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Game Recap
MIN2
FinalFri, Feb 27, 2026Every game that night
UTA5

UTA beat MIN 5-2, and the chances backed it up: 4.26 expected goals to 2.70. UTA outshot MIN 37 to 23. C. Keller led the way with 3 points (1 G, 2 A). M. Boldy had 7 shots on goal against our projection of 2.9. K. Vejmelka stopped 21 of 23.

Scoring

1st2nd3rdT
MIN0112
UTA1225
  1. 1st 13:23UTAL. CooleySH0.32 xG
  2. 2nd 4:26UTAC. Keller0.19 xG
  3. 2nd 7:49UTAL. Crouse0.13 xG
  4. 2nd 14:03MINK. KaprizovPP0.17 xG
  5. 3rd 1:19UTAB. HaytonPP0.35 xG
  6. 3rd 12:48UTAL. Crouse0.08 xG
  7. 3rd 14:05MINM. Boldy0.17 xG

Team Stats

MINUTA
23Shots on goal37
2.70Expected goals4.26
48Shot attempts70
175v5 shots on goal28
1/3Power play1/3
18Hits12
19Blocked shots8
8Penalty minutes6
17Giveaways15
7Takeaways6

Expected goals: the chance each unblocked shot had of going in, by our model, added up.

Expected Goals Over the Game

MIN 2.70 xGUTA 4.26 xGGoal

012341st2nd3rdUTA goal, 13:23UTA goal, 4:26UTA goal, 7:49MIN goal, 14:03UTA goal, 1:19UTA goal, 12:48MIN goal, 14:05

Each step up is a shot: how likely it was to go in. A team well above the other had the better chances, whatever the score.

Shot Map

MIN23 on goal, 2 scored
UTA35 on goal, 5 scored

GoalSavedMissedBlockedBigger: a better chance

Box Score

MIN Skaters

PlayerPosGAPSOGHITBLK+/-PIMTOIPP TOI
M. BoldyLW112714+1017:413:26
K. KaprizovLW101200-2021:003:32
M. ZuccarelloRW011212-2017:313:25
M. JohanssonLW0110000015:241:29
V. TarasenkoRW0111000014:181:30
R. HartmanRW000402-3017:402:09
Y. TreninC0000410015:240:15
D. YurovRW0000100014:240:52
M. FolignoLW0001310412:340:15
N. SturmC000010-1011:130:00
J. Eriksson EkC0000000010:252:02
V. HinostrozaC000100-229:550:00
Q. HughesD000201-1025:153:31
B. FaberD000001-1023:261:24
J. SpurgeonD000121-1018:481:30
J. MiddletonD000133-1018:170:15
Z. BogosianD000011-2217:170:15
D. HuntD0001120013:400:00
GoalieSASVGASV%TOI
J. Wallstedt37325.86560:00Loss
F. Gustavsson000–0:00

UTA Skaters

PlayerPosGAPSOGHITBLK+/-PIMTOIPP TOI
C. KellerRW123201+1016:414:29
N. SchmaltzC022300+1216:194:19
L. CrouseLW202530+2015:331:29
J. McBainC022111+2014:350:00
B. HaytonC1013100015:534:25
L. CooleyC101312+2015:511:23
D. GuentherRW0004000017:254:29
J. PeterkaRW0003000016:441:19
K. StenlundC0001000015:030:00
K. YamamotoRW0000100212:190:00
A. KerfootC0001110212:080:00
M. CarconeLW0002000011:501:20
M. SergachevD022520+2025:053:35
S. DurziD011112+1018:532:12
J. MarinoD000011+2020:360:00
N. SchmidtD000100+1018:350:00
I. ColeD0002000018:290:00
O. MäättäD0000000012:510:00
GoalieSASVGASV%TOI
K. Vejmelka23212.91360:00Win
V. Vanecek000–0:00

Lines at 5-on-5

MIN

Line 2V. Tarasenko12:48D. Yurov12:59Y. Trenin12:05
Line 3M. Johansson12:52M. Boldy11:40J. Ek7:29
Pair 1Q. Hughes21:42B. Faber18:56
Pair 2Z. Bogosian15:08D. Hunt12:51
Pair 3J. Spurgeon14:45J. Middleton14:48

UTA

Line 1K. Yamamoto12:19J. Peterka15:25B. Hayton11:28
Line 2L. Cooley14:00D. Guenther12:50J. McBain12:38
Line 3L. Crouse11:08C. Keller12:12N. Schmaltz10:56
Line 4A. Kerfoot10:41K. Stenlund12:42M. Carcone10:30
Pair 1J. Marino18:35N. Schmidt16:20
Pair 2M. Sergachev18:47S. Durzi16:41
Pair 3I. Cole15:07O. Määttä12:51

From the NHL's shift charts: the players on the ice together most at 5-on-5, with each one's own 5-on-5 time.

How We Did

We projectedIt finished
ScoreMIN 3.0, UTA 3.4MIN 2, UTA 5
Total goals6.47
Shots on goalMIN 26.7, UTA 30.7MIN 23, UTA 37
Win chanceUTA 57%UTA won

Players

PlayerSOG projectedSOGPoints projectedPointsGoal chanceGoals
MIN K. Kaprizov3.221.08140%1
UTA D. Guenther3.240.87033%0
MIN M. Boldy2.970.88231%1
UTA C. Keller2.721.00331%1
MIN Q. Hughes2.720.92012%0
UTA N. Schmaltz2.630.93230%0
MIN J. Ek2.500.62023%0
UTA M. Sergachev2.250.71213%0
UTA B. Hayton2.130.54119%1
MIN R. Hartman2.040.47021%0
UTA L. Crouse2.050.53225%2
UTA L. Cooley1.930.69126%1
MIN B. Faber1.900.39010%0
UTA J. Peterka1.930.64025%0
MIN M. Zuccarello1.920.73121%0
UTA M. Carcone1.820.43020%0
MIN V. Tarasenko1.710.45119%0
UTA S. Durzi1.710.4319%0
UTA J. McBain1.410.39214%0
MIN M. Johansson1.300.42114%0
MIN J. Spurgeon1.210.2908%0
UTA N. Schmidt1.210.3006%0
MIN Y. Trenin1.100.24012%0
UTA K. Yamamoto1.100.34015%0
UTA K. Stenlund1.110.28013%0
MIN D. Yurov1.100.37013%0
MIN J. Middleton1.010.2405%0
MIN M. Foligno1.010.24012%0
UTA A. Kerfoot0.910.27010%0
UTA J. Marino0.900.3805%0
UTA I. Cole0.920.2203%0
MIN Z. Bogosian0.800.1603%0
MIN V. Hinostroza0.810.1607%0
MIN N. Sturm0.700.1608%0
UTA O. Määttä0.700.1603%0
MIN D. Hunt0.510.1201%0

Shots on goal: 22 of 36 players within one of their projection; they took 0.0 more than projected on average.

Our projections as they stood at puck drop. One game says little about a model; Model Notes has how it tests over thousands.