Wild remain winless on road with 2-1 overtime loss to Flyers

Sarah McLellan, The Minnesota Star Tribune on Oct 18, 2025

Published in Hockey

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PHILADELPHIA – Wild coach John Hynes figured it was probably better for his team to get back on the ice after a ghastly loss Friday night to the Capitals.

The effort he saw was more intentional than in that 5-1 mismatch, but the result was similar: After blowing a third-period lead, the Wild were downed 2-1 in overtime by the Flyers on Saturday at Xfinity Mobile Arena to drop to 2-3-1 overall.

Noah Cates broke the 1-1 tie, Vladimir Tarasenko nabbed his first goal with the Wild, and goaltender Jesper Wallstedt stopped 19 shots as the Wild picked up their first point on their five-game road trip following regulation losses at Dallas and Washington.

How it happened

Cates scored 2 minutes, 36 seconds into 3-on-3 overtime after Philadelphia erased the Wild’s 1-0 lead 7:10 into the third when Owen Tippett collected his own rebound and banked it in off Wallstedt.

Earlier, the Wild went on an 8-0 run in shots to start the second, with Tarasenko’s tally kicking off the pressure 1:55 into the period.

Tarasenko’s goal against goalie Dan Vladar (15 saves) couldn’t have been more as-advertised, the veteran winger crushing a one-timer set up by Marco Rossi. The Flyers challenged to check if the Wild were offside, but the goal counted. They were unsuccessful on the ensuing power play and went 0 for 3; Philadelphia was 0 for 2.

The Flyers were better as the second progressed, and they didn’t disappear in the third period, either.

Before Tippett’s equalizer, Wallstedt, in his second start and coming off a 4-3 shootout victory over the Kings on Monday, thwarted a breakaway for Sean Couturier.

Turning point

Getting out of the first period unscathed was vital for the Wild to securing a point, especially since they were at one point shorthanded two forwards.

First, Joel Eriksson Ek left after getting hit with a high stick in the face. Soon after, Marcus Foligno fought former Wild teammate Nicolas Deslauriers for a five-minute timeout in the penalty box.

Rossi was evaluated on the bench after blocking a shot but stayed in the game; Eriksson Ek also returned before the period ended.

Still, the Flyers tested the Wild. Fortunately for them, Wallstedt was locked in, denying Philadelphia’s attempts in tight and off the rush. He also batted away a carom off the boards that flew toward the net.

The Wild weathering the Flyers’ early flurry was also progress for the latest incarnation of the blue line.

Zach Bogosian is day-to-day because of a lower-body injury after blocking a shot Friday night at Washington, and the Wild called up David Jiricek from the minors to replace him.

The Wild also promoted former Centennial High School and Minnesota State Mankato forward Tyler Pitlick, with Pitlick switching roster spots with Liam Ohgren.

After Ohgren went pointless in the team’s first five games, the Wild felt it was important for the young winger to find his game, aka get reps with the puck to reestablish his north-south style.

“He agreed with it,” Hynes said, and Ohgren responded by scoring Saturday in his return to Iowa in the American Hockey League.

Key stat

The Wild added only one 5-on-5 goal, bringing their season total to six, which is tied for the fewest in the NHL.

Up next

The Wild are on the move again, playing at Madison Square Garden on Monday night against the New York Rangers, who are having their own goal troubles: The Rangers have yet to score on home ice and are the first team in NHL history to get shut out in its first three home games of the season.