Takeaways: Wild get Matt Boldy back but lose to Panthers 4-3 in overtime

The Wild had one of their top goal scorers back in action … but so did the Panthers.

Florida’s Brad Marchand scored twice, including in overtime, to lift the back-to-back defending Stanley Cup champions to a 4-3 victory over the Wild on Saturday night, Jan. 24, in a penalty-filled game at Grand Casino Arena.

Marchand, who was playing for the first time in eight games after being injured and also had an assist for a game-high three points, connected on a 2-on-1 pass from Carter Verhaeghe 3 minutes into 3-on-3 overtime.

“Makes a good pass. Makes a good shot,” Wild goaltender Filip Gustavsson said. “It’s hard to get over.”

Matt Boldy scored shorthanded and added an assist in his return after missing four games because of a lower-body injury.

Kirill Kaprizov netted his 28th goal, which is tied with Boldy for the team lead. Kaprizov’s 213 career goals are only six behind Marian Gaborik for the most in franchise history. His goal and Joel Eriksson Ek’s came on the power play.

Gustavsson made 30 saves, Sergei Bobrovsky had 18, and the two teams combined for 12 penalties.

The Panthers led first, capitalizing 6:44 into the first period when Sam Reinhart flipped in a rebound past Gustavsson.

Kaprizov answered back on the power play on a carom off Florida’s Aaron Ekblad at 9:17, his third goal in two games, but the Panthers exited the first ahead when their power play converted with 1:40 to go on a backhander by Marchand.

The parade to the penalty box continued in the second, and the Wild power play took advantage again against Florida’s top-10 penalty kill at 4:33 when Eriksson Ek whacked in a Kaprizov rebound in his second game back after missing six injured. The assist gave Kaprizov five consecutive multipoint games.

“Our first wasn’t very good, but I think we got a little bit better in the second,” Eriksson Ek said. “From there on, I think just a lot of special teams. Hard game to get a ... rhythm in.”

Special teams remained a factor in the third, with both teams converting on the same penalty and power play.

“It was nice to have him back,” said coach John Hynes, who was behind the bench for his 800th game as an NHL head coach and became the fourth American-born coach to reach the milestone. “He’s an impactful guy for us that plays a lot of key situations and key minutes.”

But Florida didn’t trail for long, with Sam Bennett’s tap-in 1:02 later during the remaining power play paving the way for overtime, where the Panthers completed their comeback after Boldy lost a puck he received from Quinn Hughes.

“They were able to kind of find one on that little break there,” Boldy said. “I wish I was able to handle that pass that Quinn gave me.”

BOXSCORE: Florida 4, Wild 3 (OT)

NHL standings

The Wild spent 20:42, more than a third of regulation time, on the power play or penalty kill, and that prevented them from rolling the four lines that are finally back to full strength.

Boldy’s return meant he reunited with Eriksson Ek and Marcus Johansson, both of whom were back one game earlier from their respective injuries, but the Wild didn’t convert at 5-on-5; they actually had almost as many shots on the PP and PK (nine) as they did at even strength.

Games with these many penalties are unusual for the Wild, but getting to overtime meant they’ve gone pointless just once in their last five games (3-1-1).