The Minnesota Wild opened their season with a dominant 5-0 shutout victory over the St. Louis Blues on Thursday night, showcasing strength in all areas of the ice. Ryan Hartman led the charge with two goals, while Matt Boldy contributed a goal and two assists. Marco Rossi also scored a goal and added an assist, and Joel Eriksson Ek chipped in with a goal of his own. Kirill Kaprizov played a key role, setting up three goals for his teammates.
Goaltender Filip Gustavsson was perfect in net, stopping all 27 shots he faced to earn his 12th career NHL shutout. This marks his first shutout of the season and comes after a career-high five shutouts last season. Meanwhile, Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington struggled, allowing five goals on just 21 shots.
Hartman got the Wild on the board late in the first period, skillfully evading a Blues defender and tucking the puck between Binnington's pads. Shortly after, Boldy extended the lead to 2-0, deflecting a pass from Kaprizov over Binnington's shoulder.
Minnesota continued to build their lead in the second period with a power-play goal. Boldy fired a shot from the blue line, and Eriksson Ek was there to capitalize on the rebound, pushing the puck past Binnington. This goal also marked Eriksson Ek's 300th career point, all earned during his nine seasons with the Wild. Hartman added his second goal of the night before the end of the second period, firing a shot from the left circle.
Rossi capped off the scoring in the third period, picking up a loose puck in the low slot and lifting it past Binnington to make it 5-0.
Despite being outshot 16-4 in the second period, Minnesota managed to score twice, demonstrating their efficiency and capitalizing on their opportunities. The Wild finished the game with a strong performance, silencing the St. Louis crowd.
The Wild were without veterans Jonas Brodin and Nico Sturm due to injuries. Coach John Hynes indicated that Brodin's return is expected soon, while Sturm may be sidelined for 6-8 weeks with a back injury.
The Wild will return to St. Paul for their home opener on Saturday, where they will face the Columbus Blue Jackets at the newly-named Grand Casino Arena.
