John Hynes Maintains Optimism Despite Overtime Loss in Playoffs

ST. PAUL, Minn. – John Hynes, dressed sharply in a black shirt and dark tie, approached the postgame press conference after Game 4 of the Western Conference First Round with confidence rather than despondency. The Minnesota Wild coach’s attire was more about making a style statement than reflecting his mood, as he looked forward to the future challenges rather than dwelling on the past.

Hynes was enthusiastic about what’s ahead, ignoring any recent setbacks.

“We’re in a solid position,” Hynes remarked. “It was a tough battle, but we performed well again. The game was in our grasp. Both teams fought fiercely. We anticipated the series would be challenging.

“I love our position. We prepared for a grueling series. We’re pleased with our gameplay. We’re here, and we’ll continue to persevere.”

Indeed, his squad narrowly lost 4-3 in overtime to the Vegas Golden Knights at the Xcel Energy Center on Saturday. Ivan Barbashev’s game-winning goal at 17:26 into overtime leveled the series at 2-2 and shifted home-ice advantage away from the Wild.

With both teams now racing to two more victories, the Golden Knights will enjoy home-ice advantage for two of the possible three remaining games, beginning with Game 5 at T-Mobile Arena on Tuesday (9:30 p.m. ET; FDSNNO, SCRIPPS, ESPN, SNE, SN360, TVAS).