Matt Boldy scores goals, and Filip Gustavsson stops them.
That’s how the Wild have been winning lately, including on Thursday when they outlasted the Flames 3-2 in a shootout at Xcel Energy Center to pick up their sixth victory in the last eight games.
The 12 points they’ve added in that span are among the most in the NHL.
“That’s how you can win regularly,” coach John Hynes said. “We talk a lot about being consistent and reliable, and that’s in individual games. It’s in your team game, and we’ve been able to manufacture that and build some of that identity and mindset into the group.”
Boldy notched his seventh goal in his past eight games before capitalizing in the shootout, improving to 2-for-2 this season and 4-for-7 in his career; all four of those tallies have been game-deciding goals.
As for Gustavsson, he denied three Calgary attempts after blocking 35 shots in regulation and overtime to improve to 5-1 over his last six starts with a 1.33 goals-against average and .950 save percentage.
“It feels like the whole team has stepped up,” said Gustavsson, who snagged his fifth win in six career appearances vs. Calgary. “We had some of these tight games earlier in the year. We couldn’t figure out how to win them, and now we don’t have as much momentum swings and having the other team impact us mentally as much and we just keep doing our thing because we know our thing is going to work.”
That persistence was on display in the third period after the Wild fell behind 2-1 on a shorthanded goal, a throw to the middle by Blake Coleman that caromed into the Wild net off Brock Faber’s skate at 4 minutes, 13 seconds.
But just 45 seconds later and right after that Wild power play expired, Marco Rossi walked into a rebound.
“From there I have to shoot it,” said Rossi, whose 10 goals rank second among NHL rookies. “I didn’t really hit it good. I fanned on it, but I’ll take that.”
Cue Gustavsson and Boldy.
The netminder was airtight the rest of regulation and overtime, and then in the fourth round of the shootout Boldy lifted the puck top-shelf by Calgary goalie Dan Vladar (30 saves) after Mats Zuccarello also converted to open the shootout. Yegor Sharangovich was the only Flames player to score.
“It’s just good to win,” Boldy said. “You’ve got a group of guys that work hard every night. Lot of desperation to win to get that kind of streak going.”
As has been the case recently, Boldy is creating offense through defense.
His pressure along the boards led to a Flames turnover, with Boldy scooping up the loose puck and flinging it by Dan Vladar just 4:42 into the first period.
Since Nov. 28, when he snapped out of a 10-game goalless slump, Boldy’s seven goals are tied for the most in the NHL.
“It’s not like he’s getting the chances on a whim,” Hynes said. “He’s playing a real solid 200-foot game.”
In the second period, the Flames retaliated against the Wild, who were without captain Jared Spurgeon (lower-body injury) and Jonas Brodin (upper body).
On their first power play, they came close to jamming the puck by Gustavsson, who was sprawled across the crease and partly into the net. That play actually went to a review, and there wasn’t conclusive video to show the puck completely crossed the goal line.
“It hit my arm, and then I just tried to keep my arm tight there and cover it,” Gustavsson said. “But you can’t see. You never know. That’s what you have to do sometimes.”
But on its next power play, Calgary converted convincingly when the Flames set up Sharangovich for a redirect at the back post with 6:42 to go in the period.
Calgary finished 1-for-3 on the power play, while the Wild blanked on their three looks although Rossi’s goal came one second after the Flames were back at full strength after a tripping penalty.
“As soon as you doubt yourself, that’s when you’re going to lose,” Gustavsson said, “and we don’t doubt ourselves anymore. Everyone trusts each other.”