1. The struggle is real for Minnesota's offense.
Just 24 hours from being unable to finish on a host of chances in a 2-0 loss down the road in Calgary, the Wild spent much of the second period Friday in the offensive zone.
Trailing by a pair, the Wild had at least half a dozen grade-A chances to get back into the game, only to see pucks roll off sticks, bounce over blades or see their shots turned away by the goaltender.
It didn't help that Minnesota was down three goals just 8:42 into the game, as Leon Draisaitl, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Connor McDavid each tallied early goals to put the Wild in a hole. Devan Dubnyk exited the contest following McDavid's snipe and was replaced by Alex Stalock.
The goalie change seemed to give Minnesota a spark; 1:56 after McDavid's goal made it 3-0, the Wild got one back on a shot by Marcus Foligno that got through Cam Talbot and trickled across the goal line.
The Wild outshot Edmonton 14-9 in the second and had two power plays, but despite a bevy of quality chances, just couldn't get any closer.
Minnesota's hopes for a comeback were essentially dashed less than two minutes into the third when Zack Kassian ripped a shot past Stalock for a 4-1 Oiler lead.
Nino Niederreiter got it back to within two goals with 12 minutes left, but Minnesota got no closer. Seconds after Talbot managed to keep the puck out of the cage on one end, McDavid connected with Draisaitl for a second time and a 5-2 lead.
2. Zach Parise skated in his 900th NHL game.
In reaching 900, Parise became the 10th Minnesota-born player to reach that plateau. Among active players, Parise ranks second among Minnesotans in games played behind only Matt Cullen, who ranks second overall among natives with 1,463 games.
Cullen has a good chance to pass Phil Housley later this season for most games played by a Minnesotan in the NHL (1,495), a number that has gone unchallenged in the 15 years since the South St. Paul native retired from the League.
3. The Wild was without captain Mikko Koivu, who missed the game with a lower-body injury.
Koivu was hit knee-to-knee on Thursday by Calgary Flames' defenseman Mark Giordano, a hit the NHL Department of Player Safety suspended him two games for.
With Koivu set to miss the game Friday, the team flew him back to the Twin Cities so he could meet with the team's doctors. Wild General Manager Paul Fenton met with the media before the game and said there wasn't any further information on specifics regarding Koivu's injury or how long he might be out, but Boudreau said the team should have clarity by the end of the weekend, at the latest.
With Koivu out, Hendricks slotted into the lineup, with Mikael Granlund moving from wing to center and Eric Fehr moving from the fourth line to the third.
