Drama on the ice in intense hockey games is nothing new, but it’s always noteworthy for fans in the State of Hockey when it involves the Minnesota Wild – and it was certainly dramatic with 12 seconds left in Minnesota’s 3-2 win over the Ottawa Senators Tuesday night in St. Paul.
As soon as Jonas Brodin cleared the puck the length of the ice to help seal the win, Senators captain Brady Tkachuk delivered a hard cross-check to him that unleashed a furious response from Brodin and fellow defenseman Brock Faber.
In the replay you can see that just before Brodin clears the puck he and Tkachuk are slashing each other with their sticks. Then as soon as the puck is cleared, Tkachuk delivers a big cross-check. Faber then enters the fray to defend Brodin only to take a left-handed punch to the face from Tkachuk.
The chaos at the end of Wild – Sens, it's gonna shock you but Tkachuk was involved pic.twitter.com/Lv9RjTBbil
— CJ Fogler 🫡 (@cjzero) April 3, 2024
This hammer fist to the back of Brodin’s head is something pic.twitter.com/BJC6S6veVR
— Grant Henke (@HenkeGrant) April 3, 2024
When all was said and done, Tkachuk received two roughing penalties for his actions against Brodin and Wild forward Frederick Gaudreau. Gaudreau also received a roughing minor while Faber and Brodin weren’t hit with any penalties.
Aside from the drama the Wild earned two big points as they try to stay alive in the Western Conference wild card race. Minnesota has 81 points, six back of the Kings for the last wild card with eight games to play. They’re also chasing the Blues (84 points) in what has become a three-team fight for the last playoff ticket.
Minnesota has another huge game Thursday at home against Colorado.
