Ice arenas vary greatly in capacity, number of locker rooms, concession stand variety and general indoor temperature, as anyone who has watched a game in certain community rinks can tell you. But as a general rule, the goals and the puck are always the same size.
ST PAUL, MINNESOTA – JANUARY 12: Matt Boldy #12 of the Minnesota Wild shoots against the Jacob Markstrom #25 of the New Jersey Devils in the first period at Grand Casino Arena on January 12, 2026 in St Paul, Minnesota. (Photo by Brad Rempel/Getty Images)
All too often in their meeting with the New Jersey Devils on Monday night at Grand Casino Arena, small details like the finite dimensions of the red-framed opening at the front of the net – six feet wide by four feet high – seemed to challenge the Minnesota Wild.
For a team that preaches attention to detail and playing the game their way, simple details like putting the puck on the net were critically lacking, and the result was one of their worst home losses of the season.
In the opening 20 minutes of what would eventually become a 5-2 defeat, the Wild sent 22 shots in the vague direction of Devils goalie Jacob Markstrom. He stopped six of them. Six more were blocked by Devils defenders. And 10 of them eluded that all-important opening that utters “goal” or “no goal” without saying a word.
“We had some looks, we just weren’t as sharp as we needed to be tonight,” Wild coach John Hynes said. “Whether it was the first period or through the game, we did have some real quality looks. But I just think overall we weren’t as we needed to be.”
ST PAUL, MINNESOTA – JANUARY 12: Kirill Kaprizov #97 of the Minnesota Wild skates with the puck against the New Jersey Devils in the first period at Grand Casino Arena on January 12, 2026 in St Paul, Minnesota. (Photo by Brad Rempel/Getty Images)
After a 4-1-2 record in their longest road trip in franchise history, the Wild fell to 0-1-1 at home so far in 2026, with one more chance to make amends on this homestand, Thursday when they host Winnipeg.
Facing his brothers — Devils standouts Jack and Luke — for the first time in a Wild sweater, Minnesota defenseman Quinn Hughes even got in on the “shots near goal” party, clanking the post in the opening period. That doesn’t count as a shot on goal, even though a hockey writer friend once argued, vehemently, that a shot that hits the post or the crossbar is technically on the goal.
The loss was a tough one for Quinn, who is now 1-8-0 head-to-head versus brother Jack, and for Wild coach John Hynes, who got his first NHL head coaching job in New Jersey in 2015, and got fired from same four years later.
“Yeah, I think you want this one, but also just, lost the last game, lost tonight,” Quinn Hughes said. “Just more worried about that aspect.”
New Jersey Devils goaltender Jacob Markstrom (25) stops the puck while pressured by Minnesota Wild right wing Danila Yurov (22) during the third period of an NHL hockey game, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
The near miss parade continued in the middle frame when Vladimir Tarasenko had plenty of net to shoot at as Markstrom had slid out of position. Perhaps celebrating the anniversary of Blair Walsh’s legendary contribution to Minnesota sports woe, Tarasenko pushed it wide left.
Trailing from the time in the first when the Devils scored on their first shot of the game, it was not until late in the second when Brock Faber fired a shot from long range, and it deflected off Ryan Hartman in front of the net to forge a tie.
The goal came at the end of close to two minutes where the Wild’s details were impeccable, trapping New Jersey in the defensive zone long enough to change all three forwards without losing possession of the puck.
But the tie was frustratingly brief.
A sloppy final minute of the second period ended with the Devils returning the favor, by controlling play for an extended shift, then slipping a puck between Wild goalie Jesper Wallstedt’s knees with 7.5 seconds on the clock, and taking a lead into the second resurfacing break.
ST PAUL, MINNESOTA – JANUARY 12: Ondrej Palat #18 of the New Jersey Devils scores against the Jesper Wallstedt #30 of the Minnesota Wild in the third period at Grand Casino Arena on January 12, 2026 in St Paul, Minnesota. (Photo by Brad Rempel/Getty Images)
Then New Jersey ended any remaining drama with two Jesper Bratt goals 21 seconds apart in the third to lead by three. Hartman beat Markstrom on a solo rush to the net in the latter half of the third, but the puck smacked the post and stayed out, in keeping with the evening’s theme of home team frustration.
“Hockey’s hard. You don’t always score,” said Wild forward Matt Boldy, who leads the team with 27 goals. “It is what it is. If you sat there and complained every time it didn’t go in, you’d have a long, frustrating career.”
By the time Marcus Foligno scored a power play goal in the final 20 seconds, roughly half the audience had already left the rink,
Wallstedt did what he could, finishing with 24 saves but losing in regulation for just the third time this season. Markstrom turned away 20 shots for the Devils, who came to Minnesota on a four-game losing streak, but ended the skid in dramatic fashion.
The Wild were without center Joel Eriksson Ek for a second consecutive game and missing defenseman Zach Bogosian for a fourth game in a row.
“Today it feels weird because we get slapped 5-2, but I think it’s been good,” Foligno said. “We’re without Ekker, a big piece, and Bogo too. But I like the way we’ve been playing.”
Hynes said both Eriksson Ek and Bogosian are considered day to day and could potentially return to face the Jets on Thursday.
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