Wild lose two goals on challenges, which haven't been kind to them

Two offside calls, both by mere inches, hurt on the scoreboard and took the wind out of the home team vs. the NHL-best Bruins.

March 18, 2023 at 11:57PM
Minnesota Wild left wing Marcus Johansson, left, scores a goal against Boston Bruins goaltender Linus Ullmark (35) during the first period of an NHL hockey game Sunday, March 18, 2023, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Stacy Bengs)
Here’s a goal that counted for the Wild on Saturday: Marcus Johansson beat Bruins goalie Linus Ullmark in the first period at Xcel Energy Center. (Stacy Bengs, Associated Press/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

The Wild put more pucks in the net than the Bruins and still didn't win.

How does that happen?

Take away two tallies because of video review and then add in an own goal, and it equals a 5-2 loss for the Wild on Saturday afternoon at Xcel Energy Center that ended their franchise-record 14-game point streak.

"We scored enough goals to be in it in the end," Marcus Johansson said. "A tough few breaks. That's the way it goes."

Not once but twice Boston used a coach's challenge to overturn a Wild goal.

The first happened when the Wild were already leading 1-0 in the first period. Matt Dumba's one-timer off a behind-the-net pass from Johansson was called back after the review showed Connor Dewar entered Bruins territory before the puck.

Then in the second period, the Wild had what would have been the game-tying goal disappear: Matt Boldy's finish in tight after Johansson blocked a Boston clearing attempt was disallowed because the NHL determined Boldy was offside before he converted.

"They're both offsides, so there's nothing to complain about," coach Dean Evason said.

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These rulings continued a funk for the Wild when it comes to video.

Whether initiated by them, the opposing team or the NHL, the Wild have had 11 straight reviews go against them. They've dropped their last three challenges, seven goals were disallowed by the opposition or the NHL looking for offside and the Wild had one score erased when a team challenged for goaltender interference.

"We get 2 inches on either side on those pucks going over the blue [line], we're right there," Dumba said. "You never know. Stuff like that happens."

The Wild haven't successfully used a challenge since they identified an Anaheim goal being offside on Nov. 9; not since Nov. 23 has a team (Winnipeg) unsuccessfully challenged a Wild tally (goaltender interference).

To make matters worse for the Wild, just minutes after Boldy's goal was waved off, the Bruins earned the eventual game-winner when David Krejci's pass bounced off Johansson's stick and behind goaltender Filip Gustavsson.

"It kind of didn't want to go our way tonight, but we worked for it and we tried," Johansson said. "It was a good effort. It's the way it goes sometimes."

Power switch

After the Wild's first power play unit failed to capitalize on a lengthy 5-on-3 late in the second period, Evason started the second group during the team's last look in the third and they delivered just 8 seconds into the advantage.

Johansson worked the puck to Frederick Gaudreau, who won the faceoff seconds earlier, and Gaudreau set up Oskar Sundqvist for a one-timer.

"They weren't good. Simple as that," Evason said of the unit that featured Boldy, Joel Eriksson Ek, Ryan Hartman, John Klingberg and Mats Zuccarello. "They weren't good. Obviously, we got rewarded for [the change]. They've got to be better, obviously. Big point in the hockey game was the 5-on-3, too, and we had maybe a look there where Bolds had the one shot.

"We didn't generate, so someone else gets to try."

Injury update

Evason ruled out Marcus Foligno (lower-body injury) for Sunday's game vs. Washington, mentioning how the Wild wanted to be careful with Foligno's return, but the Wild will probably get Jonas Brodin (lower-body injury), Brandon Duhaime (upper-body injury) and Jake Middleton (illness) back in their lineup.

about the writer

about the writer

Sarah McLellan

Minnesota Wild and NHL

Sarah McLellan covers the Wild and NHL. Before joining the Minnesota Star Tribune in November 2017, she spent five years covering the Coyotes for The Arizona Republic.

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