Foligno scores twice as Wild cruise past Jets in lopsided affair
Hellebuyck allows season-high 6 goals; Connor nets Winnipeg's lone marker
Marcus Foligno scored twice and Filip Gustavsson made 28 saves as the Minnesota Wild took down the Winnipeg Jets 6-1 on Wednesday night in St. Paul.
Matt Boldy added a goal and two assists for the Wild, and Kirill Kaprizov extended his point streak to seven games with a power-play goal 28 seconds into the third period.
It was Minnesota's largest margin of victory this season and perhaps the team's most complete game.
Foligno entered with only one goal all season, which came in Minnesota's second game. The veteran winger scored on a rebound early in the third to give the Wild a 3-1 lead and added another midway through the period on a give-and-go play with linemate Joel Eriksson Ek.
Gustavsson made his third straight start in net with Marc-Andre Fleury still out with an upper-body injury. His biggest save came midway through the second period when he stuffed Cole Perfetti on a breakaway.
The six goals allowed by Connor Hellebuyck were the most he's given up all season. He came in permitting 2.07 goals per game, second-best in the NHL. Minnesota's final goal drew chants of "Sieve! Sieve!" from Wild fans.
WATCH | Foligno leads Wild to dominant win over Jets:
Mason Shaw put the Wild up 1-0 in the first period just as Minnesota's first power play expired. Shaw fired a shot from above the left circle that found its way through traffic and past Hellebuyck.
Wild defenceman Cam Addison scored his first goal this season and the third of his career early in the second for a 2-0 lead.
Kaprizov's power-play goal was Minnesota's first in six games. Boldy's goal in the third also came on the power play.
"I think getting that first one, Kirill's definitely helped us out for sure," Boldy said. "A couple laughs in the huddle after the goal, saying we finally got one. So it's obviously good to get one there."
Kyle Connor had Winnipeg's goal, a wrister that made it 3-1 in the second period.
Second effort from KC for his sixth of the season! 🎯 <a href="https://t.co/aQvwfBn4JU">pic.twitter.com/aQvwfBn4JU</a>
—@NHLJetsThe Jets were whistled for eight penalties, two of which led to power-play goals for Minnesota.
"I think one of the concerns is the lack of discipline," Jets coach Rick Bowness said. "That really bothered me tonight. Penalties at the wrong time. Turnovers at the wrong time. Yapping at the refs. Those things lead into other issues. But clearly not our best effort."
Wild defenceman Jonas Brodin was scratched with a non-COVID-19 illness.
Wild acquire Reaves
Before the game, Minnesota acquired veteran forward Ryan Reaves from the New York Rangers for a fifth-round draft pick in 2025.
Ice time was hard to come by for the 35-year-old Reaves in New York this season. He was a healthy scratch for eight of the Rangers' last 12 games.
Wild general manager Bill Guerin envisions Reaves will get ample playing time, and likes the toughness he brings to the roster.
Foligno recalled getting into a fight with Reaves during Minnesota's first game of the season. Now that the two are teammates, that will have to be water under the bridge.
"Now looking at our lineup, we're a beefy lineup. We're tough, and we've got to play that way," Foligno said. "Him being here is a great addition."
The Jets next play at Dallas on Friday.
