Minnesota Wild vs. New Jersey Devils Recap (L)

🏆 Final Score🏆
Minnesota Wild 2 – Devils 5

💬 Water Cooler One-Liner:

From a Gordie Howe hat trick to a coaching call-out, this one had everything—except a win.

📊 Quick Hits – Game at a Glance:

• Winner: Nico Hischier (hat trick goal at 14:50 of 3rd)

• Turning Point: Hischier’s power-play goal in the third that made it 4-2, just as the Wild were building momentum.

• Standout Stat: Devils scored on their only power play. Wild went 0-for-2.

• Goaltending Anchor: Filip Gustavsson made 28 saves, but rebound control plagued the Wild early.

🔑 3 Key Takeaways:

1️⃣ Foligno Fires Up: Marcus Foligno notched a Gordie Howe hat trick—goal, assist, and fight—but it wasn’t enough to rally the team.

2️⃣ Flat Start: The Wild gave up two goals in the first 6 minutes and never fully recovered.

3️⃣ Mental Lapses: Costly defensive zone turnovers and puck-watching led directly to multiple Devils goals.

⭐ Three Stars of the Game:

1. ⭐ N. Hischier (NJD • Center): 3 goals (Hat Trick)

2. ⭐ M. Foligno (MIN • Left Wing): 1 goal, 1 assist, 1 fight

3. ⭐ J. Markstrom (NJD • Goalie): 22 saves, .917 SV%

📊 By The Numbers:

• Shots on Goal: Devils 33 – Wild 24
• Power Play: Devils 100% (1/1) – Wild 0% (0/2)
• Penalty Minutes: Devils 11 – Wild 9
• Faceoffs: Devils 56.3% – Wild 43.8%
• Hits: Devils 24 – Wild 29
• Blocked Shots: Devils 9 – Wild 19
• Giveaways: Devils 11 – Wild 7
• Takeaways: Devils 5 – Wild 7

📰 Around the Team:

• Foligno’s Fight Night: In just his second game back, Foligno showed fire, logging a Gordie Howe hat trick and leading the team in emotion and hits.

• Coach Not Happy: John Hynes called out the team’s lack of urgency and mental focus. “From the drop of the puck… we weren’t where we needed to be.”

• Hartman Steps Up: Crashed the crease to bury a loose puck after a Foligno redirect, cutting the lead to 3-2 briefly.

🎯 Stat Spotlight:

• Hischier’s Hat Trick: Now up to 33 goals on the season, with 7 goals and 6 assists in his last 11 games.

• Wild’s Slipping Grip: Now tied with the Blues for the West’s first wild-card spot, Minnesota only holds the edge by one fewer game played.

• Blocked But Beaten: Despite out-blocking NJD 19-9, defensive breakdowns in front of the net hurt.

🔍 What This Win Means:

🚫 Missed Opportunity – The Wild could’ve created separation from the surging Blues.

🚫 Home Ice Hangover – Finished the homestand 5-5-1, failing to capitalize on familiar territory.

🚫 Urgency Required – Five of the last eight games are on the road. It’s go time.

🔥 Next Up:
• Opponent: @ New Jersey Devils
• Date: March 31, 2025
• Time: 6:00 PM CST
• Where to Watch: FanDuel 📺

📬 Final Whistle:

From power-play punches to third-period sacrifice, the Wild showed playoff-level urgency. With 10 games left, every point counts—so does every block.

📢 Stay tuned to Wild Hockey Insider for pre-game insights and analysis!