Red Wings-Wild Tweetcap: In a ‘wild’ game, Minnesota outsmarts Detroit

The Red Wings hosted the Minnesota Wild in the back half of a back-to-back slate of games, hoping to rebound from an embarrassing loss to the New York Rangers on Sunday. With 6 games remaining in the 2025-2026 campaign, Detroit needed to all but “win out” their remaining games and receive some help on the out-of-town scoreboard in order to make one final, desperate push for a playoff spot.

On Sunday afternoon at Little Caesars Arena…

What a mess. Detroit got a goal from Albert Johansson only 1:40 into the 1st, but the Wild got goals from Boldy and Kaprizov by 1:25 into the 2nd period to take a 2-1 lead, Tarasenko scored a 3-1 goal at 7:03, and Kaprizov scored his 2nd at 12:32 to make it 4-1…

But Detroit rallied on goals by Axel Sandin Pellikka at 7:18 of the 3rd, J.T. Compher at 11:14 of the 3rd, and Patrick Kane at 14:36…

But Kane took an undisciplined penalty, and Kaprizov scored on the ensuing power play to put the game out of reach as Minnesota won 5-4.

PREGAME: Cam Talbot and Filip Gustavsson led their respective teams out onto the ice…

The Athletic’s Joe Smith posted the Wild’s lineup…

And the Red Wings swapped out Dominik Shine for Carter Mazur at the last minute, so their lineup changed about 10 minutes prior to puck drop:

1ST PERIOD:

The teams dressed the following starters and lineups:

GOAL: Albert Johansson took a wise pass from Axel Sandin Pellikka across from the Wings’ bench, Johansson took advantage of a bad Minnesota Wild change and skated in with lots of room, ripped a shot off the goalpost on Gustavsson’s left side, and that gave Detroit a 1-0 lead.

Detroit 1, Minnesota 0: Johansson (3) from Sandin Pellikka (14) and Kane (37) at 1:40 1st.

Also:

2ND PERIOD:

GOAL: Only 18 seconds into the 2nd period, Matt Boldy out-competed Simon Edvinsson for a puck that was loose in Edvinsson’s feet, and he and Joel Eriksson Ek raced in 2 on 1 vs. Moritz Seider. Seider took the pass away, and Boldy ripped the shot through Talbot’s legs.

Detroit 1, Minnesota 1: Boldy (41) from Eriksson Ek (30) at 18 seconds 2nd period.

GOAL: Worse, the Red Wings’ 3rd line didn’t engage defensively as the Wild cycled around Detroit’s zone, so Zuccarello found Ryan Hartman at the left wing half boards, he ripped a shot toward the net, and the puck went off TWO Wild players’ shin pads and past Talbot at 1:25.

Detroit 1, Minnesota 2: Kaprizov (41) from Hartman (18) and Zuccarello (35) at 1:25 2nd period.

PENALTY: Danila Yurov sat for roughing up Marco Kasper at 2:17.

Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond got Grade-A chances, but couldn’t score on the PP.

PENALTY: Axel Sandin Pellikka was called for slashing Quinn Hughes at 4:57 of the 2nd period.

GOAL: Bizarrely, Vladimir Tarasenko was able to riffle a pass from Jacob Middleton over Cam Talbot’s shoulders and into the top of the net to give the Wild a 3-1 lead just after the Wings killed the penalty.

Detroit 1, Minnesota 3: Tarasenko (22) from Middleton (14) and Hartman (19) at 7:03 2nd period.

GOAL: As if the Wings’ 2nd period collapse wasn’t bad enough, the Wings made a terrible defensive change as the Wings battled to ge the puck into the offensive zone, Brock Faber threaded a pass to Kirill Kaprizov and he skated behind Axel Sandin Pellikka and fired the puck through a very shaky Cam Talbot at 12:32.

Detroit 1, Minnesota 4: Kaprizov (42) from Faber (36) at 12:32 2nd period.

3RD PERIOD:

GOAL: Off a period of sustained cycling in the offensive zone, Axel Sandin Pellikka took a drop pass from Dylan Larkin, walked the blueline and fired a shot through an Emmitt Finnie screen to make it 4-2.

Detroit 2, Minnesota 4: Axel Sandin Pellikka (7) from Dylan Larkin (29) and Lucas Raymond (48) at 7:18 3rd period.

GOAL: Off a fine rush by Marco Kasper, Kasper rimmed the puck around to Simon Edvinsson, he shot the puck in on Gustavsson, and J.T. Compher tipped the puck home at 11:14.

Detroit 3, Minnesota 4: Compher (11) from Edvinsson (15) and Kasper (10) at 11:14 3rd period.

TIMEOUT: Wild call timeout at 11:14.

GOAL: Off a fine outlet pass from Moritz Seider to Andrew Copp, Copp chugged up the right wing half boards, fed the puck to Alex DeBrincat in the slot, DeBrincat flipped it to Patrick Kane behind the defense and Kane scored to tie the game.

Detroit 4, Minnesota 4: Kane (15) from DeBrincat (42) and Copp (33) at 14:36 of the 3rd.

PENALTY: Patrick Kane was called for tripping Quinn Hughes at 16:23.

GOAL: As the Wild cycled in the Wings’ zone, Kirill Kaprizov was able to evade Detroit’s tremendous checking, and Kaprizov ripped a one-timer through Talbot to make it 5-4.

Detroit 4, Minnesota 5: Kaprizov (43) from Boldy (40) and Zuccarello (36) at 18:06, PPG.

GOALIE PULL: Detroit pulled Cam Talbot with 1:35 left in the 3rd.

TIMEOUT: Detroit called timeout with 1:00 left in the 3rd.

END OF GAME: Detroit lost 5-4.

STATISTICS: Here are the Game Summary and Event Summary:

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George Malik

My name is George Malik, and I'm the Malik Report's editor/blogger/poster. I have been blogging about the Red Wings since 2006, and have worked with MLive and Kukla's Korner. Thank you for reading!