COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Wild, like tires stuck in mud, keeps spinning its wheels and can't get on a roll.
For the sixth time since Nov. 20, it failed to turn one win into two in a row, losing 3-1 to the riding-high Columbus Blue Jackets at overstuffed Nationwide Arena.
Like most other nights in December, the Wild, which fell to 11th in the Western Conference, ushered in the New Year frustratingly with an eighth loss in 12 games (4-5-3). It held a one-goal lead for much of the game but never could extend it, and the Blue Jackets ended up rallying for the victory.
"I hope that we're a little ticked off after this one," coach Mike Yeo said. "I don't think we put our best out there, and we can't afford to be going into games not going all in with everything that we got.
"That was a game that was there for us, but we didn't dig in deep enough to get it."
For the third time in recent weeks, the Wild failed to climb back to .500 on the road despite a strong first period and 1-0 lead on Zach Parise's power-play goal.
With goalie Darcy Kuemper playing well, one mistake allowed the Blue Jackets to tie the score in the final minute of the second period. With the Blue Jackets swarming late, Kuemper denied Matt Calvert from between the circles.
He couldn't swallow the puck, though, then lost his stick. Defenseman Christian Folin looked to direct the puck out of harm's way, but when Kuemper tried to scoop up his stick, Blue Jackets defenseman Kevin Connauton, who had smartly skated down the wall, caught Kuemper off guard by firing from the boards.