Wild leader Bill Guerin enjoys the success and identifies the challenge: ‘We can’t waver from this.’
Before the season, Bill Guerin would have never pegged a Monday night matchup in November between the Jets and Wild as the top team in the NHL squaring off against its second-place challenger.
Its exciting, the Wilds president of hockey operations said just before the opening faceoff at Xcel Energy Center.
Its great.
The anticipation was legit: Kirill Kaprizov returned from a one-game injury absence.
Goaltenders Filip Gustavsson and Connor Hellebuyck brought identical statistics into their respective creases, and the Wild had made plenty of strides since narrowly losing to Winnipeg in overtime with an understaffed lineup in the third game of the season.
This rematch warranted the spotlight, and the Wild felt the 1 vs.
2 battle lived up to the hype even if the score didnt.
As players, we were into it from the drop of the puck, defenseman Jake Middleton said.
Despite a ferocious start in which they seriously challenged the Jets, the Wild were the first to blink during a second-period staring contest and Winnipeg ran away 4-1 to pad its lead atop the standings.
Hellebuyck was brilliant, denying 43 of a season-high 44 shots by the Wild, whose expected goals was 4.6, meaning Hellebuyck saved 3.6 goals (MoneyPuck).
That gave him a league-leading 2.06 goals-against average and .929 save percentage after he and Gustavsson (2.18 and .923) entered the game tied in both categories.
We wanted to get the upper hand [Monday] and show that we can play with everyone, veteran forward Marcus Johansson said.
Even though we did show that, we didnt get the two points.
We didnt get the win, and thats frustrating.
A quarter of the way through the season, the Wild are at a unique crossroads.
By still being a top-five team, theyve proven their performance is more than simply a good start.
Instead, this is their potential, but they have to keep fulfilling it.
How? Its mental, Guerin said.
Its all mental.
The belief that you are this good and dont waver from this.
We cant waver from this.
As one of only two teams that havent lost back-to-back games in regulation, the Wild are competitive.
Theyve typically won the games they should, and their success seems sustainable because of how in-sync they look in coach John Hynes system that has them operating as a five-man unit all over the ice.
The coaches have really helped the guys, Guerin said.
Our players have matured.
Theyve been through a lot over the last few years.
It thickens your skin.
You learn.
I also think theyre seeing results of playing a certain way, playing a certain style, so we just have to continue it.
What would validate the Wild even more is finally defeating a Winnipeg, Dallas or Colorado.
Not including the playoffs, the Wild havent won against the Central Divisions reigning top three teams since March 29, 2023.
Their latest loss to the Jets was their seventh in a row.
You get up for this game, winger Matt Boldy said.
Its a division game.
Its a team thats ahead of us thats had our number.
We want to win every game; it doesnt matter who is first.
Thats a good team over there, and we gotta find a way to get going and find ways to win these games.
The X-factor in any game the Wild are in is, of course, Kaprizov.
He was held pointless by Winnipeg for just the fourth time this season, the wingers 34 points just one behind Colorados Nathan MacKinnon and Carolinas Martin Necas for the NHL lead.
Kaprizov didnt play Saturday in the 4-3 shootout loss at Calgary after a knee-on-knee hit from Edmontons Drake Caggiula two days earlier, and although Kaprizov is good to go, Guerin wasnt sure what was going to happen with the Wilds superstar.
Hes a tough kid.
He plays through a lot, but I didnt like the hit and I didnt like anything about it.
No penalty.
Marcus Foligno got kicked out of a playoff game for a hit just like it, said Guerin, referring to Folignos game misconduct for kneeing Radek Faksa in Game 5 vs.
the Stars two seasons ago.
I dont care about suspensions.
The league will handle that.
They do a great job, but you know what? We should have gotten something, and I just worry about his health.
I just want him healthy.
The early frontrunner for the Hart Trophy as the NHLs MVP, Kaprizov is the player who has most impressed Guerin to start the season.
Mats Zuccarello isnt active yet and is still week to week after getting hit by a Brock Faber shot on Nov.
14 and having surgery, but Kaprizovs momentum hasnt stalled without his longtime linemate.
Hes just taken his game to a whole new level, Guerin said, and I think its more than just his game.
The leadership, and he knows his responsibility and things like that.
So, hes really elevated himself.
Hes been great.
Its been fun to watch him.
With Kaprizov setting the tone, optimism about the Wild is justified.
But there are 61 games to go, beginning Wednesday at Buffalo, and the Wild still have to show who they are not who theyve been.
Its not just the system, Guerin said.
Its the belief and the carrying out of it.
Wild at Buffalo Sabres KeyBank Center, 6 p.m.
Wednesday TV; radio : FanDuel Sports Network North; 100.3 FM Sabres update : Buffalo has been idle since sweeping a West Coast road trip last week.
The Sabres shut out the Kings, defeated the Ducks in overtime and then spoiled the Sharks jersey retirement night for Joe Thornton.
This is their third three-game win streak, a season high.
Former Wild F Alex Tuch leads Buffalo in scoring with 21 points.
LW Jason Zucker, another one-time Wild player, has five goals and nine assists in his first season with the Sabres.
Injuries : Wild LW Jakub Lauko (lower body) didnt play in the third period of Mondays game.
C Marat Khusnutdinov (lower body) is day-to-day.
RW Mats Zuccarello (lower body) is out.
Sabres LW Jordan Greenway (middle body), C Tage Thompson (lower body) and D Mattias Samuelsson (lower body) are on injured reserve..
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