Minnesota Wild vs. Vegas Golden Knights Recap (L)

🏆 Final Score🏆
Minnesota Wild 1 – Golden Knights 5

💬 Water Cooler One-Liner:

Jack Eichel’s hat trick buries the Wild, who drop their second straight and see their playoff lead shrink to just two points.

📊 Quick Hits – Game at a Glance:

• Winner: Vegas with three third-period goals to seal it

• Turning Point: Eichel’s second goal on a power play after Hartman’s penalty gave Vegas a 3-1 lead

• Standout Stat: Vegas outshot Minnesota 38-24

• Goaltending Battle: Marc-Andre Fleury made 33 saves but couldn’t slow Vegas’ late surge

🔑 3 Key Takeaways:

1️⃣ Hat Trick Hero: Jack Eichel dominated with three goals, including the dagger on the power play and the 5-1 capper.

2️⃣ Another Slow Start: The Wild managed just four shots in the first period and couldn’t recover from early pressure.

3️⃣ Cushion Shrinking: With St. Louis streaking, the Wild’s once-comfortable playoff spot is now a tight race.

⭐ Three Stars of the Game:

1. ⭐ J. Eichel (VGK • C): 3 goals, 5th career NHL hat trick

2. ⭐ S. Theodore (VGK • D): 1 assist, strong return from injury

3. ⭐ M. Johansson (MIN • LW): 1 goal, lone spark for the Wild

📊 By The Numbers:

• Shots on Goal: Wild 24 – Golden Knights 38
• Power Play: Wild 0% (0/1) – Golden Knights 100% (1/1)
• Penalty Minutes: Wild 2 – Golden Knights 2
• Faceoffs: Wild 41.2% – Golden Knights 58.8%
• Hits: Wild 24 – Golden Knights 21
• Blocked Shots: Wild 14 – Golden Knights 9
• Giveaways: Wild 9 – Golden Knights 16
• Takeaways: Wild 5 – Golden Knights 2

📰 Around the Team:

• Lineup Watch: Jonas Brodin returned; Declan Chisholm remained out with a lower-body injury.

• Injury Impact: Marcus Foligno missed his fifth straight; Kaprizov and Eriksson Ek are expected to start skating soon.

• Offense Drought: The Wild have scored just once in their last two games and 33 total in their past 16.

🎯 Stat Spotlight:

• Zucc Milestone: Mats Zuccarello’s assist on Johansson’s goal was his 225th with Minnesota—5th-most in franchise history.

• Johansson Flash: His third-period one-timer was one of few quality scoring chances on the night.

• Fleury’s Return: First start in 8 games, and faced 38 shots in a tough workload.

🔍 What This Win Means:

⚠️ Playoff Pressure Mounts – The Wild’s lead over the surging Blues is down to just two points.

⚠️ Offensive Urgency – With key forwards still out, depth players must step up immediately.

⚠️ Back-to-Back Fatigue – Second game in two nights exposed tired legs and a top-heavy lineup.

🔥 Next Up:
• Opponent: Washington Capitals
• Date: March 27, 2025
• Time: 7:00 PM CST
• Where to Watch: FanDuel
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📬 Final Whistle:

A humbling loss on home ice, but the Wild don’t have time to dwell — Ovechkin and the Capitals are up next in a critical game as the playoff race tightens.

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