Penguins 22
• Face-off %: Wild 47.7% – Penguins 52.3%
• Power Play: Wild 16.7% (1/6) – Penguins 50% (1/2)
• Penalty Minutes: Wild 4 – Penguins 12
• Hits: Wild 20 – Penguins 17
• Blocked Shots: Wild 20 – Penguins 24
• Giveaways: Wild 13 – Penguins 18
• Takeaways: Wild 4 – Penguins 8

📰 Around the Team:

• Fleury’s Legacy: The future Hall of Famer played 13 seasons in Pittsburgh, winning three Stanley Cups and setting franchise goaltending records.

• Injury Struggles Continue: Kirill Kaprizov, Joel Eriksson Ek, and Jonas Brodin remain out with no firm return date.

• Playoff Race Tightens: The Wild have now lost five of their last seven and are slipping in the Western Conference standings.

🎯 Stat Spotlight:

• Home Struggles: The Wild are just 14-14-1 at Xcel Energy Center, compared to a stellar 22-10-3 road record.

• Crosby’s Historic Night: Crosby became the fourth player in NHL history with 17 career 20-goal seasons with a single franchise.

• Power Play Blues: Minnesota had six opportunities with the man advantage but converted only once.

🗓️ Next Up:
• Opponent: Colorado Avalanche
• Date: March 11, 2025
• Time: 7:00 PM CST
• Where to Watch: ESPN+/Hulu

📬 Final Whistle:

The Wild’s offensive struggles are becoming costly. With a tough matchup against Colorado up next, they need to find answers fast. Stay locked in with Wild Hockey Insider for the latest updates!