Episode 94

🏆 Final Score🏆
Minnesota Wild 2 – Nashville Predators 6

💬 Water Cooler One-Liner:

The Wild sent a message with their fists, but Nashville responded with goals, handing Minnesota a tough 6-2 loss on the road.

📊 Quick Hits – Game at a Glance:

• Turning Point: Filip Forsberg’s power-play goal late in the first period gave Nashville the lead, and they never looked back.

• Standout Stat: The Wild allowed 38 shots on goal, struggling to contain Nashville’s offensive push.

• Goaltending Anchor: Marc-André Fleury made 32 saves but was under siege for most of the night.

🔑 3 Key Takeaways:

1️⃣ Too Much Emotion, Not Enough Execution:

The Wild started with three fights in the first 4½ minutes, but Nashville quickly refocused on hockey and took over the game.

2️⃣ Forsberg Dominates:

Filip Forsberg put on a show, scoring twice and adding two assists, helping the Predators snap their two-game losing streak against Minnesota.

3️⃣ Injuries & Depth Issues Show:

With Filip Gustavsson out sick and key players still missing, the Wild struggled to keep up. A rough travel schedule didn’t help either.

⭐ Three Stars of the Game:

1. ⭐ F. Forsberg (NSH – Left Wing): 2 goals, 2 assists

2. ⭐ R. Josi (NSH – Defenseman): 2 assists, strong two-way play

3. ⭐ S. Stamkos (NSH – Center): 1 goal, veteran presence

📊 By The Numbers:

• Shots on Goal: Wild 29 – Predators 38
• Face-off %: Wild 44.8% – Predators 55.2%
• Power Play: Wild 25% (1/4) – Predators 33.3% (1/3)
• Penalty Minutes: Wild 21 – Predators 23
• Hits: Wild 16 – Predators 15
• Blocked Shots: Wild 15 – Predators 8
• Giveaways: Wild 24 – Predators 22
• Takeaways: Wild 3 – Predators 3

📰 Around the Team:

• Kaprizov Watch: Kirill Kaprizov continues to rehab his lower-body injury and could return for Thursday’s game.

• Injury Concerns: Filip Gustavsson was unavailable due to illness, leading to an emergency call-up of Dylan Ferguson.

• Fiery Start, Cold Finish: The Wild showed fight—literally—but couldn’t match Nashville’s ability to transition back into structured play.

🎯 Stat Spotlight:

• Forsberg’s Fire: His two-goal performance extended his scoring streak to five games after going 18 games without a goal.

• Jiricek’s First Goal: Newly acquired defenseman David Jiricek notched his first goal with the Wild, a silver lining in the loss.

• Too Many Giveaways: The Wild’s 24 giveaways proved costly, allowing Nashville to control play.

🗓️ Next Up:
• Opponent: Colorado Avalanche
• Date: January 20, 2025
• Time: 2:00 PM CST
• Where to Watch: FanDuel

📬 Final Whistle:

A tough night in Nashville, but the Wild can’t dwell on it for long. With a quick turnaround against Colorado, they’ll need to regroup and refocus—hopefully with a healthier lineup. Stay locked into Wild Hockey Insider for all the latest updates!