Icicles hung from facial hair, puffs of breath swirled over the action and there was even a pep talk Herb Brooks style during a break in the action.
In a frosty Winter Classic, Wild comes out cold and loses to Blues 6-4
St. Louis handled the chilly conditions better, dominating through two periods as the Wild lost its fifth in a row.
January 2, 2022 at 6:00AM
"I was looking over my shoulder for a polar bear," Wild winger Marcus Foligno said. "That's how cold it was out there."
The Winter Classic became a postcard for Minnesota on Saturday night, a snow-drenched Target Field with extra rinks in a woodsy outfield an idyllic tribute to the State of Hockey.
And based on recent tradition, the result on the ice was also quintessential Wild.
Despite home-field advantage and a mostly loyal sellout crowd announced at 38,619, the team's pre-New Year's Day slump continued in a 6-4 dusting by the rival Blues for the Wild's season-high fifth consecutive loss.
This dropped the Wild to 1-1 in outdoor games and lifted St. Louis to the top of the Central Division, three points ahead of the Wild.
"Once we look back on it, it'll be an exciting experience," Wild coach Dean Evason said. "Just ended a little bit bitter that's all."
The Blues' Jordan Kyrou dominated, scoring twice and setting up two others, his four points the most by a player in an NHL outdoor game. Kirill Kaprizov of the Wild wasn't too far behind with three, including a goal.
A five-goal second period by St. Louis — a record for an NHL outdoor game — was the difference.
"It's just embarrassing," Mats Zuccarello said. "To have 40,000 people coming freezing ... and we're playing like that?"
Trailing 6-2 after two periods, the Wild pulled goalie Cam Talbot from the game because of a lower-body injury.
The team went on to outshoot the Blues 18-4 in the third, getting within 6-4 with 5 minutes, 38 seconds left. Kaapo Kahkonen, who relieved Talbot, was on the bench for a sixth attacker for most of the final eight minutes.
"We need that mentality early in the game," Foligno said.
Due to COVID-19 postponements and Christmas, the Wild was coming off an 11-day break and the team looked the part in the first period.
After a minus-6-degree puck drop made this the coldest outdoor game in NHL history, the Blues controlled possession early and the pressure eventually culminated in a David Perron goal at 14 minutes, 29 seconds.
Only 25 seconds later, the home team retaliated when Kaprizov's throw to the middle caromed in off St. Louis' Niko Mikkola to tee off an exuberant celebration among the Wild.
Kaprizov's 13th extended his goal streak to a season-high three games, and he became the fastest player to record 40 goals with the Wild after reaching the mark in only 86 games (four less than Brian Rolston).
But that was the most excited the Wild would get, as the tie was quickly extinguished in the second period, when the Blues put on an offensive clinic.
"It doesn't matter," Zuccarello said of the rust factor. "This was a big game for us. We lost four in a row. We've got to come out with some push, some urgency and we didn't do it. I don't care when we last played. That is not acceptable as a team, and we all know it."
Only 27 seconds into the second, Kyrou's centering feed was deflected in by Ryan Hartman for the second own goal of the game.
By 8:55, St. Louis widened its lead on a one-timer off the rush by Vladimir Tarasenko orchestrated by Kyrou, who later found Ivan Barbashev on the power play at 14:46. The Blues finished 1-for-3, while the Wild blanked on four tries.
Then, with 2:02 left in the second, Kyrou went back to being the goal scorer when he polished off a give-and-go by wiring the puck top-shelf by Talbot.
At 18:38, Rem Pitlick's dish to the front of the net hit Blues goalie Jordan Binnington and tumbled into the net but the rout soon resumed, with Torey Krug shoveling in a sixth St. Louis goal with 41 seconds left in the second.
Talbot finished with 22 saves and Kahkonen had four. This was the second game in a row Talbot was tagged for six goals. At the other end, Binnington, who had chicken broth in his water bottle, made 29 saves.
In the third, Hartman pounced on a Zuccarello pass at 8:40 for Hartman's second point of the game on his team-leading 15th goal.
The Wild would score again, at 14:22 when Kaprizov handed off to Kevin Fiala for Fiala's third goal in the past two games. Kaprizov has seven points over the past three games.
St. Louis went on to call a timeout, but it was the scoreboards in the outfield that stymied the Wild the rest of the way with time running out on its rally to cap off a unique spectacle with disappointment.
"This is going to hurt for a little bit," Zuccarello said. "Five in a row now lost. That's the big picture. This was a fun game for everyone, but now it's over. Now we've got to get back to the winning ways and play the way that we know how to play as a team."
The Wild prevailed 5-4 on Tuesday night, moving back into first place in the NHL with a hard-fought victory in their first trip to Utah. Matt Boldy scored the winner in the shootout.
