EDMONTON, Alberta _ The locals had plenty to celebrate Friday night.
But it wasn't the Oilers.
Edmonton native Jared Spurgeon scored his first career hat trick, a natural one that featured the tying goal, the game-winner and an insurance marker, to settle a back-and-forth battle with the Oilers in the Wild's favor, 5-3 at Rogers Place _ a result that swept a two-game road trip through Western Canada and moved the team within three points of the second wildcard spot in the Western Conference.
Defenseman Carson Soucy, who grew up outside of Edmonton, also had a goal, contributing to a six-point night for the Wild blue line that helped the Wild gain ground in its playoff chase. The team started the trip Wednesday in Vancouver seven points shy of a berth.
Trailing 3-2, Spurgeon tied the game on a wind-up from inside the right faceoff circle eluded goalie Mikko Koskinen 10 minutes, 55 seconds into the second period.
At 10:07 of the third, his shot clipped Oilers defenseman Adam Larsson's stick and slipped between Koskinen and the near post. Defenseman Ryan Suter's assist on Spurgeon's goal was his second of the contest.
And then with 1:38 to go, Spurgeon completed the hat trick into an empty net. He now has 11 points in his past 14 games.
Edmonton _ still without Connor McDavid, as the superstar continues to recover from a quad injury � opened the scoring on the game's first shot just 50 seconds into the first period, a wrist shot from Ryan Nugent-Hopkins that rang off the post and behind goalie Alex Stalock.
The Wild answered back at 8:25 when winger Kevin Fiala picked up a Koskinen rebound and flung it into a mostly empty net with his backhand for his seventh goal and 12th point over his last nine games.
Before the first ended, the Oilers retook the lead on Nugent-Hopkins' second goal of the night. He wired in a setup from linemate Kailer Yamamoto at 13:04, a blistering shot that sailed by Stalock.
In the second, the back-and-forth battle for the edge continued with the Wild down a man.
Center Luke Kunin didn't play after the first period, leaving the game and not returning due to an upper-body injury.
At 5:48, Soucy tied it at 2 on a wrist shot that handcuffed Koskinen _ a finish that drew a cheer from a portion of the crowd since Soucy grew up about an hour-and-a-half outside of Edmonton in Irma, Alberta, and had a hefty group of supporters on hand for his first NHL game in Edmonton. He, however, exited early _ not playing most of the third.
Again, though, the Oilers responded.
This time, their goal was a fortuitous bounce. Leon Draisaitl's backhand from the corner to the middle deflected off winger Jordan Greenway's skate and flew by Stalock at 8:01. With an assist on the goal, Nugent-Hopkins recorded his third point of the game.
But both teams finished the second tied at 3 after Spurgeon's first of the night.
Winger Alex Galchenyuk, who had his best game with the Wild in Vancouver after scoring the game-tying goal and then delivering the decisive goal in the shootout, notched his second assist of the game on Spurgeon's goal. He also had a hand in Soucy's goal.
The Wild also killed off Edmonton's two power plays in the frame, a strong effort against the NHL's best power play. One of those opportunities came late in the third as the Wild was protecting its one-goal lead.
During its two chances with the man advantage, the Wild also whiffed.
Stalock ended up with 23 saves. Koskinen totaled 34.
