Kirill on the scoreboard and the Wild win in OT again for the third time this season. All is right in the State of Hockey once again.
It was not the prettiest of victories but one that was highlighted time and time again by Kirill Kaprizov and Kevin Fiala. Fiala was the real hero on the game winning tally as it was his steal of the puck inbthe Wild defensive zone that set up the rush up ice. He then used his body to protect the puck entering the Ottawa zone and lay out a perfect pass which Kaprizov let rip with the one timer that sealed the Wild victory.
Fiala created three of the Wild's five goals although he was only credited with two assists on the scores heat. Fiala was a puck magnet all night and he had the legs going working every shift. There were quite a number of times he looked to the rafters in disbelief that he had not scored but efforts like that will yield many goals in the games to follow.
The key play of the game came late in the third period when Tim Stuztle danced through the Wild zone and deed around Cam Talbot for what appeared to be the go ahead goal for the Senators. A subtle tug by Dmitry Kulikov caused Stuztle to lose control of the puck and it sailed by the Wild cage.
It was a game in which the Wild saw long stretches of dominant play but a strong middle frame by the Seantors aided by a Wild's failed challenge of Drake Batherson's goal and Ottawa taking full advantage on the powerplay to get the game tied. Ottawa took the lead on a goal that was originally waived off due to it being redirected with the upper body of Chris Tierney, but after video review it was deemed a good goal.
Matt Dumba turned on the jets, late in the Wild's third powerplay of the night, and slid a perfect pass across the goal mouth to Marcus Foligno who was barreling down the left side. Foligno finished that play off with his second goal of the evening and his fourth of the season.
I know there are a lot of Minnesota faithful that rarely if ever see the Senators and they expected a push over victory for the home squad. What they saw was a very good Ottawa team that has a lot of talent and one that plays with heart and an edge. The third period was almost all Wild with the exception of the one abbreviated powerplat Ottawa had and that Tim Stuztle chance late.
Senators goaltender, Filip Gustavsson, was the story in the third as he turned aside all 19 Wild shots including what would have been a highlight reel goal by Kirill Kaprizov, as he darted across in front of Gustavsson and put the puck between his legs for the shot that Gustavsson turned aside.
Special teams were again not good for the Wild as they surrendered yet another powerplay goal to the opposition and despite their own powerplay tally it was not a good night when the Wild had the man advantage either. Their powerplay goal came as the penalty time was winding down off the final rush up ice. There was confusion when the first unit did establish zone time on the PP and the home crowd let them hear it. The Wild players all were trying to pass the puck through Senators players and sticks which we all know does not work and can ofter lead to shorthanded opportunities against.
The Wild PK is just not aggressive at all choosing to remain in a passive box for much of thebkill while the Senators were allowed to move the puck at will looking for the open man. If not for Cam Talbot's strong play when the Wild were killing Connor Dewar's second period minor the result may have been different. All four of the Wild killers were gassed and could not gain control of the puck. They individually tried to dig deep and make a play while the other three worked to stay in the big and keep the Senators on the perimeter. That strategy was only successful thanks to Talbot's heroics between the pipes.
With three days off before the next game in Pittsburgh vs. Jason Zucket and Penguins, the Wild will have time to practice and I am sure a lot of that work will focus on special teams.
Minnesota Wild Blogger • 
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