The Wild has been almost unbeatable at Xcel Energy Center this season, a reason for the team to stay locked in the rest of the way despite already having secured a spot in the playoffs line to try to climb the West Division standings and earn home-ice advantage.
But in its first game back home since clinching a berth, the team wasn't so clutch.
Twice the Wild blew a two-goal lead before getting overrun 4-3 by the Blues to snap its season-high seven-game win streak at the outset of a seven-game homestand.
A pair of power play goals helped spur St. Louis' rally, which was finalized with 23 seconds to go in the third period Robert Thomas pounced on a bouncing puck in the Wild zone and lifted the puck past goalie Cam Talbot — a comeback that overshadowed a terrific effort by the Jordan Greenway, Joel Eriksson Ek and Marcus Foligno line.
Even before the line started to supply offense, Foligno called the game to order with a pair of heavy hits during his first shift — crunching Marco Scandella and Brayden Schenn in succession.
And then with 2 minutes, 13 seconds to go in the first period, the line's forecheck took over. After Greenway dumped the puck deep to Foligno, Jonas Brodin walked into a drop pass that sailed by St. Louis goalie Jordan Binnington as Joel Eriksson Ek was setting a screen.
The line continued to roll in the second, doubling the Wild's lead just 32 seconds into the period when Eriksson Ek was left all alone in front to backhand in a Greenway rebound to extend his career-high point streak to six games. With two assists, Greenway is up to 30 points — a new career high.
An interference penalty by Kevin Fiala put the Blues on the power play and only eight seconds into the advantage, they converted — a shot by Mike Hoffman that trickled through goalie Cam Talbot at 10:27.
But the Wild re-established control on the very next shift thanks to — who else — but the Eriksson Ek line.
Foligno wired in a shot from the middle of the offensive zone, his 10th of the season.
Over their last six games, Greenway, Eriksson Ek and Foligno have combined for seven goals and 11 assists.
Another power play goal by Hoffman at 3:49 of the third made it 3-2, and the Blues tied the game by 7:41 when Robert Thomas worked a Matt Dumba turnover to Jordan Kyrou for a goal.
St. Louis finished 2-for-2, while the Wild went 0-for-1.
Talbot had 28 saves; Binnington made 26 stops.
