Wild Blow Three Leads in Shootout Loss to Kraken

An overtime point can be a moral victory for a team that rallies late. That wasn’t the case for the Wild on Saturday. With their 5-4 shootout loss to the Seattle Kraken, Minnesota dropped to 0-3 in games that have gone to overtime or a shootout this season.

The team’s inability to capitalize on scoring opportunities has become a concerning trend.

For the Wild, who led 1-0, 2-1, and 3-2 at various points in the game, Saturday’s loss felt like a step backward. Not only did the team struggle with defensive breakdowns, but their power play unit went 0 for 4, including a 5-on-3 advantage in the second period.

“It’s extremely frustrating,” said Wild forward Jordan Greenway. “We had a lot of chances to put the game away, and we just couldn’t find a way to do it.”

Seattle, on the other hand, received goals from Jared McCann, Will Borgen, and Morgan Geekie to force overtime.

Despite the loss, Wild goalie Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 31 shots and made several big saves throughout the game.

“He was our best player tonight,” said Wild coach Dean Evason. “He gave us a chance to win.”

Mats Zuccarello and Frederick Gaudreau scored in the shootout, but the Wild were unable to respond.

With the overtime point, the Wild moved into a tie for second place in the Central Division, but the loss still felt like a missed opportunity.

“It’s a point, but it feels like a loss,” said Evason. “We had our chances, and we just didn’t capitalize on them.”

The Wild will look to regroup as they prepare to face the Nashville Predators on Tuesday.