PHILADELPHIA — Wild coach John Hynes figured it was probably better for his team to get back on the ice after a ghastly loss Friday night to the Capitals. The effort he saw was more intentional than in that 5-1 mismatch, but the result was similar: After blowing a third-period lead, the Wild were downed 2-1 in overtime by the Flyers on Saturday at Xfinity Mobile Arena to drop to 2-3-1 overall.
Stillwater’s Noah Cates broke the 1-1 tie, Vladimir Tarasenko nabbed his first goal with the Wild, and goaltender Jesper Wallstedt stopped 19 shots as the Wild picked up their first point on their five-game road trip following regulation losses at Dallas and Washington.
Cates scored 2 minutes, 36 seconds into 3-on-3 overtime after Philadelphia erased the Wild’s 1-0 lead 7:10 into the third period when Owen Tippett collected his own rebound and banked it in off Wallstedt.
Earlier, the Wild went on an 8-0 run in shots to start the second period, with Tarasenko’s tally kicking off the pressure just 1:55 into the frame. Tarasenko’s goal against goalie Dan Vladar (15 saves) couldn’t have been more as-advertised, as the veteran winger crushed a one-timer set up by Marco Rossi. The Flyers challenged to check if the Wild were offside, but the goal counted.
Both teams struggled on the power play — Philadelphia was 0-for-3, and the Wild went 0-for-2.
The Flyers played better as the second period progressed and maintained their presence into the third. Before Tippett’s equalizer, Wallstedt, who was in his second start and coming off a 4-3 shootout victory over the Kings on Monday, thwarted a breakaway attempt by Sean Couturier.
Getting out of the first period unscathed was vital for the Wild in securing a point, especially since they were at one point shorthanded two forwards. Joel Eriksson Ek left after getting hit with a high stick in the face, and shortly thereafter, Marcus Foligno fought former Wild teammate Nicolas Deslauriers, resulting in a five-minute penalty timeout.
Still, the Flyers tested the Wild’s defense thoroughly. Fortunately for Minnesota, Wallstedt was locked in — denying Philadelphia’s attempts in tight and off the rush. He also batted away a dangerous carom off the boards that flew toward the net.
On the injury front, Zach Bogosian is day-to-day due to a lower-body injury sustained after blocking a shot Friday night at Washington. The Wild responded by calling up David Jiricek from the minors to replace him.
After winger Ohgren went pointless in the team’s first five games, the Wild felt it was important for the young player to find his game — essentially to get reps with the puck and reestablish his north-south style. “He agreed with it,” Hynes said, and Ohgren responded by scoring Saturday in his return to Iowa in the American Hockey League.
Despite the efforts, the Wild added only one 5-on-5 goal in this game, bringing their season total to six, which is tied for the fewest in the NHL.
The Wild are on the move again, playing at Madison Square Garden on Monday night against the New York Rangers. The Rangers are also struggling with goal-scoring — they have yet to score on home ice and are the first team in NHL history to get shut out in their first three home games of the season.
https://www.startribune.com/takeaways-wild-remain-winless-on-road-with-2-1-overtime-loss-to-flyers/601456984
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