Maybe it was the switch of Daylight Saving Time but the Wild finally got off to a hot start rather than falling into a difficult hole to climb out of and they beat the New York Islanders 4-2 Tuesday night.
Pat Maroon set the tone early for Minnesota, scoring 19 seconds into the game to give the visitors a 1-0 lead. The Wild would continue to press New York throughout the early stages of the first period, not allowing the home side a shot until eight minutes into the game. Noah Dobson eventually leveled the score with a goal at the 11-minute mark of the first period.
The two sides traded a pair of goals in the second period, with the Islanders scoring a power play goal at the 8:34 mark before Vinny Lettieri scored his first ever Wild goal. To make the moment even more special his grandfather, Minnesota hockey icon Lou Nanne, was on the call for Bally Sports North.
Wild coach Dean Evason changed up the top line in the third period with Mats Zuccarello taking over for Matt Boldy. It immediately paid off with Zuccarello assisting a Kirill Kaprizov power play goal to give the Wild a 3-2 lead at the 6:50 mark. Forty-two seconds later Maroon stripped an Islanders defender of the puck on the New York side of the ice to set up Joel Eriksson Ek’s seventh goal of the season.
Holding off a late power play, and the Islanders emptying their net, Minnesota secured their second consecutive come-from-behind win over a New York team to improve to 5-5-2 on the season.
WHAT A MOMENT ‼
Vinni Lettieri scores his first goal in a #mnwild sweater with his grandfather @NanneLou calling the game in the booth! pic.twitter.com/yNC0zTUbYh
— FanDuel Sports Network North (@FanDuelSN_NOR) November 8, 2023
Next up: Wild at New York Rangers, Thursday at 6 p.m. CT.
