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Wild Silence Ducks in Goalless Stalemate at Xcel Energy Center

The Minnesota Wild, with a record of 45-25 and the Anaheim Ducks at 34-36, faced off in an intense matchup that concluded with a score of 2-0. The Wild added another victory to their tally, while the Ducks were left searching for answers after failing to register on the scoreboard.


Mar 14, 2024; Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA; Anaheim Ducks goalie Lukas Dostal (1) makes a save against the Minnesota Wild during the second period at Xcel Energy Center. Mandatory Credit: Nick Wosika-USA TODAY Sports

The game took place at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, where 18,376 fans witnessed a defensive battle that ultimately favored the home team. The Wild's goaltender was impenetrable, saving all 16 shots he faced throughout three periods of play. This shutout performance was crucial to securing the win for Minnesota.


On offense, the Wild managed to break through twice on their total of 31 shots against the Ducks' netminder who had an otherwise solid night with a save percentage of one hundred percent. Despite not capitalizing on two powerplay opportunities and generating five powerplay shots, it was during even strength that Minnesota found their success.


Mar 14, 2024; Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Wild forward Kirill Kaprizov (97) celebrates his goal against the Anaheim Ducks during the second period at Xcel Energy Center. Mandatory Credit: Nick Wosika-USA TODAY Sports

The Wild's defense also stood tall beyond just goaltending; they blocked an impressive number of shots totaling sixteen and outperformed their opponents in faceoffs with a fifty-four percent winning rate. The team's physicality wasn't as pronounced as Anaheim's but they made up for it by taking away possession five times compared to just one takeaway by the Ducks.


Anaheim struggled offensively throughout this contest; they were unable to convert any of their sixteen shot attempts into goals and failed on their single powerplay opportunity. Their faceoff win percentage was slightly lower than Minnesota's at forty-six percent which contributed to less control over puck possession during critical moments.


Mar 14, 2024; Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Wild forward Marat Khusnutdinov (22) skates up ice against the Anaheim Ducks during the first period at Xcel Energy Center. Mandatory Credit: Nick Wosika-USA TODAY Sports

Looking ahead, fans can catch the next game featuring Minnesota Wild as they travel to face off against St. Louis Blues at Enterprise Center located in St. Louis MO USA on March 17th. This upcoming game will be available across multiple networks including ESPN+ online and BSMW, BSN, BSWI television channels ensuring fans won't miss any action from this encounter.

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