SEATTLE \u2014 There were plenty of smiles inside the visitors\u2019 locker room at Climate Pledge Arena on Thursday night, and it wasn\u2019t just because Mats Zuccarello\u2019s overtime winner capped a 4-1-2 road trip that pulled the Minnesota Wild into a tie with Dallas for the second-most points in the NHL.<\/p>\n
It was also because the Wild were just 12 \u00bd hours from boarding their charter flight to return home for the first time since Dec. 27.<\/p>\n
Saturday night, when the Wild host the New York Islanders to begin a three-game homestand that includes a Monday night Hughes Bros. showdown, the team will play in St. Paul for the first time in 18 days.<\/p>\n
Remember, this isn\u2019t just a team that\u2019s 11-3-2 in its past 16 on the road. The Wild are also 13-1-2 in their past 16 at home.<\/p>\n
Jesper Wallstedt, the NHL\u2019s save percentage leader at .928, said he was looking forward to sleeping in his own bed, playing some computer games and tending goal \u201cin front of our fans again. I look forward to that a lot.\u201d<\/p>\n
Even though players are treated well on the road, with scrumptious food, first-class travel, and residencies in some of the country\u2019s poshest hotels, it still gets old being away from home and loved ones for two weeks.<\/p>\n
Zuccarello\u2019s wife, Marlene, is pregnant with their third child, due in less than a month, so it was particularly hard for him to be away from home this long.<\/p>\n
He joked, \u201cIt\u2019s in the contract, you know? No, obviously when you have kids, it\u2019s different, but I think it\u2019s part of the job. We just gotta make the best out of it. This day and age, we\u2019ve got FaceTime and everything like that, so you get to see them at least.\u201d<\/p>\n
Marcus Foligno, whose wife, Natasha, was taking care of their three daughters, couldn\u2019t wait to get home to his girls.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s always tough. You\u2019re always away from home, (but) they\u2019re getting sick and tired of me on FaceTime,\u201d Foligno said. \u201cNo one\u2019s really been talking to me on FaceTime besides the wife.\u201d<\/p>\n
To lose once in regulation on the road during what could have been a season-turning seven-game trip was impressive. If those two shootout losses had gone the other way, it truly would have been an exceptional trip.<\/p>\n
Still, what coach John Hynes loved was how the Wild responded to back-to-back losses in L.A. Despite travel issues for the umpteenth time this season getting them into Seattle in the early evening Tuesday, Wild players held a fast-paced, hard-working practice Wednesday in preparation for Thursday\u2019s game, then outplayed the Kraken dramatically in the first 40 minutes. No, they didn\u2019t put them away by extending their 2-0 lead to three or four goals, but after a bad penalty by Yakov Trenin in the third period led to the tying goal, the Wild also didn\u2019t pack it in.<\/p>\n
In fact, they picked up the pieces and played at a frenetic pace for the final 10 minutes. Brock Faber and Quinn Hughes played huge minutes and players such as Matt Boldy and Ryan Hartman were playing fast, physical, offensive-minded hockey and picking up the heavy load usually carried by Joel Eriksson Ek, who was hurt midway through the second period and limped out of the arena with a brace on his right leg.<\/p>\n
In other words, this wasn\u2019t a team on its heels after surrendering the lead to a red-hot Seattle squad.<\/p>\n
In overtime, the Wild had the majority of the chances, and finally Faber made a sensational defensive play to create a quick counterattack between Kaprizov and Zuccarello. And just like early Thursday afternoon, when Kaprizov and Zuccarello left the ice from the team\u2019s \u201cmorning\u201d skate well after their teammates, the dynamic duo showed why they spend so much extra time on the ice together. Kaprizov sauced a perfectly placed leading pass for Zuccarello to get his long stick on, and Zuccarello buried it.<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah, he owes me that much, I think,\u201d Zuccarello said. \u201cSo, I was hoping (for the puck). No, I was just trying to help by, if he shoots it and scores or whatever he does, I\u2019m fine with whatever. Fabes made a great play, breaking that up, and we got a chance to get a two-on-one. I should have probably scored before in the game, but we\u2019re staying over anyways so might as well give (the fans) OT.\u201d<\/p>\n
Zuuuuuuuuuuc \ud83d\udde3\ufe0f https:\/\/t.co\/oz2tyThnto<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/C1CZ9PmSsq<\/a><\/p>\n