MINNEAPOLIS — The trend continues
Despite falling behind, the Minnesota Wild once again avoided a losing streak longer than two games after rallying for a 4-3 overtime win against the St. Louis Blues on Saturday at Xcel Energy Center to secure its first win since clinching a playoff spot a week ago.
Kevin Fiala scored 2 minutes 16 seconds into overtime, this after Jonas Brodin scored with 1 minute to go in the third period to force extra time.
Earlier in the third, Nico Sturm pulled the Wild within a goal on a deflection at 14:09.
Before the Wild took over in the third, the Blues were in charge.
An unsuccessful clearing attempt by Ian Cole rolled right to Jordan Kyrou, who wired the puck by goalie Kaapo Kahkonen with 3 minutes left in the first period for his second goal and fifth point in this series against the Wild.
Only 1:49 later, St. Louis doubled its lead when Sammy Blais skated from the corner and into the right faceoff circle to go top shelf.
The Wild answered back in the second on Mats Zuccarello's first goal in seven games, a one-timer off a Kirill Kaprizov backhanded pass at 6:53. Seven of Zuccarello's 11 goals this season have been the Wild's first of the game, and Kaprizov now has eight points in his last eight games.
But later in the period, the Blues reinstated their two-goal cushion after David Perron put a rebound at 12:41. Perron nearly made it 4-1 before the second ended, but Kahkonen made one of his better saves of the game – extending his glove to keep the puck out. He finished with 28 saves, and the Blues' Jordan Binnington had 34.
Both power plays went 0-for-1.
