The Minnesota Wild wrapped up their 2026 Hockey Day festivities with a hard-fought battle against the Florida Panthers on Saturday night - a game that doubled as the final celebration of the franchise’s 25th anniversary. Before the puck even dropped, fans were treated to a moment of nostalgia, as former Wild standouts Alex Goligoski, Eric Staal, and Marc-André Fleury took center ice for a ceremonial puck drop, giving the night a sense of history and pride.
But once the game got underway, it was anything but ceremonial. The Wild, boosted by the return of Matt Boldy after a four-game injury absence, found themselves in a back-and-forth affair that ultimately ended in overtime heartbreak.
Despite missing key pieces on the blue line - Zach Bogosian and Jonas Brodin (who's not expected back until after the Olympic break) - Minnesota showed flashes of resilience. Filip Gustavsson was back between the pipes, but the Panthers came out of the gate with the upper hand.
Here’s a closer look at three key takeaways from a game that had just about everything - momentum swings, special teams drama, and a reminder that discipline still matters.
Penalty Trouble Haunts the Wild
Let’s start with the obvious: 17 penalty minutes is too much - especially against a team like Florida that knows how to make you pay. While the Wild did a commendable job killing most of those penalties, the Panthers cashed in on two crucial power plays. One of them flipped the lead, and the other erased a shorthanded goal that had briefly given Minnesota a spark.
This wasn’t just a chippy game - it was a special teams showcase. Both sides spent long stretches juggling power play and penalty kill units, which made it tough to find any rhythm at even strength.
Matt Boldy summed it up well postgame: “It’s one of those games... a lot of power plays, penalty kill, back and forth. You try your best to kind of keep that rhythm and flow.”
The Wild did manage to strike shorthanded - a momentum-shifting moment that gave them their first lead of the night - but the celebration didn’t last. The Panthers answered before the power play expired, and that swing proved costly.
While the penalties weren’t the sole reason for the loss, they certainly tipped the scales. In a game this tight, even one less trip to the box might’ve made the difference.
Kaprizov Heating Up Again
If there were any concerns about Kirill Kaprizov’s scoring touch fading, consider them quieted. After going nearly two weeks without a goal, Kaprizov has now found the back of the net in consecutive games and has racked up multi-point efforts in five straight.
He was the engine again on Saturday, tying the game 1-1 with a slick finish and then setting up the second goal to knot things at 2-2. His vision and creativity were on full display, and he looked especially dangerous in overtime - though the Wild’s reluctance to pull the trigger on a few prime chances came back to bite them.
Kaprizov had the puck on his stick with space more than once in OT, but the hesitation to shoot opened the door for the Panthers to pounce on a turnover. One quick counterattack later, and Florida sealed the deal with a clean two-on-one finish past Gustavsson.
It was a frustrating end to a night where Kaprizov once again showed why he’s the heartbeat of this team. The Wild need him at his best if they’re going to stay in the playoff hunt - and right now, he’s trending in the right direction.
Gustavsson Battles Through a Special Teams Gauntlet
Filip Gustavsson didn’t have it easy in this one. From the opening puck drop, he was under siege - Florida came out firing, and the Wild’s parade to the penalty box meant he spent much of the game facing odd-man situations and traffic in front.
The first goal he allowed came off a weird rebound, but he settled in nicely after that. He made several key stops to keep Minnesota in it, especially during extended penalty kills.
But even the best goalies can only withstand so much. The Panthers’ first power-play goal was a crafty backhand through a sea of bodies; the second came after a defensive breakdown that left Gustavsson hung out to dry.
And the overtime winner? A textbook two-on-one that no goalie wants to face.
“It takes some small mistakes and then there’s a good chance - two-on-one, makes a good pass, makes a good shot - it’s hard to get over,” Gustavsson said afterward. He also pointed to the toll the penalties take on the team’s rhythm: “Some guys play both [special teams], some just power play, some just PK... it sucks for the others. You have to keep control of those penalties so we can play 5-on-5.”
He’s not wrong. The Wild are at their best when they can roll four lines and keep their legs fresh. That wasn’t possible in this one, and it showed down the stretch.
Looking Ahead
The Wild did manage to salvage a point, but in a tight playoff race, they’ll be kicking themselves for not grabbing both. The good news?
They’ve got a few days off to regroup before hosting the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday, Jan. 27.
There’s plenty to like about this team - the return of Boldy, Kaprizov’s resurgence, Gustavsson’s resilience - but if they’re going to make a serious push, staying out of the box has to be priority number one. Games like this one are reminders that in the NHL, discipline isn’t just a virtue - it’s often the difference between one point and two.