Jared Spurgeon’s birthday blast spurs Wild’s matinee win

Turning 35 is not a real milestone birthday, like when a person hits 18, 21, or 40. Still, Wild captain Jared Spurgeon made the start of his 36th trip around the sun a day to remember on Friday.

With the Wild trailing Chicago in the second period, Spurgeon turned in the eighth multi-goal game of his career as Minnesota rallied for a 3-2 win and an important pair of points in the Central Division standings.

As recently as a month ago, there were fears that Spurgeon — who missed much of last season with injuries and sat out a half dozen games in October — was on the tail end of a remarkable career. But he is able to concentrate on his game, and not worry about the potential for further injury.

“When the team’s playing well, it makes it easier, but there’s still little things that you are, within the game, that you’re still trying to get back to,” he said. “Missing a year’s a lot, but every game seems to be a little better.”

Healthy now, the diminutive defenseman continues to log minutes and provide mentorship for young blueliners like Brock Faber and Declan Chisholm. And every now and then he adds a goal or two.

“Even in games like this, where it feels like we’re on our heels, it’s just the way he plays. And he’s always…making the right decisions. It’s so good to learn from that,” Faber said. “There’s a lot of highs and lows and how he’s just steadily climbing, that stuff you strive to do as a defenseman, especially as a young defenseman, and I couldn’t have asked for a better leader for sure.”

Spurgeon’s game-tying marker in the second period was his first goal since an April 8, 2023 home win versus St. Louis.

Marco Rossi got Minnesota’s much-needed first goal, and goalie Marc-Andre Fleury — one day after he turned 40 — had 20 saves for the win. He became just the second goalie in NHL history to win a game before turning 20 and after turning 40, joining Hall of Famer Martin Brodeur in that exclusive club.

Fans had barely settled into their seats for the Friday matinee before a loose puck found Ryan Donato unattended in front of Fleury, and a rising shot eluded the goalie for an early Chicago lead. It took the Wild more than eight minutes to shake off the post-holiday rust and get their first shot on goal, but Minnesota controlled the play for long stretches after that, testing the Chicago goalie seven times.

The Wild’s hill to climb got a little higher early in the second when a deflected shot by Brock Faber hit teammate Ryan Hartman in front of the net, and he had to leave the bench for a shift. With Zach Bogosian, one of the team’s top penalty-killers, in the penalty box, Donato deflected a shot off Faber’s stick to double the visitors’ lead.

The Wild finally had an answer near the midway point of the game when Kirill Kaprizov started the rush and Rossi finished it, slamming home a cross-ice pass from Marcus Johansson. Just 17 seconds later, the game was tied as Chicago goalie Petr Mrazek had trouble corralling a puck in the crease and it ended up over the goal line, giving Spurgeon his first of the season.

“We needed something, right? We just weren’t at our best in the first, but I thought in the second our energy was better but obviously down and then you get the goal. I think that kind of ignited us a little bit,” Wild coach John Hynes said. “Obviously, to get the second one as quickly as we did helped. I think that helped us get our feet under us.”

The big day for Spurgeon came roughly 24 hours after he and wife Danielle hosted members of the Wild and their families for Thanksgiving dinner at their home.

“It was chaos, but it was a good chaos. I think we had 30 of the guys and girlfriends and wives and then about 20 of the kids, too. So, it was fun,” Spurgeon said. “Good time to get together and get away from the rink. Obviously, the people without family, to be able to come over and hang out was a good time.”

Spurgeon’s second goal came on a wrist shot from just inside the blue line when the puck deflected off Mzazek’s glove and in.

Marcus Foligno appeared to have an empty-net goal with 32.7 seconds remaining, but officials ruled no goal saying there was icing on the play. A lengthy discussion after the play, and a Chicago timeout, gave the Blackhawks extra time to discuss strategy, but the Wild were able to run out the clock.

“I thought we pushed pretty good in the third, had some good scoring chances even with the goaltender out,” Chicago coach Luke Richardson said. “But we got to do a better job when we get up 2-0.”

Mrazek finished with 26 saves for Chicago. The Wild next host Nashville on Saturday night.