Ryan Hartman stays hot, Jesper Wallstedt stands tall as Wild beat Senators: Takeaways

AtlanticBruinsCanadiensLightningMaple LeafsPanthersRed WingsSabresSenatorsMetropolitanBlue JacketsCapitalsDevilsFlyersHurricanesIslandersPenguinsRangersCentralAvalancheBlackhawksBluesJetsMammothPredatorsStarsWildPacificCanucksDucksFlamesGolden KnightsKingsKrakenOilersSharksScores & ScheduleStandingsPodcastsFantasyNHL OddsNHL PicksPlayoff projectionsNHL Draft rankingRed Light NewsletterNHL Regular Ryan Hartman extended his point streak to five games (six goals, two assists and eight points) with a two-goal performance in the Wild's 4-1 win over the Senators. Chris Tanouye / Freestyle Photography / Getty Images Share full articleOTTAWA — Playoff Ryan Hartman has entered the chat. Hartman, the Wild’s No. 1 center, has been on a roll lately, playing the kind of style that’s made him so valuable in the playoffs in recent seasons, especially last spring against Vegas. He extended his point streak to five games (six goals, two assists and eight points) with a two-goal performance, tying his career best points streak (2021). That was more than enough for Minnesota to beat the Senators 4-1 at Canadian Tire Centre. Ottawa was playing for its playoff life, but the Wild matched its intensity and put together a second straight complete game. With the win, the Wild are now just four points behind the Stars for second in the Central, with a game in hand and a head-to-head matchup Thursday in Dallas. Minnesota travels to face Detroit on Sunday. “Hartsy is such a good player for us,” coach John Hynes said. “All year long, he’s been strong. He’s playing disciplined. He’s making great plays with the puck, he’s getting to the inside of the ice. He’s using his shot. He’s good in the faceoff circle. Strong defensively. He’s playing a skating game. When he does all those things, he’s an excellent player. But he’s also a competitive guy. When the game gets turned up or (in) high-stakes games, he’s got that in him where he plays his best hockey. So it’s good to see.” The last time Hartman was in this building, it was a much different vibe. He crossed a line. Hartman was suspended 10 games (later reduced to eight games) for his roughing penalty on Tim Stützle, slamming his head into the ice after a faceoff. This year, Hartman hasn’t put himself in a position to draw any ire from the NHL’s Department of Player Safety. But Hartman still plays with an edge. He waved goodbye to Nick Cousins after the Senators forward had Jake Middleton and Joel Eriksson Ek take a run at him at the end of the game for Cousins’ hit on Jared Spurgeon. “He’s a great player,” Nick Foligno said of Hartman. “He’s balanced the line of using his emotions, channeling things the right way. He’s a hell of a player. The way he can command the puck and the things he does for those other two guys out there, they’re a fun line to watch. It’s nice to see him get rewarded for the work he does.” Hartman has 22 goals, has improved in the faceoff circle (9-for-15 on Saturday), and has been relied upon to center the line with Kirill Kaprizov and Mats Zuccarello. Hynes had said Saturday morning he wanted to get that trio going and they all combined well for Hartman’s second goal. It started with Hartman and Kaprizov winning a puck battle near the blue line, then Zuccarello passing back his own rebound to Hartman in the slot. “We’ve played together, our line, a few times throughout the year back and forth,” Hartman said. “We have a lot of chemistry together. We’re building our game for the playoffs.” There initially was some concern over Spurgeon, whose head hit the boards on a hit by Cousins midway through the third period. But Spurgeon returned to the game minutes later, which likely brought a sigh of relief for Wild fans. Spurgeon and Jonas Brodin have been so good together as a pair, and were playing a tremendous game. You wonder if the Wild might sit/rest Spurgeon Sunday or another game this week, as they have a playoff spot wrapped up and Jeff Petry and Daemon Hunt available. One of those guys might be needed anyway, with Zach Bogosian also exiting the game in the third period after Cousins dodged his check. Hynes had no update postgame on Bogosian. Jesper Wallstedt continued his strong run since the Olympic break, stopping 33 of 34 shots. It was his 16th win of the season, tying the franchise record for most wins in a season by a rookie goaltender (Kaapo Kahkonen in 2020-21). Wallstedt has allowed two goals or fewer in six of his last seven appearances (six of them starts). “I think especially playing with a lot of confidence, that’s big,” Wallstedt said. “Guys are helping me a lot with (an) unbelievable amount of blocked shots. They always help me and it makes it easier for me.” Hynes continued to experiment with his lines as the staff tries to figure out their bottom six for Game 1 of the playoffs. He said they have a pretty strong idea of what they want to do, but have used this opportunity to give different guys looks in spots. For example, on Saturday, Nick Foligno came in for Bobby Brink, who was a healthy scratch. Nick Foligno played with brother Marcus on a line with Michael McCarron, a trio that could be a force in a playoff series. “They were strong defensively, good in the faceoff circle, they were physical,” Hynes said. “They play a strong puck pressure game. They set themselves up to play to their strengths, which is puck pressure, strong in the offensive zone. They did a great job.” Rookie Danila Yurov centered a Russian line with Vladimir Tarasenko and Yakov Trenin. It was Yurov’s second game in the lineup since he sat out for a few. “He’s such a smart two-way centerman,” Hynes said. “I thought he was skating, skating was good. I think it was beneficial for him as well as a young guy, first time in the league that plays I think as hard and as disciplined as he plays on both sides of the puck — he’s similar to (Joel Eriksson) Ek in that sense. He does all the right things all the time. That’s impressive for a young player.” Yurov did continue to struggle in the faceoff circle (4-for-14), and you wonder if that could play a role in whether he’s in the lineup or not for the playoffs, especially with Nick Foligno good in that area and on the PK. • Tarasenko played in his 900th career NHL game. • There was a funny moment in the first period when lifelong friends Brady Tkachuk and Quinn Hughes got tangled up behind the net after a rush, and Hughes gave him a big bear hug/headlock. It made me think of colleague Michael Russo’s story on the Hughes and Tkachcuk friendship. • Hughes collected his 51st point with the Wild and tied the franchise record for most points in a season by a defenseman (Ryan Suter, two times). • Late in the second period, with the Wild up 3-0 and already having clinched a playoff berth, Brock Faber made a big-time shot block. It said a lot about the team’s intensity and identity down the stretch. “It means a lot,” Wallstedt said. “Everyone can see it, it just lifts our energy as a group.” • Hynes said they really wanted the team to ramp up in this three-game, four-night stretch, then potentially rest guys in the final week. So far, so good. That’s two strong games in a row with the victory at home against Vancouver and this 4-1 win over the Senators. “I thought we played the game with the right intentions,” Hynes said. “We played fast. We were really good with the puck. Our puck pressure, physicality was strong. I think it was a really solid game.” Said Hartman: “We talked a lot about getting ourselves ready, trying to build our team, build our style of game and feel good going into the playoffs. We’re using these games and situations. If we’re up one goal, down a couple, we want to use those as learning spots for us.” Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Joe Smith is a senior writer for The Athletic covering the Minnesota Wild and the National Hockey League. He spent the previous four years as Tampa Bay Lightning beat writer for The Athletic after a 12-year-stint at the Tampa Bay Times. At the Times, he covered the Lightning from 2010-18 and the Tampa Bay Rays and Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2008-13. Follow Joe on Twitter @JoeSmithNHL