Minnesota Wild at Tampa Bay Lightning
NHL game between the Minnesota Wild and the Tampa Bay Lightning on Oct 08, 2026. Final score: Minnesota Wild 2, Tampa Bay Lightning 3.
| Status | Final |
|---|---|
| Date | Oct 08, 2026 |
| Venue | Benchmark International Arena |
| Minnesota Wild score | 2 |
| Tampa Bay Lightning score | 3 |
Shot charts, expected goals (xG), Game Score and advanced box scores for this game are available on Hockey Alchemy.
Three Stars by Game Score
Ranked by Game Score, which rolls goals, assists, shot quality, play-driving and penalties into one number — so the best player is chosen by the box score, not by a vote.
| Player | Pos | G | A | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | John Carlson | D | 2 | 0 | 9 | 16:48 | 0.44 | 2.08 |
| 2nd | Quinn Hughes | D | 1 | 1 | 4 | 32:36 | 0.06 | 1.69 |
| 3rd | Brandon Hagel | L | 0 | 1 | 3 | 22:55 | 0.52 | 1.54 |
Scoring Summary
| Time | Team | Goal | Assists | Strength | Score (Minnesota Wild–Tampa Bay Lightning) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st 05:26 | TBL | Anthony Cirelli | Erik Cernak, Brandon Hagel | 5v5 | 0–1 |
| 1st 06:02 | TBL | John Carlson | Nikita Kucherov, Brayden Point | 5v5 | 0–2 |
| 2nd 02:32 | MIN | Quinn Hughes | Bobby Brink, Jared Spurgeon | 5v5 | 1–2 |
| 2nd 04:55 | TBL | John Carlson | Nikita Kucherov, Jake Guentzel | 5v4 | 1–3 |
| 2nd 14:01 | MIN | Blake Coleman | Kirill Kaprizov, Quinn Hughes | 4v5 | 2–3 |
Team Comparison
| Minnesota Wild | Tampa Bay Lightning | |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | 2 | 3 |
| Shots on goal | 36 | 35 |
| Expected goals (xG) | 3.31 | 3.36 |
| High-danger shots | 27 | 29 |
| Corsi % | 47.0% | 53.0% |
| Power play | 1/2 | 1/3 |
| Faceoff % | 56.9% | 43.1% |
| Hits | 24 | 12 |
| Blocks | 20 | 14 |
| Giveaways | 14 | 10 |
| Takeaways | 4 | 3 |
Minnesota Wild Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quinn Hughes | D | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 32:36 | 0.06 | 1.69 |
| Jared Spurgeon | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 24:54 | 0.05 | 1.36 |
| Blake Coleman | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 14:20 | 0.76 | 0.97 |
| Matt Boldy | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 22:14 | 0.48 | 0.67 |
| Kirill Kaprizov | L | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 23:07 | 0.00 | 0.57 |
| Danila Yurov | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11:23 | 0.00 | 0.39 |
| Bobby Brink | R | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 12:01 | 0.01 | 0.37 |
| Yakov Trenin | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12:47 | 0.20 | 0.32 |
| Joel Eriksson Ek | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 21:16 | 0.53 | 0.16 |
| Nico Sturm | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 10:56 | 0.12 | 0.06 |
| Max Shabanov | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 16:36 | 0.59 | -0.12 |
| Michael McCarron | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 10:50 | 0.11 | -0.24 |
| Marcus Foligno | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 10:54 | 0.23 | -0.38 |
| Jonas Brodin | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 23:00 | 0.02 | -0.40 |
| Ryan Hartman | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11:15 | 0.05 | -0.43 |
| Zach Bogosian | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 19:29 | 0.09 | -0.70 |
| David Spacek | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 8:23 | 0.02 | -0.81 |
| Daemon Hunt | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10:03 | 0.00 | -0.83 |
Tampa Bay Lightning Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Carlson | D | 2 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 16:48 | 0.44 | 2.08 |
| Brandon Hagel | L | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 22:55 | 0.52 | 1.54 |
| Anthony Cirelli | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 19:25 | 0.38 | 1.23 |
| Nikita Kucherov | R | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 20:55 | 0.25 | 1.16 |
| Erik Cernak | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 19:32 | 0.08 | 1.12 |
| Jake Guentzel | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 21:12 | 0.31 | 0.83 |
| Jeffrey Viel | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 8:23 | 0.42 | 0.72 |
| Brayden Point | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 17:34 | 0.13 | 0.47 |
| Conor Geekie | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 10:30 | 0.27 | 0.46 |
| Victor Hedman | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12:04 | 0.00 | 0.45 |
| Charle-Edouard D'Astous | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 16:04 | 0.06 | 0.38 |
| J.J. Moser | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13:21 | 0.01 | 0.36 |
| Max Crozier | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 21:02 | 0.08 | 0.19 |
| Zemgus Girgensons | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 14:26 | 0.05 | 0.08 |
| Gage Goncalves | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16:12 | 0.13 | -0.05 |
| Ilya Mikheyev | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 15:08 | 0.05 | -0.11 |
| Pontus Holmberg | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 14:02 | 0.20 | -0.14 |
| Ryan McDonagh | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17:16 | 0.01 | -0.20 |
Goaltending
| Goalie | Team | SV | SA | SV% | GSAx | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jesper Wallstedt | Minnesota Wild | 32 | 35 | 91.4% | 0.36 | L |
| Dennis Hildeby | Tampa Bay Lightning | 34 | 36 | 94.4% | 1.32 | W |
Analysis
The Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Minnesota Wild 3–2 on Oct 08, 2026, a one-goal game.
Tampa Bay Lightning generated 3.36 expected goals to Minnesota Wild's 3.31 — Tampa Bay Lightning edged the chance share as well as the scoreline; by expected goals it was close to a coin flip.
John Carlson led all skaters with a Game Score of 2.08 on 2 goals, 9 shots on goal.
Dennis Hildeby stopped 34 of 36, worth 1.32 goals saved above expected.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the Minnesota Wild vs Tampa Bay Lightning game?
The Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Minnesota Wild 3–2 on Oct 08, 2026.
What was the final score?
The final score was Tampa Bay Lightning 3, Minnesota Wild 2.
Who was the best player in this game?
By Game Score — a single-number summary of everything a skater did — John Carlson led all skaters at 2.08, on 2G, 0A and 9 shots on goal.
Which team deserved to win by expected goals?
Tampa Bay Lightning generated 3.36 expected goals and Minnesota Wild generated 3.31, so Tampa Bay Lightning created the better chances. That matches the result.
What were the shot totals?
Minnesota Wild put 36 shots on goal and Tampa Bay Lightning put 35. High-danger chances went 27 to 29.