ST. PAUL, Minn. — The 5-3 win over the Nashville Predators was big, especially considering the Wild’s recent slide.
The performances were impressive, from Marco Rossi’s two goals to Filip Gustavsson’s 43 saves (4.5 goals saved above expected, according to MoneyPuck).
But the most telling — and worrisome — sight Tuesday night was captain Jared Spurgeon leaving the dressing room on crutches, with a big brace over his right leg.
“Bittersweet,” said defenseman Declan Chisholm. “We’ll take the win, but sucks to see Jared go out.”
“Definitely hope he’s okay,” Mats Zuccarello added.
Spurgeon left the game late in the first thanks to what looked like a bad right leg/knee injury after getting slewfooted by Zach L’Heureux. The Predators rookie, who had been suspended nine times in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and twice in the AHL, made a very dangerous play in sweeping out Spurgeon’s legs as the veteran defenseman went hard into the boards. Spurgeon couldn’t put pressure on his right leg as he was helped off the ice.
Zach L’Heureux given a match penalty after slewfooting Wild captain Jared Spurgeon. Shades of his past life in junior coming out tonight. pic.twitter.com/7MmjWWKh1B
— Nick Kieser🏒 (@KieserNick) January 1, 2025
Coach John Hynes called it a “cheap hit” and “undisciplined” play, but didn’t have an official update on Spurgeon after the game. The NHL Department of Player Safety will surely look at the hit, which drew L’Heureux a match penalty.
“It didn’t look good,” Hynes said.
Teammates felt for Spurgeon, who had worked so hard to come back after last season ended with back and hip surgeries. Spurgeon’s return this season was a big reason why the Wild were one of the league’s surprise teams near the top of the standings. Any extended absence would be a huge blow, especially with Jake Middleton and Kirill Kaprizov (more on him later) also injured.
With Spurgeon out, the Wild could choose to call up David Jiricek, who was acquired from the Blue Jackets earlier in the season and scored his first goal for AHL Iowa on Tuesday night. Another option is prospect David Spacek. Brendan Gaunce, who had a hat trick for AHL Iowa, could be back up with Minnesota for this upcoming road trip to Washington and Carolina as Kaprizov continues to be sidelined.
Kaprizov hasn’t played since before the holiday break and Hynes was unsure if he’d join the team on the trip, which includes games Thursday and Saturday. Hynes said the superstar has yet to skate while nursing what the team has described as a minor lower-body injury.
The Wild had lost five of their last seven heading into this game. Gustavsson continued to be one of the team MVPs with another steadying effort, including 19 third-period saves. He’ll be counted on even more as the injuries continue to pile up.
Power play wakes up
Ironically, Hynes said it was L’Heureux’s “cheap hit” and match penalty which gave the Wild life.
“That probably was the difference in the game,” he said.
It certainly sparked a struggling power play. The unit had been a significant slump, even before Kaprizov’s injury. They were in a 4-for-37 stretch before the unit came through in a big way with three goals Tuesday.
The key playmaker? Gustavsson.
The Wild were late into the five-minute major and it looked like they might squander that golden opportunity. But Gustavsson caught the Predators off-guard — and on a change — with a terrific stretch pass to the Nashville blue line. Joel Eriksson Ek collected the puck, entered the zone and found Mats Zuccarello for an easy back-door tap-in. Eriksson Ek quickly pointed back to Gustavsson, who now has a power-play goal and assist this season.
And an assist for the Gus Bus 🚌 pic.twitter.com/YasmTfT6qp
— Minnesota Wild (@mnwild) January 1, 2025
“It was fun,” Gustavsson said. “I saw (Eriksson Ek) up there, and the (Predators) were tired and changing, and I tried to hit him. Him and (Zuccarello) are some very good players. They finished it off.”
The Wild’s second power-play goal gave them the lead for good late in the second period. The second unit got the puck moving around, with it ending up on the stick of Declan Chisholm, who ripped a blast from the point to make it 4-3. Ryan Hartman assisted on the play, giving him his first point since Nov. 21 and snapping an 18-game drought.
It was Chisholm’s second goal of the season. He nearly had another one on a shot Sunday, though Freddy Gaudreau was credited with it on a tip.
“I asked for a couple (goals) from Santa,” Chisholm quipped.
Behind Declan Chisholm’s unlikely rise to #mnwild top 4: ‘All he needed was a chance’
From an early-life scare to going through waivers with @NHLJets, he’s always believed https://t.co/qWfwK0pVtb pic.twitter.com/RjNMyF27pt
— Joe Smith (@JoeSmithNHL) December 31, 2024
Marco Rossi added another power play goal in the third period, giving him two goals in the game and 14 on the season. It came from right near the crease, where Rossi has scored most of his goals this season.
Zuccarello, who had surgery in November after taking a shot to the groin area while in front of the net, joked that he told Rossi he doesn’t go to that area anymore — “That’s his job.”
“I don’t think he was going there before many times,” Rossi joked, smiling. “Maybe once and then he got hit.”
Trenin too generous
Yakov Trenin spent most of the past six seasons with the Predators. The hard-nosed winger was too kind to his old team on Tuesday.
A couple of Trenin giveaways led to Predators goals in the first half of the New Year’s Eve game. The first one came on Colton Sissons’ tying goal midway through the first period. The Wild had the puck along the wall in the defensive zone, but struggled to clear. Trenin had possession, but instead of chipping it up the boards, he backhanded it up the middle. Brady Skjei sent a slap shot from the blue line and Sissons tipped it past Gustavsson.
Trenin’s second giveaway four minutes later was more egregious.
He had the puck right at the Wild blue line, his back to mid-ice. Instead of skating it out, Trenin inexplicably passed it back into his own slot (perhaps to defenseman Jonas Brodin), but it went right to Steven Stamkos, who fed Jonathan Marchessault for an easy back-door tap-in.
That top line connection 🤝 pic.twitter.com/suNCKu29UH
— Nashville Predators (@PredsNHL) January 1, 2025
This was Trenin’s fourth game back after missing five due to an injury. Coach John Hynes had liked the way Trenin was feeling more comfortable and playing his game, noting his impact could be felt more in the playoffs. “One of the reasons we wanted to get him is when it’s harder and more competitive and tougher down the stretch and you get to the playoffs, if your team earns the right to play there, he’s a player that can perform. You’re starting to see him being more harder on pucks, more physical too.”
But with just five points in 33 games, Trenin will have to make smarter plays on the ice than he did on Tuesday.
(Photo: Ellen Schmidt / Getty Images)
