Goaltender interference calls becoming a source of frustration for the Wild

TEMPE, ARIZ. – The Wild continue to swing and miss when it comes to deciphering goaltender interference and after strike three on Saturday in their 5-2 victory at San Jose, using a coach's challenge for that purpose might no longer serve the team.

"We don't have any idea," coach Dean Evason said, "and going forward unless — I say unless it's 100 percent, which we all thought it was 100 percent — then I just don't think we can call anymore. What's the point? It's too gray."

Nearing the halfway point of the third period on Saturday, the Wild signaled for a goaltender interference check on the Sharks' second goal after Tomas Hertl's stick got tied up with Marc-Andre Fleury in the crease before Hertl deposited the puck into the Wild net.

But after a video review, the goal was confirmed and the Wild were dinged with a delay-of-game penalty. According to the NHL, Hertl was making a play on the loose puck and because of Rule 69.7, incidental contact is allowed in a rebound situation or when a goalie and attacking player are simultaneously attempting to play a loose puck; any goal scored in the aftermath counts.

"I'm still a little baffled," said Evason, who was still planning to get clarification on the decision.

That was the Wild's third unsuccessful coach's challenge related to goaltender interference.

They also failed to overturn goals Dec. 12 vs. Edmonton and Jan. 19 at Carolina; the team, however, did erase a tally after an offside check Nov. 9 at Anaheim.

Mason Shaw drew a penalty 1 minute, 4 seconds into the Sharks' power play before Mats Zuccarello and Matt Boldy converted to help the Wild pull away for a lopsided victory. But at the time of the coach's challenge, the Wild were leading by only a goal and facing a third penalty kill after San Jose had capitalized twice earlier on the power play.

"We were fortunate that they took a penalty halfway through and we only had to kill a minute," Evason said. "But hindsight, we shouldn't have called it."

Even with the Hertl goal standing up and receiving a bunch of whacks from the Sharks' Evgeny Svechnikov, Fleury was steady while turning in another solid performance to pick up a fifth straight win before backing up Filip Gustavsson on Sunday at Arizona.

During his win streak, Fleury has a 1.38 goals-against average and a .956 save percentage after giving up two or fewer goals in each of those five appearances.

"He just battles to keep the puck out of the net," Evason said.

Johansson tipped in a John Klingberg shot after captain Jared Spurgeon and Frederick Gaudreau scored in the first and second periods, respectively. That was Johansson's 14th goal of the season since he racked up 13 with the Capitals; this is his most in a season since he recorded 24 in 2016-17.

"He's just such a great hockey player that he would have fit in anywhere," Evason said. "But I think obviously it was probably easier because he knows everybody. He knows how we play. He knows the system. It was just pretty seamless.

"He's really given us a good jolt since he got here."