Postgame Hat Trick: Panthers 6, Wild 2

Wild.com's Dan Myers gives three takeaways from the Wild's 6-2 loss against the Florida Panthers at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul on Friday night:

1. A confluence of unfortunate events
The Wild lost at home in regulation for the first time in a long time ... more than three months, to be exact. Minnesota's last regulation loss at Xcel Energy Center came Nov. 16 against the San Jose Sharks, and the Wild's record on home ice since had been 12-0-1.
It also marked the unusual loss to an Eastern Conference foe. Minnesota had lost just once all season in regulation to a team from the East ... and it came against Florida, also back in November in Sunrise. The Wild entered the contest 14-1-2 versus Eastern clubs this season, the best points percentage in the NHL.
The defeat was also the Wild's second consecutive overall, the first time since New Year's Day Minnesota was unable to find the win column following a defeat.

"We lost our checks but not getting the puck the heck out of our zone," said Wild coach Dean Evason. "We talk about it a lot. You see these teams that play so quick and well and I'll just say Carolina and two games that are fresh and these guys, they're going. They're gone. The pucks are gone. They're flipping pucks out. They're throwing it up, they're moving it and we're not. And when we play slow, when we turn pucks back, then it hurts us and we have to play a faster paced game."
Perhaps most concerning is the Wild's penchant for allowing goals lately, which is very uncharacteristic of a club that has been so stingy in that department for so long.
"I don't think we're getting out of our end real clean these last few games," said Wild defenseman Jon Merrill. "We've got to come back together as a five-man unit, communicate and make little plays coming out of our end. Like I said, we're trying to be a little too cute, make that extra play and be perfect when sometimes in the d-zone, off the glass and out is the best play, just keep advancing pucks and force teams to defend."
Save for its lone losing streak this season, the Wild has been really good at answering the bell and avoiding long down stretches. That's been the case for pretty much all of Dean Evason's tenure as head coach, a theory that will now be tested on the road, as Minnesota begins a four-game sojourn north of the border Sunday in Edmonton.

"It's definitely a big road trip for us after these two losses," Merrill said. "These are make-up games and games we have in hand against the other teams in the conference, and it starts with the first shift in the first game in Edmonton. We've gotta take it shift by shift and get our game back on track here."
2. Another quality start
Just like in Winnipeg a couple of nights ago, the Wild scored the first goal of the game. And just like in Winnipeg, unfortunately, it was unable to build on that positive momentum.

Minnesota's red-hot power play remained red hot when Kirill Kaprizov finished off yet another pretty slap pass from Jared Spurgeon for a 1-0 lead 7:07 into the game.
It was just what the doctor ordered against a Panthers club that is among the best in the NHL.

The lead was short-lived, however, as Mason Marchment scored a pair of goals over the ensuing 5 1/2 minutes to even the game, then give Florida a lead it wouldn't relinquish.

"We were unintelligent ... And we haven't done that for a long time, and we had a good chat after the game that we never talk about obviously being better than a team or whatever but we weren't worse than that team tonight. We just made worse mistakes," Evason said. " Our start was great. Our energy level was great. The way we competed, how we were playing the game. We turned the puck over and another mistake on the second one and third. Then it snowballed on us.
"They're too good a team to come back on like that even though we fought at the end. But it's uncharacteristic. Winnipeg was a little alarming and now it's alarming again. It's a good chance for us to hopefully get the attention quickly and turn it around."
In another rarity, the Wild lost a game when scoring first, dropping to 18-4-1 on the year when scoring the initial tally of the night.
Half of those losses have come in the past 72 hours, a trend the Wild will try and break on its upcoming roadie.

"We can't expect to come out here every night and score five goals. We gotta lock it down on D to help ourselves out," said Wild forward Jordan Greenway. "We didn't do well in our own zone, I don't think. We gave them too many chances. We gave him too many opportunities. We didn't help ourselves and against a good team it's gonna hurt you."
3. Save of the night
On a night where not much went right for the Wild, one cool moment came late in the first period with Florida ahead 2-1. Carter Verhaege cruised into the offensive zone, got around a defender, deked Cam Talbot and appeared to have an open net to finish into.

But Spurgeon saved a sure goal by putting the blade of his stick in the way and simply outmuscling the puck off Verhaege's stick blade and clearing it to safety.
Every few games it seems Spurgeon is sweeping a puck off the goal line or using his skate to knock a wayward puck out of harm's way, but this one was really good and kept the Wild within striking distance into the second period.

Even down a pair to start he third, Minnesota was very much in the hockey game. But Aaron Ekblad's quick shot moments into the final frame pushed the lead to three goals and made the Wild's climb too steep to overcome.
Still, the play by Spurgeon early in the game provided a glimmer of hope, and if nothing else, was really cool.

Loose pucks

• Kaprizov skated in his 100th NHL game
• Kaprizov had a goal and an assist and now has multiple points in three-straight games
• Mats Zuccarello also had a goal and an assist for a third consecutive multiple point game. He's had 10 multi-point games in his past 13 contests overall
• Spurgeon has an assist in three-straight games
• Nick Bjugstad was activated off injured reserve but did not play
• The Wild placed Matt Dumba on IR and placed Victor Rask on waivers prior to the game
• Both of Minnesota's goals were power-play markers, the third time in the past 10 games the Wild has scored multiple power-play goals
• Talbot was credited with 29 saves
• Bobrovsky stopped 24 of 26 shots to improve to 25-4-3 on the season

Dan's three stars

1. Mason Marchment
   2. Aaron Ekblad
   3. Sergei Bobrovsky

Highlights