Khusnutdinov Nets Debut NHL Goal, but Wild Suffer Heavy Defeat in Vegas
The Minnesota Wild faced a challenging night in Las Vegas as they suffered a heavy defeat against the Vegas Golden Knights. Despite rookie Marat Khusnutdinov scoring his first NHL goal, the Wild couldn’t overcome their opponent’s dominance and ultimately lost 7-2 at T-Mobile Arena.
Early in the game, the Wild struggled to keep up with the Golden Knights, conceding three goals in just over eight minutes. This set the tone for the rest of the match, as the Wild failed to mount a comeback and displayed lackluster play throughout the ice, particularly along the walls.
Chandler Stephenson played a significant role for Vegas with four assists, while Tomas Hertl scored his first goal for the Golden Knights. Thirteen out of 18 Vegas skaters contributed at least one point to their team’s victory. On the other hand, Ryan Hartman managed to score his 20th goal for the Wild.
The game was a bittersweet moment for former Golden Knight Marc-Andre Fleury, who was in net for all seven goals against his former team. Throughout the match, Fleury was serenaded with “Fleury” chants, possibly marking his last appearance as an NHL player against Vegas. After the game, Fleury quickly sprinted off the ice, reflecting the humbling nature of the defeat.
The Wild’s season has been marked by struggles against teams ahead of them in the Western Conference standings. They have only won eight out of 30 games against these teams and have lost 12 of their last 13 matches.
Two forwards, Mats Zuccarello and Freddy Gaudreau, were absent from the game due to family reasons. It was even questioned whether it was worth having them join the team for their upcoming road games in California. The Wild’s season will conclude on Thursday with a home game against the Seattle Kraken.
In terms of individual achievements, Matt Boldy played his 200th NHL game, while Marco Rossi celebrated his 100th game. Additionally, Liam Ohgren made his NHL debut as the 312th player and 19th Swedish-born player to play a regular-season game for the Wild. Ohgren’s performance was commendable, considering the overall outcome of the match.
One of the highlights of the game was Khusnutdinov’s first NHL goal. In his 13th NHL game, the 21-year-old center redirected Brock Faber’s point shot on a power play, reducing their deficit to 3-1. However, this momentary boost was short-lived as Jonathan Marchessault scored a power-play goal against Fleury. Despite the loss, Khusnutdinov’s achievement was celebrated, and Marcus Johansson collected the keepsake puck for him.
The Wild’s penalty kill continued to be a weak point throughout the game. Fleury, who had a .820 save percentage on the penalty kill, allowed goals from Jack Eichel and Marchessault. The Wild’s penalty kill performance has been consistently poor, ranking 30th in the NHL with a 72.9 percent success rate. They have conceded 66 power-play goals, which is the second-highest in the league.
Despite the disappointing result, head coach John Hynes found some positives in Liam Ohgren’s performance during his NHL debut. Ohgren played alongside Khusnutdinov and Vinni Lettieri and wasn’t on the ice for a goal until Vegas extended their lead to 5-1. Ohgren showcased his speed, hockey sense, and competitiveness throughout the game.
The three stars of the night were Chandler Stephenson, who assisted on four Vegas goals, Jack Eichel, who scored a power-play goal and had an assist, and Noah Hanifin, who recently signed an eight-year extension and contributed two assists.
Quotes from the night highlighted the disappointment among the Wild players and coaching staff. Head coach Hynes expressed frustration with the team’s lack of competitiveness and commitment to doing the right things on the ice. Johansson lamented the inability to support Fleury better, while Khusnutdinov acknowledged the significance of his first NHL goal but recognized that it couldn’t change the outcome of the game.
Overall, the Wild’s defeat against the Golden Knights reveals the challenges they face in competing against top teams in the Western Conference. With their season coming to a close, the Wild will need to address their weaknesses and strive for improvement in the future.