Wild loses to Utah and stays near top of league, with Winnipeg next

Two weeks ago, the Minnesota Wild were atop the NHL standings at 18-4-4. Oh, how times have changed.

With injuries taking their toll, the Wild have lost five of their last seven games, including a 2-1 contest against Utah on Friday night in St. Paul, and are now 20-9-4, three points behind the in the Central Division leading Winnipeg Jets.

As disappointing as the last two weeks have been for the Wild, it shows how dominant they were for more than six weeks early in the season. With 44 points, Minnesota is just three points behind the division lead and the top of the NHL, and only four teams have more points than Minnesota entering Saturday’s game.

Friday night’s setback came midway through the third period when a Jared Spurgeon penalty put Utah on a power play and they wasted no time taking a 2-1 lead.

Just four seconds into the power play, Utah won a faceoff, floated a pass down the ice and Dylan Guenther somehow slipped a shot between the legs of Marc-Andre Fleury for his second goal of the night.

The Wild came close to tying the game a few times, but Karel Vejmelka was a wall for Utah. The 28-year-old goaltender stopped 28 of 29 shots, including 11 when the Wild were on the power play.

Conclusion: Special teams killed Minnesota.

Not only did the penalty kill, which has been brutally bad of late, kick off, but Minnesota’s power play was 0 for 5 on the night.

That’s what it’s like when the Wild play without so many key players (Joel Eriksson Ek, Jakub Lauko, Jake Middleton, etc.).

No West for the weary Wild as they are back on the ice to play Winnipeg on the road Saturday at 7 p.m. CT.