NHL: Hunter Haight's first NHL goal sparks Wild in win over Ducks

Hunter Haight scored his first NHL goal, leading the Minnesota Wild to a 3-2 victory over the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday night at Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minnesota.

The Wild, who wrapped up their regular season with the win, saw contributions from Danila Yurov and Robby Fabbri, both of whom scored a goal each. Minnesota finished the regular season with a 46-24-12 record, earning 104 points. They are set to face the Dallas Stars in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.

In goal, Jesper Wallstedt was stellar, making 35 saves on 37 shots. The Ducks, on the other hand, were led by Mason McTavish, who scored both of Anaheim’s goals. The Ducks, with a 42-33-6 record and 90 points, secured a playoff spot for the first time in eight years but fell short of winning the Pacific Division after the loss. They will face either the Vegas Golden Knights or the Edmonton Oilers in the postseason.

The game started with a power-play goal from McTavish at 10:27 of the first period, putting the Ducks ahead 1-0. McTavish launched a wrist shot from the left circle that found its way through traffic and past Wallstedt.

Minnesota responded quickly, evening the score at 1-1 with 3:18 remaining in the first. Yurov capitalized on a turnover in the Ducks' defensive zone, picking up the puck in the right circle and firing a wrist shot into the net.

Haight gave the Wild their first lead of the night midway through the second period. Nick Foligno passed the puck from behind the net to Haight in the slot, and the rookie fired it just inside the right post for his first career goal.

The 22-year-old Haight, who was drafted by the Wild in the second round (No. 47 overall) of the 2022 NHL Draft, was all smiles as his teammates celebrated with him along the boards. The goal came in Haight's ninth game of his rookie season.

Minnesota extended its lead to 3-1 in the third period. Fabbri found a loose puck near the crease and tapped it over the goal line at 13:03.

Anaheim made a late push, cutting the deficit to 3-2 with just 46 seconds left. McTavish deflected a shot by Mikael Granlund, netting his second goal of the game and his 17th of the season.

With the win, the Wild finished their regular season on a high note and look forward to their upcoming playoff matchup with the Dallas Stars.

-Field Level Media/Reuters