Wild Shine in Zuccarello’s Season Debut with 5-2 Win Over Islanders
The Minnesota Wild earned their most decisive victory of the season on Friday night, defeating the New York Islanders 5-2 at UBS Arena. The return of forward Mats Zuccarello, who had missed the first month due to injury, played a major role in revitalizing the team's performance.
“It’s always fun to be back,” Zuccarello told FanDuel Sports North after the game. “Especially when you win, and the whole team was playing a solid game.”
Zuccarello quickly regained chemistry with linemate Kirill Kaprizov, connecting on a classic give-and-go in the third period that ended with Kaprizov scoring after a slick no-look, between-the-legs pass from Zuccarello.
“I knew exactly where it was going,” said coach John Hynes during a postgame briefing in Elmont, N.Y.
Other bright spots for the Wild included Danila Yurov scoring in his return to the lineup, Marcus Johansson extending his career-best point streak, and Marcus Foligno recording his first point of the season by assisting Yurov’s goal. Goaltender Jesper Wallstedt made 25 saves, improving to 2-0-2.
For one of the first times this season, the Wild never trailed in the game, maintaining and building upon their lead — a key improvement after losing a tight contest the previous night in Carolina.
Author’s Summary
The return of Mats Zuccarello sparked a balanced and confident Wild performance, leading to their most complete win of the year, a 5-2 victory over the Islanders.