The Minnesota Wild defeated the Edmonton Oilers 5-3 on Thursday evening (Nov. 21). The ultimate rating was not indicative of how this recreation went. Two of the Oilers’ targets have been off fortunate bounces, and their third aim was when the sport was already out of attain. The Wild managed nearly all of play and received rewarded for his or her efforts. With that stated, right here’s your recreation recap:
Recreation Recap
The Oilers opened the scoring simply 27 seconds into the sport on a bizarre one. Leon Draisaitl cleared the puck from inside his personal blue line, and it bounced in the direction of the Wild goaltender, Marc-Andre Fleury, who whiffed on the bouncing puck and it slipped by way of his legs and into the again of the web.
Oh no Fleury… pic.twitter.com/kagz0su66S
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) November 22, 2024
Minnesota thought they tied the sport a couple of minutes later, however the Oilers challenged for offside, which was profitable, to keep up their early 1-0 lead. Matt Boldy finally tied the sport for the Wild halfway by way of the opening interval. He walked proper in and picked his spot by way of site visitors and Stuart Skinner into the Oilers’ internet.
After an eventful first interval, the Wild took the lead on Marcus Foligno’s fourth of the season simply 3:09 into the second interval. He received to the unfastened puck in entrance of the web, and received a battle in opposition to Evan Bouchard, earlier than depositing the puck into the gaping cage.
Edmonton tied the sport at two on a wrap-around by veteran Corey Perry. The Oilers’ fourth line received a battle down low, and Perry banked the puck off defenceman Jared Spurgeon, and into the web for his fourth of the season.
The back-and-forth motion continued, as Minnesota regained the lead a couple of minutes afterward Marcus Johansson’s second of the season. Troy Stecher fanned on his clearing try and the puck ended up on the stick of the Wild ahead within the slot, and he made no mistake.
With underneath 5 minutes remaining within the center body, Wild followers collectively held their breath as Kirill Kaprizov received hit within the open ice by Drake Caggiula. The celebrity ahead was shaken up on the play, however he did return.
Minnesota prolonged their lead on a aim by Frederick Gaudreau with three minutes remaining within the interval. He acquired a terrific cross-ice cross from Ryan Hartman, and batted the puck out of the air, previous the Oilers’ goaltender.
The Wild seemingly put this recreation away within the third interval on Gaudreau’s second of the sport. Minnesota had a 3-on-1, and Jake Middleton shot the puck on the pads, and Gaudreau pounced on the rebound for a straightforward aim.
Edmonton added a aim late, on a scramble in entrance of the web, finally put away by Jeff Skinner with solely 25 seconds remaining. Nevertheless it was too little too late.
Fleury was by far the higher goalie, stopping 29 of 32 pictures for a .906 save share (SV%). Skinner was unhealthy on the different finish, solely making 21 saves on 26 pictures for a putrid .808 SV%.
Each groups are again in motion on Saturday (Nov. 23). The Wild are in Calgary to play the Flames in a matinee, and the Oilers host the New York Rangers within the late recreation on Hockey Night time in Canada.
