Somewhat lost in the excitement surrounding Marc-Andre Fleury on Monday was the fact that Minnesota got veteran defenseman Jonas Brodin back from a long stint on injured reserve.

Minnesota Wild defenseman Jonas Brodin (25) slides across the ice chasing the puck during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Nashville Predators, Thursday, Nov. 30, 2023, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Not coincidentally, the Wild earned their third shutout of the season.

“Yeah, I don’t think it just was me coming back,” Brodin said.

Maybe not just Brodin coming back, but his return was a big one for a team holding onto postseason hopes by a thread. Brodin and blue line partner Zach Bogosian each finished with an assist and plus-2 as the Wild beat the New York Islanders, 5-0, and Fleury earned his 552nd career win, moving him past Patrick Roy into second place on the NHL career list.

“He made some great saves,” Brodin said. “I’m really happy for him. … It was really a fun game for everyone. Everyone worked hard.”

The Wild snapped a four-game losing streak, during which they were outscored 21-5. It was Minnesota’s third shutout victory, first since Dec. 10 at Seattle and third since a 2-0 victory over Florida in the season opener.

Brodin hadn’t played in a game since Dec. 8, when he suffered a hand injury on a reckless hit by Evander Kane in a 4-3 loss to the Edmonton Oilers. Brodin got his gloved thumb stuck between the boards and the glass and suffered ligament damage.

He hobbled off the ice and into the training room and missed the next 17 games.

“I thought I broke my leg at first, actually,” Brodin said. “I didn’t feel my thumb.”

Kane was not assessed a penalty, and many observers believed Kane could well have received a fine or suspension from the NHL. During the telecast, Oilers color analyst Louie DeBrusk, who played 11 seasons in the NHL, looked at the replay and said, “That’s the kind of hit they want to take out of the game, to be totally honest with you.”

After the game, Brodin watched the hit on video. He said Monday he didn’t think it was a dirty hit but added, “I think it was maybe a penalty for sure, but I don’t think (about it) anymore.”

Brodin and the Wild have more pressing issues if they want to return to playoff contention. After beating Boston, 3-2, on Dec. 23 to cap an 11-3-0 run under new coach John Hynes, the Wild were two points out of a playoff spot in the Western Conference race.

Monday’s victory pulled them within six points of Edmonton, one of five teams ahead of them for that final spot with a three-game Eastern Conference trip on tap, starting Thursday night at Tampa Bay.

Hynes’ first game in Minnesota was a 3-1 victory over St. Louis on Nov. 28. Monday was only Brodin’s seventh game under his new coach. He immediately moved back into major roles on the power play and penalty kill units.

“I kind of had a few games with him,” Hynes said, “and just even seeing him come back tonight after being out for so long (was good) — just his skating, his puck poise, his ability to defend the right way — but also his ability to transition the puck out of your zone at the offensive blue line.”

“In general, with the addition of Jonas, and then also, I think, the style of game that we played is a good recipe I think we can build on here going on the road,” he added.

Brodin’s return shifts attention to the team’s major extant injury absence, veteran defenseman and team captain Jared Spurgeon, who missed his 27th game this season. The first 14 were with an upper body injury suffered in a preseason game Oct. 5 at Chicago. This time, it’s a lower body injury.

The exact nature of the injury is undisclosed, but Spurgeon appeared to injure his left knee when he was checked into the boards by Chicago winger Ryan Donato on Dec. 3. Spurgeon left the game but returned late and played the next seven games before going back on injured reserve. He’s currently on long-term injured reserve and expected out through the team’s Jan. 27-Feb. 6 all-star break.

Hynes said before Monday’s game he had no update on Spurgeon’s status, and general manager Bill Guerin said he expected more news on the team captain “at the end of the week.”

After shutting out the Panthers in their season opener, the Wild immediately began struggling defensively. Veteran Alex Goligoski missed more than a month on injured reserve after being hit by a puck in practice, and Spurgeon has played sporadically, 16 total games between three injured reserve stints.

PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA – DECEMBER 18: Alex Goligoski #33 of the Minnesota Wild skates with the puck in the first period during the game against the Pittsburgh Penguins at PPG PAINTS Arena on December 18, 2023 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images)

Not surprisingly, the Wild’s 142 goals-against are tied for the 10th-worst in the NHL, and their 3.30 goals-against per game is 11th.

Asked specifically about losing Spurgeon for so many games, Guerin said, “He’s our captain, and he’s one of our best players. That’ll have an impact on any team.”

Briefly

The Wild will celebrate Fleury’s achievements this season (he also played his 1,000th game on Dec. 31, with Marc-Andre Fleury Night on Feb. 9 when Minnesota plays host to Fleury’s longtime team the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Blue Men Out

The good news is rookie Brock Faber has been terrific; the bad news is the team’s top veteran blue liners have missed a combined 44 games this season for the Wild (18-20-5).

Player                  GP    GM    Pts.        +/-
Jonas Brodin        26     17     1-9–10   +9
Jared Spurgeon*  16     27     0-5–5     +5

*On long-term injured reserve

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