Minnesota Wild vs. Vancouver Canucks Recap (W)

🏆 Final Score🏆
Minnesota Wild 3 – Canucks 2 (OT)

💬 Water Cooler One-Liner:

Down 2-0 after two? No problem. Zuccy and the boys deliver in the clutch as the Wild roar back in the third and snatch two massive points in OT.


📊 Quick Hits – Game at a Glance:

• Winner: Mats Zuccarello (OT breakaway at 2:47, 6th career OT goal)

• Turning Point: Brock Faber’s early 3rd-period goal that lit the spark

• Standout Stat: Wild outshot the Canucks 33-14

• Goaltending Anchor: Filip Gustavsson bounced back with 12 saves on 14 shots

🔑 3 Key Takeaways:

1️⃣ Zuccy Delivers: After stepping up post-loss in Calgary, Mats backed it up with the biggest goal of the season.

2️⃣ Faber’s Big Night: Career-high 33:28 TOI and 2 points — the rookie led the charge.

3️⃣ Third-Period Surge: Minnesota dominated the final frame 13-4 in shots and scored twice to tie it.

⭐ Three Stars of the Game:

1. ⭐  B. Faber (MIN • Defenseman): 1 goal, 1 assist, 33:28 TOI

2. ⭐ K. Lankinen (VAN • Goalie): 30 saves, held strong until the end

3. ⭐ M. Zuccarello (MIN • Forward): OT game-winner, emotional leader

📊 By The Numbers:
• Shots on Goal: Wild 33 – Canucks 14
• Power Play: Wild 0% (0/2) – Canucks 50% (1/2)
• Penalty Minutes: Wild 21 – Canucks 11
• Faceoffs: Wild 42.1% – Canucks 57.9%
• Hits: Wild 30 – Canucks 17
• Blocked Shots: Wild 11 – Canucks 17
• Giveaways: Wild 10 – Canucks 13
• Takeaways: Wild 8 – Canucks 1

📰 Around the Team:

• Zuccarello’s Night: OT winner in Game 999 — the vet backed up his words with the dagger.

• Kaprizov’s Setup: Calm, cool, and crafty on the OT assist.

• Injury Watch: Spurgeon sat out after taking a puck to the throat; Middleton still sidelined; Chisholm returned after a scare.

• Rookie Alert: Cameron Crotty slotted in on defense. Zeev Buium expected to debut Tuesday.

🎯 Stat Spotlight:

• Shot Domination: Minnesota held Vancouver to just 14 total shots — a season-best for the Wild D.

• TOI Machine: Brock Faber’s 33:28 ranks second-most by any skater in the NHL this season.

• Comeback Kids: The Wild are now 5-0-1 in games when trailing after two since the All-Star break.

🔍 What This Win Means:

✅ Playoff Pulse Alive – The Wild stay ahead of St. Louis and Calgary. One more point, and they’re in.

✅ Bounce-Back Mentality – Friday’s dud in Calgary is in the rearview.

✅ Zuccy Leadership Era – Words matter. Actions matter more.

🔥 Next Up:
• Opponent: Anaheim Ducks
• Date: April 15, 2025
• Time: 7:00 PM CST
• Where to Watch: FanDuel

📬 Final Whistle:
From near disaster to an emotional OT win — the Wild showed what playoff desperation hockey looks like. Tuesday could be the night they punch their ticket. Let’s finish the job.

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