LAS VEGAS — The Wild entertained their biggest crowd of the season Monday, with Vegas hosting 2,605 fans for the first time this season.
And the Wild came close to spoiling the show for the hometown supporters.
After overcoming a two-goal deficit in the third period, the Golden Knights completed their comeback 5-4 in overtime at T-Mobile Arena to snap the Wild's win streak at six games and retain the top spot in the West Division.
Max Pacioretty scored his second goal of the game 2 minutes into overtime, redirecting a pass from captain Mark Stone after former Wild player Alex Tuch tied the game with 42 seconds to go on his own redirect in front.
Goalie Cam Talbot finished with 34 saves.
The Wild are now two points behind Vegas for the West Division lead.
Vegas might have had the early edge, perhaps in part due to the cheers from the locals, but the Golden Knights couldn't solve Talbot — who was perfect in the first and received some help from the post, which Vegas hit twice.
In the second, the Golden Knights finally got a puck behind Talbot on the power play, but the goal was immediately waived off because Reilly Smith directed the puck in with his glove.
But during the same power play, Vegas scored again and this time it counted — a deflection by Cody Glass at 7:09.
That lead for the Golden Knights, however, didn't last long.
Only 1:42 later, Jordan Greenway buried a flagrant rebound from goalie Marc-Andre Fleury for his first goal in nine games. Greenway's 15 points on the season are second on the Wild only to rookie Kirill Kaprizov's 17.
And 1:06 after that, the Wild moved ahead 2-1. Jonas Brodin's centering feed bounced off Marcus Foligno's right skate and then his left knee while he was down on the ice and the puck rolled under Fleury's pad.
Vegas pulled even when Pacioretty wired the puck past Talbot's glove on the power play at 13:41. The Golden Knights went 2-for-3 with the man advantage, the second straight game the Wild have surrendered two power play goals, while the Wild didn't receive a single look.
Like before, though, the Wild retaliated and they did so again in rapid-fire fashion — what's becoming the team's signature move.
First, Nick Bonino put back a loose puck at 17:53 (the fifth goal from the fourth line over the past four games) and then a breezy 19 seconds later, Foligno scored on a rising shot off the rush. Fleury ended with 26 saves.
The two goals tied Foligno's career high for a game, and the winger — who had a Gordie Howe hat trick last week — is up to six points in his past five games. And with an assist on Bonino's goal, Foligno tied the franchise record for most points in a period (3). His three points overall also matched his career single-game high.
With 7:20 to go in the third, Vegas cut its deficit in half one a one-timer from Nicolas Hague to set up the frenzied finish that led to the Golden Knights scoring the equalizer with Fleury pulled for an extra attacker.
This was the first time in six games the Wild didn't receive a boost from the Kaprizov, Victor Rask and Mats Zuccarello line, with the three going pointless.
_____
