Mysterious NHL Rule Sparks Controversial Win for Wild Against Predators
They kicked off the game firing on all cylinders, snagging the first goal and looking poised to control the ice. But just as quickly, the tides shifted dramatically — the second period saw them sidelined and outmatched, peppered with shots 14 to 4 as the Predators pounced on a costly turnover, turning it into a swift 2-on-0 breakaway that left Filip Gustavsson scrambling. It’s frustrating, honestly, watching a team trip over its own ambitions — trying to finesse plays that, frankly, should’ve been simpler clearances up the rink. Buium’s own admission hits home: they lost their edge, got disconnected, and that moment of hesitation turned the game on its head. This kind of self-sabotage feels all too familiar, especially given their 5-6-3 slump–a stark reminder that straying from the tried-and-true don’t just cost momentum—they invite disaster. Moments like when Faber, Brodin, and Hartman were stuck in extended shifts tell the story of a squad caught in a grind not of their own making but one they surely must fix. As Hynes put it—“we were our own worst enemy”—but credit where it’s due, they fought back, refused to fold under pressure, and weathered one heck of a storm without tipping into penalty trouble or giving in to despair. Still, it was a sequence they’d rather forget… but won’t.
After scoring first in the first period, they faltered in the second, getting outshot 14-4 while the Predators started their rally, converting on a Wild turnover during a 2-on-0 chance against goaltender Filip Gustavsson.
“It was our own doing,” Buium said of the second-period collapse. “We weren’t playing to the competitive level we want to play at, disconnected, maybe trying to be a little cute, myself included. There’s plays where we could have just moved it up north, but we were trying to hold on to it for a second and find a better play. So, just in that sense kind of got away from it.”
Straying from their style been the Wild’s biggest problem during their 5-6-3 start.
They play it in pockets, the quick clears, effective passes and tenacious forechecking, but not frequently enough to make themselves a formidable opponent for an entire game. And when these lapses happen, the opposition has pounced.
During Nashville’s second-period takeover, the likes of Brock Faber and Jonas Brodin were stuck on the ice for 2-minute shifts and Ryan Hartman had a 3-minute stint.
“We were our own worst enemy,” Hynes said. “Yet, the guys dug in. We bent. We got some saves. We didn’t break, and we didn’t take penalties. We didn’t give in. It just was a bad sequence of hockey.”
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