Minnesota's April Magic Continues: Wild Stun Kraken 5-2 in St. Paul

The Seattle Kraken came into St. Paul hoping to pull off a win, but the Minnesota Wild had other plans. After trailing 1-0 and then 2-1 early in the first period, Minnesota stormed back to beat the Kraken 5-2 on Tuesday night in what's becoming a dominant stretch for the home team. The Wild improved to 4-0-0 in April with the victory, and they're keeping pace with Dallas in the race for home ice in the playoffs.

Kraken Get Early Lead, Then Fall Apart

Seattle struck first on a deflection goal from defenseman Brandon Montour that bounced off Wild forward Danila Yurov and past goalie Jesper Wallstedt. The Kraken looked solid early, but once Minnesota found their rhythm in the second and third periods, it was all Wild. Goalie Joey Daccord finished with 24 saves for the Kraken, but he couldn't keep up with the onslaught. As defenseman Brandon Montour said after the loss, the real problem was Seattle's execution: "Same stuff, turnover at the blue line, odd man rush goal, a guy backdoor by himself, goal."

Wild Run Away in Dominant Fashion

Minnesota's goals came from Matt Boldy (his 42nd of the season on a 2-on-1 rush), Marcus Foligno, Vladimir Tarasenko, Marcus Johansson (his 200th career goal), and Joel Eriksson Ek. Wallstedt was solid between the pipes with 25 saves, improving to 17-8-6 as a rookie goalie. Wild coach John Hynes saw the difference clearly: "I thought our intensity got better, first and foremost, and I thought our puck decisions got better. In the first we weren't setting our game up the way we should, to be more attacking. I thought the second and the third we were really good."

The Wild also got a crucial assist from the video review booth. Early in the second period, Kraken forward Freddy Gaudreau had his stick on Wallstedt's glove hand, preventing the goalie from stopping a Jaden Schwartz shot. After a review, the goal was wiped off the board. Wallstedt was clear about what happened: "I don't know if he was trying to tip it or if it was intentional, but I felt right away that I was not able to lift my hand. And, looking at the replay after, it was obvious he interfered."

Dallas Stays Ahead, Wild Head to Road Trip

This was Seattle's lone visit to St. Paul this season, and they're heading home with nothing to show for it. Meanwhile, Minnesota kept pace with Dallas when the Stars held off Calgary 4-3 in overtime. The Wild now head out on their final regular season road trip, hitting Dallas, Nashville, and St. Louis over the next six days.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.