Defenseman Braden Schneider’s backhander in overtime scored a much-needed win for a Rangers team that never trailed in a 3-2 victory over the Minnesota Wild, snapping New York’s four-game winless streak.
The Rangers held 1-0 and 2-1 leads in the third period only to see Minnesota twice forge a tie on goals by Marcus Johansson and Freddie Gaudreau.
Igor Shesterkin had 26 saves for the Rangers, who were making their only visit to St. Paul this season. Wild goalie Filip Gustavsson had 29 saves in the loss.
In an encouraging sign for a Wild team that has designs on a return to the playoffs after missing out last season, Minnesota killed a trio of Rangers power plays in the game.
Each team had a fruitless power play in the scoreless first period, with the goalies stealing the show.
It took nearly seven minutes in the second period for New York to break the scoreless deadlock, when Trocheck fanned on a shot, but regathered the puck and zipped a rising missile into the upper corner. It snapped a drought of 11 consecutive games without a goal for Trocheck, who centered the Rangers’ top line on Thursday.
The Wild lost defenseman Jon Merrill early in the second period after a high-speed collision with a Rangers forward. Merrill headed down the tunnel and did not return until the start of the third period, forcing Minnesota to play more than half of the middle frame with just five defensemen.
Minnesota’s penalty kill, which has been among the league’s worst for much of the season, got a workout late in the second period, killing off a Vinnie Hinostroza slashing penalty only to have Johansson head to the box for slashing a short time later. The Wild killed that one off too, then forged a tie shortly after a Rangers penalty expired.
After a set-up pass from Gustav Nyquist, Johansson used Schneider as a screen, then fired a rising wrist shot that found the upper corner behind Shesterkin. The assist was Nyquist’s first point for Minnesota since coming over in a March 1 trade with Nashville
The deadlock was temporary at best, as Brodzinski pulled off a similar play less than three minutes later, using a Wild defender to obstruct Gustavsson’s view, then putting a shot just beyond the goalie’s glove. It was the seventh goal of the season for Brodzinski, who played prep hockey for Blaine and was a collegiate standout at St. Cloud State.
On the next shift, a Zac Jones high stick caught Johansson in the face, drawing a double minor penalty, and Gaudreau made a deft move at the top of the crease for a power play goal to pull the Wild even again.
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Thursday was Minnesota’s annual Pride Night celebration, with proceeds from the team’s in-game raffle going to benefit Twin Cities Pride. Merrill and his wife Jessica have been outspoken advocates for the LGBTQ+ community, and in 2024 were named Allies of the Year by Twin Cities Pride. Minnesota Lynx WNBA coach Cheryl Reeve, along with her wife Carley Knox and their son Oliver, led the traditional “Let’s Play Hockey” cheer before the opening faceoff.
On Saturday, the Wild hosts the last of four regular season games with the St. Louis Blues, who will come to St. Paul in desperate need of points if they are to get back in a playoff position. Minnesota has won the first three meetings with St. Louis this season, including a 4-1 victory in the Blues’ home rink on Oct. 15 where Gustavsson scored the clinching empty net goal with a shot from the far end of the rink.
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