The Minnesota Wild defeated the Seattle Kraken 4-1 on Monday night at Climate Pledge Arena, showing resilience after a big hit knocked Mats Zuccarello out of the game early. Joel Eriksson Ek led the way with a goal and two assists, while the team responded with physicality but stayed composed to secure the victory. The win helps the Wild finish their road trip with a 2-2 record.
The game shifted dramatically in the first period when Seattle Kraken defenseman Vince Dunn delivered a shoulder-to-shoulder hit on Minnesota Wild winger Mats Zuccarello with five minutes remaining, making head contact. Zuccarello skated off under his own power but did not return. Wild coach John Hynes reported afterward that Zuccarello is 'doing okay' but uncertain on his timeline.
Wild forward Danila Yurov immediately dropped the gloves in defense of Zuccarello, earning a double minor for roughing, while Dunn received a two-minute roughing penalty. Kirill Kaprizov also rushed to his teammate's aid. 'It’s a hard hit,' Kaprizov said. 'I just hope he’s feeling good and can play as fast as he can. I don’t know, it’s tough.'
Despite playing with only 10 forwards for the remainder of the game, the Wild channeled their frustration into a strong performance, outscoring the Kraken 4-1. Joel Eriksson Ek was the standout, scoring the first goal on a centering feed from Matt Boldy and assisting on Marcus Johansson's game-winning redirection in the third period. Kaprizov and Vladimir Tarasenko added empty-net goals to seal the win. Filip Gustavsson made 23 saves, including key stops in the third period.
'We dug in there,' Johansson said. 'I think we showed a lot of character and grit today, and it was a fun game and a big two points.' Hynes praised the team's response: 'I liked our response in the fact we played hard and played smart.'
Other Wild players dealt with minor issues: Jake Middleton appeared hobbled late, Nico Sturm and Boldy took puck hits but were expected to be fine. The team is already without Marco Rossi, Marcus Foligno, and Vinnie Hinostroza. For the Kraken, former Wild forward Freddy Gaudreau faced his old team for the first time since his June trade but had limited impact.
The victory matched the Wild's goal total from their previous three games combined and came after losses to Calgary and Vancouver. Yakov Trenin contributed with nine hits and four shots.