ID 12245461 | Florida Hockey © Michael Ludwig | Dreamstime.com

A Stellar Start for Gustavsson and Middleton in Minnesota’s Victory

On a thrilling Tuesday night, Filip Gustavsson maintained his scorching pace into the season with a remarkable performance of 24 saves. Alongside him, Jake Middleton matched his career-high with three assists, propelling the Minnesota Wild to a commanding 5-1 victory over the Florida Panthers.

Mats Zuccarello, the Wild’s leading goal scorer this season, achieved his fourth goal, bolstering the team’s dynamism. In addition to Zuccarello, goals from Marcus Johansson, Marco Rossi, Matt Boldy, and Joel Eriksson Ek also contributed to the Wild’s win.

Rapid-fire Goals set Minnesota Ahead

Rossi and Johansson delivered a one-two punch, scoring 22 seconds apart in the opening period, thrusting the Wild into a 2-0 lead. The team further stretched the gap to 5-1 by the close of the second period.

Florida’s lone beacon of hope was Sam Bennett, who netted his fifth goal of the season. Matthew Tkachuk, returning from a five-game hiatus due to sickness, assisted Bennett’s goal. Prior to the game, the Panthers confirmed a contract extension for their coach, Paul Maurice.

Key Takeaways from the Ice

In the Wild’s corner, Gustavsson (4-0-1) has allowed a mere seven goals on 145 shots this season. This equates to only six more goals than he’s managed to score himself.

The Panthers’ goaltender, Sergei Bobrovsky, had a rough night, surrendering five goals on 16 shots before being substituted for Spencer Knight after the second period. Bobrovsky’s chase for his 400th victory, which would place him as the 14th goalie to achieve this feat, remained unfulfilled.

Decisive Moments and Stats

Eriksson Ek’s goal with less than four minutes remaining in the second period was pivotal, pushing Minnesota’s lead to 5-1. This marked their most significant advantage in Sunrise since a 6-2 lead back on October 16, 2008.

The Wild (4-0-2, 10 points) continued their streak of gaining at least a point in each of their first six games. The last time they accomplished this was during the 2008-09 season (5-0-1, 11 points).

Looking Ahead

The Minnesota Wild gear up for the fifth game of their seven-game road trip, facing off against Tampa Bay on Thursday. Meanwhile, the Florida Panthers will confront the New York Rangers, initiating a three-game journey in the Empire State. This will be followed by games against Dallas in Finland on November 1 and 2. The Panthers are slated to return to Sunrise on November 7.