ST. PAUL, Minn. _ This was a tighter game than the Wild have played much this season. Low-scoring, despite chances. Tightly-checked. Ebbs and flow in a game that featured just two goals through 60 minutes of regulation time, then 5 minutes of 3-on-3 overtime.
But in the shootout the Wild found a way to win again.
Mikko Koivu went to his trusty backhand to score the only goal of the shootout, sending the Wild to a 2-1 victory over the Lightning at Xcel Energy Center Friday night.
Wild goaltender Devan Dubnyk turned away Brandon Point, Jonathan Drouin and Nikita Kucherov in the shootout to earn the victory, pushing the Wild to 15-8-6 in one-goal games this season.
Neither team scored in the first 20 minutes. But it was not for lack of opportunity _ especially for the Wild.
The Lightning got two quick chances in the game's opening moments, the best coming on Erik Condra's deflection that was turned away by Dubnyk, who made 26 saves on the night. For much of the rest of the period the best chances were at the other end of the rink.
With 3{ minutes gone Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy gave up a big rebound in the slot that Jason Pominville got to, but couldn't bury. Less than a minute later Zach Parise sent a pass to the goalmouth that was deflected by Erik Haula, but Vasilevskiy made the save. Perhaps the best chance was Jared Spurgeon's tip that went wide of a nearly-open net.
The game remained scoreless through much of a tightly-checked second period, though the Wild had a couple very good opportunities early with chances by Pominville and Parise in the first 2 minutes.
But the Wild finally broke through on the power play.
With Brian Boyle off for tripping Spurgeon, Pominville sent the puck from the top of the zone to Mikael Granlund in the right circle, who one-timed a slapshot on net. Vasilevskiy made the save, but the big rebound went up the slot to Nino Niederreiter, who backhanded the puck through Vasilevskiy's legs at 14:31.
But less than 3 minutes later the game was tied again.
The Lightning had control of the puck in the Minnesota end when Jason Garrison shot from above the left circle. Brayden Point, just to Dubnyk's left, put a bad-angle deflection through Dubnyk's legs at 17:16.
Just over a minute later the Lightning went on the power play after Pominville was whistled for high-sticking. But a great hustle play by Parise negated that power play when Parise drew a holding penalty with less than a minute left in the period.
After Jason Zucker whiffed on a rebound with an open net yawning in front of him early in the third period, the Lightning picked up the pace and dominated play for much of the rest of the period. But Dubnyk was up to the task.
Finally, after the crowd had grown quieter and quieter with each Tampa opportunity, the Wild woke up for the final 5 minutes of the third, getting several good chances, starting with Parise's shot off from the slot on the rush with 4:15 left.
With under 2 minutes left in regulation, Granlund and Ryan Suter came down on 2-on-1, but Granlund was stopped from the right circle. Granlund then had a shot with 10 seconds left, but couldn't get a good shot off after pouncing on a rebound. As overtime expired Granlund was denied again on the backhand.
