Walker and Blake Lead Hurricanes to Narrow Win Over Wild
Jackson Blake and Sean Walker each contributed a goal and an assist as the Carolina Hurricanes edged the Minnesota Wild 4-3 at the Lenovo Center on Thursday. Nikolaj Ehlers and Andrei Svechnikov also scored for Carolina, with Frederik Andersen stopping 21 shots. The Hurricanes improved to 9-4-0, securing their second consecutive win and third in the last four games.
Key Moments and Player Highlights
“Blake is probably the one who needs the most credit for tonight. The one goal was all him, and the other was just a great pass.” — Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour
Matt Boldy netted two goals for Minnesota, who had won their previous two games. Filip Gustavsson recorded 23 saves in the loss.
“They’re a high-pressure team. There were times I thought we handled it well, and there were times when there was another good team on the ice, too. We got some looks in different segments of the game.” — Minnesota coach John Hynes
Game Progression
Boldy opened the scoring at 5:34 of the first period, giving the Wild an early 1-0 lead. On a rush, Hurricanes forward Mark Jankowski lifted Kirill Kaprizov's stick in front of the net, but Boldy was able to tap a loose puck past Andersen.
The teams then exchanged three goals within 52 seconds during an intense 4-on-4 sequence, keeping the game highly competitive.
Summary
Strong performances by Blake and Walker powered Carolina to a tight victory against a resilient Minnesota team led by Boldy’s two goals.
Author’s summary: Blake and Walker’s combined efforts helped the Hurricanes secure a close 4-3 win over the Wild, highlighting Carolina’s recent strong form.