ST. PAUL, Minn. _ So much for setting that longest win streak of the season.
The Wild lost, 3-2, on Saturday at Xcel Energy Center to the Edmonton Oilers. The Wild (17-12-3) had been on a four-game run, which matched their longest of the season. The squad also snapped their home winning streak of five games, including scoring points in the previous eight when the team was 7-0-1 since Nov. 14.
Edmonton improved to 14-17-2.
The first period was pretty quiet, minus a scare toward the end for winger Jason Zucker. He took defenseman Ryan Suter's shot off his left knee and then fielded winger Charlie Coyle's rebound off his elbow. He needed help limping off the ice and down the tunnel but was back on the bench to start the second.
Edmonton managed the breakthrough goal at 9 minutes, 15 seconds in the second period. Center Ryan Nugent-Hopkins grabbed a feed from winger Zack Kassian on a two-on-one to beat Wild goaltender Alex Stalock. The goal came shorthanded despite Edmonton having the worst penalty kill in the league at 72.11 heading into this game.
In fact, the refs were quite whistle-happy, calling Edmonton for four penalties and the Wild for six, including one to end the game when the Wild was looking for the tying score.
Wild defenseman Matt Dumba equalized at 13:18 of the second period, taking winger Mikael Granlund's feed for a one-time blast past Edmonton goaltender Cam Talbot. But Edmonton winger Milan Lucic put his team ahead again at 16:37 with assists from Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid.
Stalock made some random Wild history at 1:35 in the third period when he skated out of his crease to clear the puck and ended up putting a 167-foot wrist shot from the defensive zone on goal. That's the first time in franchise history a goalie has done that.
Edmonton extended its lead at 8:32 in the second from Jesse Puljujarvi off a Lucic assist. But Dumba unleashed yet another one-timer blast, this time from Chris Stewart and Eric Staal, with five minutes left in the game to put the Wild back within one. That matches a career high for him for goals in a game.
The Wild play at the Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday.
