ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Simon Edvinsson pinged a slap shot off the far post for his second goal of the game with 8:25 remaining to finish a rally by the Detroit Red Wings for a 3-2 victory over the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday night. Cam Talbot made 22 saves for the Red Wings, who are 9-1-2 in their last 12 games and have won five straight road games, setting their season record.
Vladimir Tarasenko put Detroit on the board midway through the second period after Minnesota led 2-0 at the first intermission following goals by Marco Rossi and Jakob Lauko. The Wild had previously come back from 3-1 down against the Red Wings just days before to triumph 4-3 in overtime on Rossi's winner. At 23 years old, Rossi has matched his career high with 21 goals this season, boasting impressive statistics since being the ninth overall pick in the 2020 draft.
Talbot and Minnesota goalie Filip Gustavsson were traded for each other in the summer of 2022. Talbot, who racked up impressive numbers during his two seasons with the Wild at 51-20-9, is now on his fourth team within four years.
Takeaways from the game highlight the Red Wings' resilience. With centers Andrew Copp and Michael Rasmussen missing, the team’s limited shots on goal resulted from their strong defensive strategy. Their aim to return to the playoffs for the first time since 2014 is well on track.
The Wild, on the other hand, continue to struggle at home. Despite being the NHL’s leaders for road victories, they need to improve their performance at home, especially with first-line center Joel Eriksson Ek landing on injured reserve, which thins their forward lineup.
One notable moment occurred when, just one second after Minnesota's penalty kill ended, Tarasenko latched onto a pass from Erik Gustafsson and scored his eighth goal of the season. The Wild have some elements to build on, as Matt Boldy provided the assist on Rossi’s goal, making him only the second player in franchise history to achieve three 30-assist seasons by age 23, following Pierre-Marc Bouchard.
Looking ahead, the Red Wings will host the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday, hoping to extend their hot streak, whereas the Wild will visit Utah.
Meanwhile, over in SALT LAKE CITY, the Utah Hockey Club rallied to beat the Chicago Blackhawks 2-1. Lawson Crouse scored the tiebreaking goal with 7:48 left, enabling Utah to secure its fifth win out of the last seven games, including three consecutive victories at home.
Clayton Keller scored for Utah during the second period, and goalie Karel Vejmelka tallied 21 saves, reinforcing his team's defense. Keller leads the team with 33 points accumulated across 29 home games.
Seth Jones opened the scoring for Chicago with his power play goal at 6:26 left in the first period. Utah struggled early, registering only eight shots on goal during the opening period, but they stepped it up, totaling 28 shots over the final two periods.
One pivotal moment came when Crouse netted his backhand shot, giving Utah its first lead of the game, which became the decisive goal. After this match, Chicago faced continued struggles, falling to 0-6-1 this season when tied after two periods.
Chicago's power play unit performed exceptionally well against Utah, successfully fending off all five attempts by the opposing team. Next up for the Blackhawks is a game against Vegas, and Utah will be hosting Minnesota.
Both teams have their goals set for improvement as the NHL season progresses, and fans will eagerly be watching their progress.