Jacob Middleton played 20:07 for Minnesota, finishing with two shots on goal, a minus-1 rating, and two penalty minutes. Wild coach John Hynes said his team played well but couldn't finish.

Mar 29, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; New York Islanders center Bo Horvat (14) passes the puck as Tampa Bay Lightning center Brayden Point (21) defends during the first period at Amalie Arena.

It’d be easy to blame Middleton on that one for being overaggressive. Hynes sure didn’t. He felt the Wild needed to eat the puck down low where Hartman had two linemates to support.