Minnesota
Preds Conclude 2024 With Loss in Minnesota | Nashville Predators
The Nashville Predators closed out 2024 with a 5-3 loss to the Minnesota Wild on New Year’s Eve at Xcel Energy Center. The result sees the Preds go winless in their back-to-back set through Winnipeg and Minnesota with three contests to go on their five-game trip.
Colton Sissons, Jonathan Marchessault and Ryan O’Reilly scored for Nashville, and the Preds had 46 shots on goal, but Minnesota scored three times on the power play to help them to a victory.
“Tough one,” Preds Head Coach Andrew Brunette said. “I thought we played more than well enough, deserved to win. I thought we had the ice tilted most of the game, gave up three power play goals, [but we were] in the box way too much, especially on a night when the kill wasn’t as good as it has been.”
“I think we wasted another good effort with just parading to the penalty box,” Sissons said. “Again, we’re putting the kill under duress, not to say it’s just the volume that’s the issue. We’re making some mistakes out there too, which we’ve got to get back to being dialed in, but it’s just too much – our 5-on-5 game, it’s been pretty solid for a couple weeks – and we’re just killing ourselves. It’s frustrating.”
Marco Rossi gave Minnesota a 1-0 lead less than halfway through the opening period, but the Preds came back to tally two of their own. First, Sissons tipped home a Brady Skjei point shot, and then Steven Stamkos capitalized on a Wild turnover and fed Marchessault in front to beat Filip Gustavsson to give Nashville a 2-1 advantage.
In the middle frame, Minnesota regained the lead on goals from Mats Zuccarello and Jonas Brodin before O’Reilly tied things at three when he roofed a rebound in tight. But before the period was out, the Wild got their second power-play goal of the night – this time from Declan Chisholm – to take a 4-3 lead into the room after 40 minutes.
The Preds gutted things out in the third period on the second half of a back-to-back – and down to 11 forwards and five defensemen with Zach L’Heureux having been ejected with a match penalty for slew-footing and Jeremy Lauzon leaving with a lower-body injury – but Minnesota got one more on the power play before the night was out as 2024 came to a close.
“Certain nights, the goaltending, the penalty killing, taking too many penalties, lose momentum; those things, that’s been the story of the year,” Brunette said. “It’s been, you plug one hole, it’s another hole. Give a lot of credit to the group, they’re still fighting. I thought they showed a lot of resolve today. Never gave in, never gave up, and when we get through this, we’ll be better for it. We just have to believe that and keep putting the work in.”
Notes:
Preds defenseman Adam Wilsby did not play on Tuesday in Minnesota and is day-to-day with an upper-body injury. Additionally, defenseman Jeremy Lauzon left Tuesday’s game with a lower-body injury and did not return.
Predators forward Zach L’Heureux was given a match penalty for slew-footing in the second period, an automatic ejection from the game.
Per NHL Public Relations, Jonathan Marchessault’s goal was the 244th of his career, the second most among undrafted players since he entered the League in 2012-13 behind Artemi Panarin (281).
The Predators will now head back to western Canada to start 2025 with a back-to-back set in Vancouver and Calgary on Friday and Saturday. They’ll then head back to Winnipeg to close out the trip before returning home next weekend.
Minnesota
Minnesota vs. Virginia Tech live updates: How to watch, odds, predictions for Mayo Bowl
From NFL to NCAA: The biggest sports controversies of 2024
Reporters from USA Today share what they think the biggest controversy in sports was in 2024.
Sports Seriously
The Minnesota Golden Gophers and Virginia Tech Hokies will face off in Duke’s Mayo Bowl on Friday with a mayonnaise bath for the winning coach on the line.
Will Minnesota head coach P.J. Fleck or Virginia Tech head coach Brent Pry receive a head full of Duke’s mayonnaise?
The Hokies (6-6) will be without over a dozen starters who either entered the transfer portal, opted out of the bowl game or suffered injuries following the team’s 37-17 win over Virigina, including starting quarterback Kyron Drones and RB Bhayshul Tuten, the Hokies’ season rushing leader. Pry said the Hokies will showcase many young players that will offer fans “a good look at what our team can be in the fall” next season.
The Gophers (7-5) are coming off a 24-7 win over Wisconsin in late November.
This marks the first matchup between Minnesota and Virginia Tech. Here’s everything you need to know:
When is the Mayo Bowl between Minnesota and Virginia Tech?
The Duke’s Mayo Bowl game between the Minnesota Golden Gophers and the Virginia Tech Hokies kicks off at 7:30 p.m. at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina.
How to watch Minnesota and Virginia Tech in the Mayo Bowl
The Duke’s Mayo Bowl game between the Minnesota Golden Gophers and the Virginia Tech Hokies will be televised nationally on ESPN.
Live streaming is available on Fubo, which has a free trial.
Watch Minnesota take on Virginia Tech with a Fubo subscription
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Minnesota
Weapon seized by police at elementary school in Fosston, Minnesota; 11-year-old detained
FOSSTON, Minn. — Police detained an 11-year-old after a gun was located at the elementary school in Fosston, Minnesota.
According to a report from the Fosston Police Department, the incident occurred on Thursday, Jan. 2. Fosston is a town in northwest Minnesota, approximately 45 miles west of Bemidji and 70 miles east of Grand Forks.
When police arrived at the school, a weapon was located and seized and the male suspect detained.
The release said the incident is under investigation.
Our newsroom occasionally reports stories under a byline of “staff.” Often, the “staff” byline is used when rewriting basic news briefs that originate from official sources, such as a city press release about a road closure, and which require little or no reporting. At times, this byline is used when a news story includes numerous authors or when the story is formed by aggregating previously reported news from various sources. If outside sources are used, it is noted within the story.
Minnesota
Norovirus outbreaks doubled in Minnesota in December over 2023
(FOX 9) – The holidays are behind us, but one thing you still want to be vigilant about is the rise in illnesses after spending time with loved ones.
Sickness outbreaks
What we know: Health experts are keeping an eye on COVID-19, the Flu and RSV.
Meanwhile, they’ve noticed an outbreak of norovirus, also known as the stomach flu.
“We’re at about 60 outbreaks reported, and that means more than 1,200 people were sick,” said Amy Saupe, Senior Epidemiologist with the Minnesota Department of Health.
While that’s a small portion of all the illnesses in the state at the time, the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) says it’s seen twice as many outbreaks reported as it typically would see for the month of December.
“We’re seeing the test positive rates and the total positive tests in these large laboratory systems increasing,” said Dr. Frank Rhame, Infectious Disease Physician with Allina Health.
What you can do
Sickness prevention: Experts say the best way to protect yourself from getting unwanted vomiting and diarrhea, is by doing the basics.
“Always wash your hands 20 seconds, soap and water before eating anything, just in case you’ve touched something that might have norovirus on it,” said Saupe.
Experts also say if you’re sick – don’t prepare food for others.
As for respiratory illnesses like COVID-19, RSV and the Flu?
“We are lower now than we were at this time last year,” said Melissa McMahon, Epidemiology Supervisor with the Minnesota Department of Health.
But lower doesn’t necessarily mean your chances are lower.
MDH says COVID-19 has been fairly high, but steady in the last month. The flu and RSV are both on the rise just in the last two to three weeks.
“It is kind of common to see that increase right after the holidays, people tend to travel a lot. They get together in big groups,” said McMahon.
Health experts add they don’t expect the rise in illnesses to end until at least March. But they do expect an uptick in the next couple of months.
The Source: Minnesota Department of Health officials
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