The Wild are still winless on the 2019-20 season after a 5-2 loss to the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday.
Despite scoring first and churning out 40 shots on net, the Wild couldn’t capitalize on their chances and the Jets’ star power was too much to overcome.
Minnesota scored the game’s first goal with Ryan Hartman finding twine for his first of the season and they skated into the first intermission with a 1-0 lead.
The @mnwild strike first in Winnipeg!
Ryan Hartman scores his first goal as a member of the #mnwild pic.twitter.com/3uC6RbivYT
— FanDuel Sports Network North (@FanDuelSN_NOR) October 11, 2019
The Jets took over in the second period. First, they scored the game-tying goal 1:37 into the period when Minnesota native Blake Wheeler netted a goal.
Near the halfway mark, Patrik Laine put the Jets up when he was left with too much room on an odd-man rush and Winnipeg took a 2-1 lead.
The Wild had plenty of opportunities through 40 minutes, including short-handed chances for Luke Kunin and Jordan Greenway, but neither could convert. After two periods, the Wild had 34 shots on net but just one goal to show for it.
Luckily, Minnesota came out with some fire in the final period and Brad Hunt scored three minutes in to tie things up 2-2.
The Wild continued to pepper the net, but after coincidental minors, the Jets capitalized with two goals 27 seconds apart by Kyle Connor and Jack Roslovic, and the Wild’s fiery start to the third period was all for nothing.
Laine added an empty-net goal in the closing minutes to put the nail in the coffin.
With the loss, the Wild fall to 0-3 on the season and will have their home opener this Saturday, Oct. 12 against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
