Deadspin: Well-Rounded Wild Face Suddenly Energized Flyers After Big Wins

Wild Share The Scoring

Minnesota arrives in Philadelphia after beating the Capitals 5-1 on Sunday. Matt Boldy, Kirill Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson Ek were among the Wild’s contributors, while five players scored and 12 recorded a point.

The Wild are 10-3-3 overall and have gone 4-0-1 in their past five games. They have lost only once by more than one goal this season: a 5-2 defeat to Winnipeg on Oct. 13. Since that loss, Minnesota is 6-1-2.

Coach John Hynes said contributions from throughout the lineup are important over a season. Goaltender Jesper Wallstedt stopped 26 of 27 shots against Washington and has allowed one goal in three of his past four games.

Wallstedt Values A Simple Game

Wallstedt said Minnesota sticks with its approach rather than forcing passes or trying to create through east-west play. He described the team’s willingness to chip the puck in and work in the opposing zone as a source of success. The Wild goaltender said maintaining that style for all 60 minutes helped give Minnesota a chance to win against Washington.

Konecny Lifts Philadelphia

Philadelphia improved to a 6-3 win over the Utah Mammoth on Sunday, ending a three-game losing streak. The Flyers had lost 12 of their first 16 games before the victory, which set a season high for goals.

Travis Konecny returned after missing 10 games with a lower-body injury and recorded a goal and an assist. He played with Christian Dvorak and Trevor Zegras; Dvorak scored on a Konecny feed in the third period, and Zegras finished plus-3.

Konecny said he had chemistry with his linemates and noted their previous success together. Captain Sean Couturier said Konecny’s emotional involvement and energy helped bring the team into the fight.

Recent Matchups Favor Flyers

Philadelphia won both meetings with Minnesota last season, one in overtime and the other in a shootout. The Flyers are 5-1-0 against the Wild over the past three seasons. The teams meet Tuesday in Philadelphia, with Minnesota carrying its strong recent form and the Flyers looking to build on Sunday’s win.