When you’re locked in a defensive battle, sometimes the simplest play in hockey is to send a big body to the net, hard.
Joel Eriksson Ek did just that, making a classic “crash the net” play in the latter half of the third period for the eventual game-winner as the Minnesota Wild made it six victories in a row, winning 5-2 against the Blue Jackets in Columbus, Ohio.
Goals by Ryan Hartman and Vladimir Tarasenko helped the Wild overcome an early deficit and a slow start to the second period. They got 26 saves from rookie goalie Jesper Wallstedt, who improved to 10-1-2.
Zach Werenski had his second consecutive two-goal game for the Blue Jackets, but Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy added late empty-net goals for the Wild.
The win came with a number of minor leaguers in key roles, as Minnesota is missing seven regulars due to injury.
Minnesota’s top offensive unit — with Kaprizov, Boldy and Eriksson Ek at forward, Brock Faber and Quinn Hughes on defense — had a dominating shift in the Columbus offensive zone, only to see the Blue Jackets turn the tables for the opening period’s only goal. A turnover by the Wild at the offensive blue line sprung Columbus on an odd-man rush the other way, which ended when Werenski zipped a glove-side wrist shot past Wallstedt.
The Wild had a sluggish start to the middle frame, with Wallstedt keeping the deficit manageable as Columbus outshot Minnesota 12-1 through the first half of the period. But the Wild’s first power play of the night was productive, with Kaprizov feeding Hartman down low for a quick redirect and a 1-all tie.
Minnesota’s all-Russian line clicked to give the visitors a lead via Tarasenko’s third goal in the past two games, set up by linemates Yakov Trenin and Danila Yurov. But Columbus had an answer almost immediately, when Werenski hopped on another Wild turnover and made it 2-all after two periods.
Jet Greaves finished with 22 saves for Columbus, which split its season series with the Wild by spoiling Minnesota’s home opener back in October, winning 7-4 in St. Paul.
With their pre-Christmas road schedule complete, the Wild return to St. Paul for the next three in a row, beginning on Saturday afternoon when they host Edmonton in a 2 p.m. start at Grand Casino Arena.
Briefly
At the team’s morning skate in Columbus, Wild coach John Hynes gave an update on the team’s lengthy injury roster. Defensemen Jonas Brodin and Jake Middleton, and forwards Mats Zuccarello and Vinni Hinostroza have all resumed skating, and the coach is hopeful that at least a few of them could potentially return for one or both of the Wild’s back-to-back home games on Saturday and Sunday. Defenseman Zach Bogosian and forward Marcus Johansson have not yet begun skating. Hynes commented that it has been “injury after injury” for the most part in his two years as head coach, but he does not recall missing seven regulars at any one time before.
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