'Outcompeted, outskated, outexecuted': Wild win ugly in Chicago

2-1 victory wasn't pretty but Minnesota inches closer in wild card race

Author:
Joe Nelson
Publish date:
Feb 8, 2024 8:52 AM EST

Ugly wins are still wins and that's what the Minnesota Wild need as they strive to stay in the Western Conference playoff chase.

The second half of the season got off to an ugly, winning start for Minnesota as they dropped the puck at 8:52 p.m. in Chicago and left the ice around midnight with a 2-1 victory.

“It wasn’t pretty today,” Wild goalie Filip Gustavsson, who had 20 saves, said. “The second period was very bad for us. Then in the third, we just found a way to win today. It wasn’t pretty. It’s not the best. It wasn’t what we should do. We’ve got to learn from it tomorrow. Watch the video. Take the two points from this game and leave it there."

Vinni Letteiri assisted on both Wild goals in his return to the lineup after missing 15 games with a lower-body injury. Marcus Foligno scored the second goal, which proved to be the game-winner. The first went to Jacob Lucchini, who hadn't put a puck in the net since scoring his first NHL goal on Jan. 1, 2023.

The ugly win helps in the standings, but it didn't make head coach John Hynes feel any better about how his club performed.

“We had a good first period,” Hynes said. “Then we came out and we got outcompeted, outskated, outexecuted in the second period. You can’t win hockey games like that. We had passengers, particularly in the second period. In the third period, we were better. The good thing is we won the game, which is important, but we’ve got to be much better collectively as a group moving forward here.”

Up to 49 points, the Wild are five points behind St. Louis for the last wild card in the West. They're also chasing Arizona, Calgary, Seattle and Nashville.

Up next: Wild vs. Penguins, Friday at 7:10 p.m. CT.