In Saint Paul, the Wild get the better of Washington
Tuesday night, the Xcel Energy Center had that special buzz of big NHL evenings. The kind of nights where something can happen. Final game of a long home stretch, legs tired, but one thing fixed in the players’ heads: finish the job clean. Opposite them, the Washington Capitals — history, pride, and that maddening knack for staying dangerous no matter the situation.
On the ice it wasn’t a routine game. It was a proper December scrap: ugly, punchy, with a playoff whiff that sometimes shows up too early. And for once one Russian outshone two others — Vladimir Tarasenko was outstanding, ahead of Kaprizov and Ovechkin.
Quinn Hughes — instant fit
Some NHL trades actually mean something. The arrival of the former Canucks captain proved that, and proved the Wild can level up fast. From his first shifts something changed. The puck moved quicker. Lines breathed. Hughes doesn’t have to do much to matter, yet he’s everywhere. A sharp cut, a perfectly timed pass, a burst at the right moment — suddenly the Wild’s game had a new gear.
He’s not the type to light up every shift. He’s the type who makes others better. Against Washington, Minnesota desperately needed that.
Washington never quits
Of course there was Alex Ovechkin. Always there. Always ready to unleash. Even when he barely touches the puck, his presence drags eyes and bends defenses. The Caps stuck to their script: patience, hard physical play, quick transitions, heavy shots the second a gap appears.
The Wild bent, at times. They never broke. Every Washington push met an answer: a stick in the lane, a frantic backcheck, or a save that doused the storm.
Plays that swung the game
From the first minute Tarasenko lit up the Wild’s second line and handed them an edge they kept all night. Washington couldn’t convert on the power play and got punished when Kaprizov scored on the man advantage, well served by Hughes and Eriksson. It was in the third period that the Wild took off, scoring 3 more goals, one short-handed — a sign of how solid they’ve been lately. Another big sign: the level of goalies Wallstedt and Gustavsson, the latter earning his third shutout of the season.
Wild grow through adversity
Minnesota held. Together. No panic. Real tactical discipline and a solidarity you could see. This win, this mature performance, is worth more than two points. It shows a team learning to grind out wins, to suffer without losing the plot, to show up when the game gets ugly.
Against a stubborn Capitals side, Minnesota sent a clear message. At home — and increasingly on the road — they’re a team you have to reckon with. And this season, clearly, hasn’t finished writing itself yet.
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