Wild scratching Hartman due to mounting penalties
Published
Minnesota Wild forward Ryan Hartman is going from the penalty box to the press box.
Wild head coach Dean Evason told Minnesota's KFAN 1003 on Thursday that Hartman would be scratched against the Philadelphia Flyers due to his propensity for taking penalties as of late.
Hartman has five goals and 14 points in 25 games this season, while accumulating 47 penalty minutes.
The 28-year-old has taken 21 minutes in penalties over the team's past three games, including a 10-minute misconduct against the Carolina Hurricanes last week. He is minus-4 with one assist over that span.
"Message received," Hartman said of the coach's decision Thursday, noting he would make the same call as Evason if the roles were reversed.
Hartman is the second Wild lineup regular to be a healthy scratch over the past two weeks, with defenceman Matt Dumba returning from two games as a healthy scratch on Tuesday.
The Wild enter Thursday's game sitting just one point back of the Calgary Flames for the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference with two games in hand.