Though the Minnesota Wild have points in each of the first three games of their season-long, seven-game road trip, the team is not satisfied as it visits Anaheim for the second of three meetings with the Ducks this season.
The Wild erased a 3-1 deficit to force overtime and earn a point in a 4-3 loss to the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday night.
Vladimir Tarasenko, Marcus Foligno and Mats Zuccarello scored for the Wild, who are 2-0-1 on the road trip and 2-0-2 in their past four games.
Jesper Wallstedt made 25 saves to improve to 11-2-3 in 2025-26 with a .928 save percentage and a 2.21 goals-against average in 25 starts.
“I give our guys a lot of credit, I thought it was a hard-fought game,” Wild coach John Hynes said. “Down two in the third and coming back and tying the game, I think, was good from that standpoint, but obviously you want to come away here with two points instead of one.”
Minnesota, forced on the road for 13 days with the World Junior Championship occupying its home arena, entered Thursday’s action as the third seed in the Central Division and is 7-1-2 in its last 10.
“We’re in a good spot, but we’re not happy, or we’re not satisfied,” said Wallstedt. “There’s still work to be done, and we could always improve. We could always get better. I like the spot we’re in.”
In 41 games, Matt Boldy leads the Wild with 25 goals, while Kirill Kaprizov has a team-high 24 assists and 47 points.
Filip Gustavsson is 13-8-4 with a .912 save percentage and a 2.47 GAA in 25 starts this season.
Boldy scored and added an assist and Marcus Johansson had the other goal for the Wild, who blanked the Ducks in their first meeting Nov. 15. Wallstedt made 28 saves in the 2-0 victory.
Anaheim enters Friday’s contest looking to end a season-high four-game losing streak (0-3-1).
Jansen Harkins, Beckett Sennecke and Mason McTavish scored for the Ducks, who salvaged a point in a 4-3 overtime loss to the visiting Tampa Bay Lightning on Wednesday.
Lukas Dostal made 25 saves and is 13-9-2 with an .888 save percentage and a 3.15 GAA this season in 25 starts.
The Ducks played from behind all game, erasing 1-0, 2-1 and 3-2 deficits to force overtime.
“It was really tight-checking,” said McTavish, who tied the game at 3 on a power-play goal with seven minutes left in regulation. “Kind of felt like a playoff game. Not many chances, so every mistake really mattered. It’s fun to play in those games and obviously would have been better if we came out on top.”
The Ducks, third in the Pacific Division entering Thursday, have just two wins in their last 10 (2-6-2) and are 12-7-1 on home ice this season.
Leo Carlsson paces Anaheim with 42 points (17 goals, 25 assists) in 39 games, while Cutter Gauthier has a team-leading 19 goals in 40 contests.
The Ducks and Wild conclude the three-game season series April 14 in Saint Paul, Minn.
–Field Level Media
