LAS VEGAS – Coach Dean Evason didn't want a special-teams showdown to break out between the Wild and the Golden Knights, but that's exactly what happened.
And after the battle ended, it made sense why Evason preferred action to stay at 5-on-5.
Vegas' power play upstaged the Wild's, which whiffed on three consecutive chances and four overall to get clipped 6-4 on Sunday at T-Mobile Arena and drop back-to-back games in regulation for just the second time this season.
Mark Stone scored on the power play 4 minutes, 42 seconds to shrug off the Wild for good and put an end to a back-and-forth struggle that has become the M.O. of this budding rivalry. Alex Pietrangelo tacked on an empty-net goal with 28 seconds left.
Before that, Marcus Foligno evened the score at 4 just 1:22 into the third period when he stuffed in a puck that flew behind Vegas goalie Robin Lehner.
The goal was Foligno's 13th of the season, which is tied with Ryan Hartman for the most on the Wild while also matching Foligno's career high set in 2016-17. Foligno has two goals in his last two games and four over his past five.
But the Wild might not have trailed in the third period if it capitalized in the second period.
That's when the team had three power plays in a row, including two that overlapped for 1:18 of 5-on-3 time.
This potential momentum swing started after the Golden Knights moved ahead 4-3.
Max Pacioretty split the Wild defense and converted on a breakaway 13:52 into the period for his eighth goal over his last eight games.
After the goal, Hartman and Vegas' Nicolas Hague were both whistled for roughing with Hague also getting penalized for a cross-check.
During that ensuing power play, Pietrangelo was called for slashing Joel Eriksson Ek to give the Wild that lengthy 5-on-3 look. And although the Wild kept the puck in the offensive zone for most of those two power plays, the team didn't capitalize.
Soon after the Golden Knights were back to full strength, the team took another penalty against Eriksson Ek — this time a slash from Zach Whitecloud.
Again, though, the Wild's execution was off, and the team muffed the opportunity to not only tie the game but possibly seize control.
Overall, the Wild power play went 1-for-6 after also blanking on a try in the third period.
This duel between power plays started in the first period after both teams scored at even strength.
Whitecloud polished off a slick passing play at 8:53 before Alex Goligoski answered back for the Wild at 13:54, winding up from the slot on a delayed penalty.
Vegas retook the lead on the power play courtesy an Evgenii Dadonov one-timer with 2:45 to go, but the period finished 2-2 after a last-second goal by Mats Zuccarello on a Wild power play.
The Wild actually moved ahead 3-2 in the second on a rising shot from Nick Bjugstad at nine seconds.
The goal tied the franchise record for fastest goal from the start of the second period (Brian Rolston had the other on Nov.30, 2007), but it's the fastest to open the second in a road game.
Whitecloud's second goal of the game at 5:46 pulled the Golden Knights even with the Wild before Pacioretty broke the 3-3 later in the period.
