On March 9, 2025, the Minnesota Wild faced off against the Pittsburgh Penguins at Xcel Energy Center, and all eyes were on Marc-Andre Fleury, who was making his final appearance against his former team, the Penguins. Fleury, 40, has had a storied NHL career, primarily spent with Pittsburgh before joining the Wild, and he is set to retire after the current season.
Fleury, with a 12-7-1 record this season, holds a 2.76 goals-against average and .904 save percentage, has had noteworthy performances, including a win against the Penguins on October 29, where he saved 26 out of 29 shots during the game, aiding his team to secure a 5-3 victory.
While the Wild (36-23-4) have had some tough matches lately, they are determined to maintain their position at the top of the Western Conference Wild Card standings especially after dropping behind Colorado. The Wild are 5-5-0 over their last ten games but are eager to regain momentum against the Penguins, who have struggled significantly with only two wins out of their last ten games, posting a 2-7-1 record.
The Penguins, sitting near the bottom with a record of 24-31-10, are tied with the Seattle Kraken and only four points above the last-place Buffalo Sabres. Despite boasting talents like Sidney Crosby, Rickard Rakell, and Evgeni Malkin, the Penguins have been unable to convert their offensive prowess effectively, scoring only 2.25 goals per game since January 23.
Crosby leads the Penguins with 66 points over 63 games, followed by Rakell with 53 and Rust with 47, but the offense has faltered recently, growing ineffective during this grim stretch. The situation could worsen, considering they have been outscored 8-1 over their last two road games.
On the other side, the Wild's young star, Matt Boldy, has been stepping up, contributing immensely to his team’s efforts during Kirill Kaprizov's absence due to injury. Boldy has recorded 21 goals and 54 points this season and is expected to be pivotal for the Wild as they strive to secure their playoff position.
The matchup was marked by both teams' efforts to push for victory as the Penguins aim to snap their four-game losing streak, which added to the mounting pressure on head coach Mike Sullivan. With the Wild leading the playoff race, every point becomes increasingly significant, especially with Colorado breathing down their necks.
Despite the Penguins’ struggles, their lineup included new acquisitions from the trade deadline, such as Tommy Novak, Connor Dewar, and Conor Timmins, who are expected to bring fresh energy to the ice. Their performance will certainly be monitored closely by analysts and fans alike.
With the importance of this game highly emphasized, predictions were made favoring the Wild to emerge victorious; most experts anticipated scorelines close to 3-2 or 4-3. Bettors were advised on the total goals with oddsmakers expecting more than six total goals to be scored.
Both teams faced significant injury boils with the Wild missing key players, including Kaprizov, Joel Eriksson Ek, and Jonas Brodin due to lower body injuries. The absence of Kaprizov has opened the door for others like Boldy and newly-acquired Gustav Nyquist to step up offensively. The Wild have shown resilience but require consistent scoring to navigate through the grueling remainder of the season.
The importance of this matchup not only affects immediate playoff hopes but also contributes to the nostalgic farewell from Fleury, who will forever remain honored as one of Pittsburgh's legendary figures. Expectations were high as fans filled the stands, appreciating the chance to see Fleury face the Penguins one last time, and perhaps solidify the Wild's playoff narrative.
Overall, the March 9th matchup served as not just another regular season meeting but as another chance for both teams to establish their identity heading toward the culmination of the season. With the stakes raised high, the skilled players of both rosters looked to shine as they fight for important points on the NHL scoreboard.