There were hype videos and live music and waving towels with flashing lights built in. There were booming ovations and a reunion of franchise legends and a pair of goals by the highest-paid player in NHL history.
The Minnesota Wild’s home opener, as they celebrated the start of their 25th anniversary season, featured just about everything. But a home team victory was notably missing when the final horn blew.
Flying high after a decisive win in the season opener on the road, the Wild instead never held a lead versus an opportunistic Columbus Blue Jackets team. Minnesota out-shot Columbus decisively, and got a quartet of power play goals, but fell 7-4 on Saturday, in what they certainly hope is not a carry-over of their generally mediocre play at home a season ago.
Trailing 2-0 in the second period, top-liners Matt Boldy and Kirill Kaprizov scored for the Wild to forge a tie, only to see the Blue Jackets snatch the lead back and hold on. Rookie defenseman Zeev Buium added a third period power play marker — his first career goal — but again Columbus snuffed out the momentum with a quick answer. Kaprizov’s second goal of the game pulled Minnesota back within two.
They made a push with the goalie pulled, but ultimately fell short after Boone Jenner added a late empty-net goal for the visitors.
Wild goalie Filip Gustavsson was victimized early in the first and third periods, finishing with 25 saves in the loss.
With the fans still buzzing from the pregame introduction of the franchise’s original coaching staff from 25 years ago, the Wild kept them buzzing with three rushes to the net that tested the Columbus goalie. The third of them featured a point-blank shot by Vinnie Hinostroza, and the hard rebound off Blue Jackets goalie Elvis Merzlikins’ leg pad acted like an outlet pass.
As Minnesota scrambled to backcheck, Zach Ashton-Reese sent a long pass off the end boards next to Gustavsson, where Miles Wood was able to tack down the puck and snap a low shot past the Wild goalie. It was Wood’s first goal with Columbus after coming there in June trade with Colorado.
Minnesota’s offense dominated the opening 20 minutes, which included a brief 5-on-3 power play, but still emerged down by a goal. If there was one area where the Blue Jackets excelled early it was in the faceoff circle, where Columbus won 17 of the 26 draws in the opening period.
Columbus also won the opening faceoff of the second period, and saw Kirill Marchenko blast into the offensive zone and whip a shot past Gustavsson, to double the Blue Jackets lead just seven seconds into the middle frame.
The Wild finally offered some push-back on the scoreboard on a second period power play, when Kirill Kaprizov’s shot was knocked down by the Columbus goalie’s shoulder save, but Boldy swatted in the loose puck, bringing the crowd back to life. Columbus coach Dean Evason challenged the play, but officials ruled it a good goal, and gave the Blue Jackets a two minute delay of game penalty for the unsuccessful challenge.
When Columbus defender Erik Gudbranson chipped a puck over the glass on the penalty kill, the Wild got another 30 seconds of two-man advantage, and Kaprizov tied the game on the power play, off a pass from Boldy.
But Columbus grabbed the momentum, and the lead, back with 72 seconds left in the second period when an errant deflection left Marchenko with a yawning net to hit, and the visitors took a 3-2 lead into the second intermission. They re-established a two goal lead just 71 seconds into the third, when Zach Werenski shot through a crowd from the blue line and found the back of the net. Then Marchenko completed the hat trick with the Blue Jackets on a two-man advantage of their own, sending much of the crowd home disappointed.
It was the Wild’s first regulation loss in the last dozen meetings with Columbus, which is also celebrating 25 years since entering the NHL as an expansion team in 2000.
Merzlikins had 48 saves for the Blue Jackets in their first win of the season.
The Wild get another shot at their first home win of the season on Monday, when they host the Los Angeles Kings in a 7 p.m. game.
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