Can the Wild's Home Ice Advantage Tilt the Scales Against the Jets?
The Minnesota Wild, with a record of 20-15-5, faced off against the Winnipeg Jets, who came into the game with a 22-13-4 record. In a closely contested match at Xcel Energy Center, the final score read 3-2 in favor of the visiting team.
The Minnesota Wild started strong with an early lead in front of their home crowd. The team's offensive efforts resulted in two goals on 26 shots, translating to an eight percent shooting success rate. The powerplay unit capitalized on their single opportunity and found success with one goal from just two shots. At even strength, they managed to net one goal from 23 attempts.
Defensively, Minnesota was robust and physical throughout the game as evidenced by their tally of 36 hits. They also showcased their ability to disrupt plays by registering 11 takeaways. However, discipline was an area for improvement as they served four penalties totaling eleven minutes.
In terms of faceoffs, it was a dominant performance for Minnesota who won thirty-three out of fifty-three draws which amounts to sixty-two percent faceoff win percentage. This control at faceoff circles did not translate into victory but provided them with crucial possession during play.
On special teams aside from scoring on their lone powerplay chance; they were also effective while shorthanded allowing only one goal despite facing five shorthanded situations and making four saves during those times.
Despite these efforts and leading in several statistical categories such as hits and faceoffs won; it wasn't enough to secure victory against Winnipeg Jets whose goaltender saved twenty-four out of twenty-six shots for a save percentage rounded up to one hundred percent.
Looking ahead after this hard-fought battle; fans can catch The Minnesota Wild back in action when they host Calgary Flames at Xcel Energy Center on January 3rd at 7:00 PM Central Time. This upcoming contest will be available for viewing on ESPN+ online or through local broadcasts BSN channel six hundred sixty-eight or BSWI channel six hundred sixty-nine for those following away from home.