ST. PAUL, Minn. — In an exciting match on Sunday night, Josh Norris netted the decisive goal during a power play with just 7:18 remaining, leading the Ottawa Senators to a 3-1 victory over the Minnesota Wild. Goalkeeper Leevi Merilainen shined with 30 saves during his fifth appearance in the NHL, securing a vital win for the Senators.
Ottawa has been on a roll lately, winning seven of their last nine games. In contrast, the Wild have struggled, suffering losses in five of their last seven outings. This victory also marked the first time that the Senators triumphed in Minnesota since 2016.
With starting goalie Linus Ullmark and backup Anton Forsberg both sidelined due to injuries, the Senators have been depending on Merilainen and Mads Sogaard since the NHL holiday break.
The game’s opening goal came from Frederick Gaudreau for Minnesota late in the first period, but the Senators fought back, with Ridly Greig equalizing early in the second frame. Claude Giroux then sealed the deal with an empty-net goal.
Takeaways: The Senators have unexpectedly found themselves in playoff contention after missing the postseason for six consecutive years, demonstrating their strength against a strong Western Conference opponent. Josh Norris has been instrumental in this resurgence; his performance has elevated him to the second spot on the team’s scoring leaderboard with 14 goals.
On the other hand, the Wild faced challenges with Kirill Kaprizov out for a second consecutive game due to a lower-body injury. However, Joel Eriksson Ek’s return after an 11-game absence provided a glimmer of hope, as the team’s record with him in the lineup stands at 17-5-4, compared to 5-6-0 without him.
A pivotal moment in the match occurred when the Wild successfully killed a penalty midway through the third period, only for Jared Spurgeon to find himself in the penalty box just seconds later on a holding violation, which allowed Norris to capitalize on the power play.
Looking ahead, the Senators will continue their nine-game road trip on Thursday against Dallas, while the Wild are set to host Nashville on Tuesday night.
