The Minnesota Wild’s first trip to the 5,000-seat Mullett Arena ended in a bitterly disappointing 3-2 defeat to the Arizona Coyotes.
Marc-André Fleury stopped 33 of 36 Coyote shots but Jakob Chychrun scored twice and Jack McBain found the game-winning goal late in a come-from-behind Arizona victory.
I’m known to be an unabashed supporter and defender of the Arizona hockey experiment, and I was very excited to watch the Wild play in my favorite NHL barn, and the one that maybe deserves that nomenclature more than any other.
Attacking the lively student section in the opening frame, the Wild put pressure on early, drawing a penalty from formerly rumored trade target Jakob Chychrun and heading to the game’s first power play.