Minnesota Wild's Powerplay Sparks but Montreal Canadiens Hold Firm at Bell Centre

The Minnesota Wild faced off against the Montreal Canadiens at the Bell Centre, with both teams entering the game with strong records. The Wild held a 28-14-9 record, while the Canadiens stood at 28-15-7. The final score of this encounter was 4-3 in favor of the home team, showcasing a tightly contested match.

First Period

The opening period saw an early surge from the Habs as they netted two goals, setting a challenging pace for their opponents. Despite being outshot by Montreal's 33 attempts to their own 19, Minnesota managed to stay competitive thanks to Jesper Wallstedt’s impressive goaltending performance. He made crucial saves throughout and ended with a total of 29 saves.

Second Period

In response during the second period, Minnesota capitalized on their powerplay opportunities. Vladimir Tarasenko emerged as a key player for the Wild by scoring twice during powerplays out of four shots taken in such situations. His efforts were supported by assists from Kirill Kaprizov and Mats Zuccarello who each contributed two assists over the course of this intense matchup.

Third Period

As play continued into the third period, Brock Faber added another goal for Minnesota bringing them closer to leveling up with Montreal's lead. However, despite these efforts and maintaining pressure through strategic faceoffs—winning nearly half—their comeback fell short against Montreal’s resilient defense which blocked numerous attempts effectively.

The game concluded with "Minnesota Wild vs Montreal Canadiens final score" standing at 4-3 favoring Montreal after an exhilarating display from both sides that kept fans on edge until its closure.

Looking ahead for fans eager to catch more action: The next fixture sees Minnesota hosting Detroit Red Wings at Grand Casino Arena in St Paul scheduled on January 22nd starting around 9:30 PM EDT broadcasted live via ESPN TV network—mark your calendars!

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