ST. PAUL, Minn. — Playing catch-up sure does suit the Wild.
After giving up the first goal for a fourth straight game and then falling behind a second time, the team rallied yet again — this one a 4-3 finish in overtime against the Ducks on Saturday in front of 18,055 at Xcel Energy Center that preserved its perfect start to the season.
This is the Wild's first 4-0 debut since 2008.
Ryan Hartman split a 3-3 tie with 13 seconds remaining in overtime after a scoreless third period, a glove-side shot after the Wild blanked on a 4-on-3 power play. Wild goalie Cam Talbot also improved to 4-0 in the process after making 21 stops.
A last-minute goal vs. Anaheim started this parade of come-from-behind efforts, as Marcus Foligno scored with 7.2 seconds to go to seal a 2-1 win in the Oct.15 opener.
Since then, the Wild has looked more and more comfortable chasing the opposition.
The team was methodical in its response in Game 2 vs. Los Angeles en route to a 3-2 takedown before unleashing its most thrilling stunner so far — a 6-5 overtime victory over Winnipeg on Tuesday.
As for this latest offering, it appeared to be the brainchild of the bunch — the result of been there, done that.
Just 1:18 into the first period, the Wild was in a familiar spot: trailing 1-0, this time after Anaheim's Rickard Rakell wired a puck five-hole on Talbot just outside the crease.
Like before, the Wild had a response and it was memorable.
Rookie Brandon Duhaime scored his first NHL goal at 7:11 of the first after a Nico Sturm throw at the net banked off Duhaime's left skate while Duhaime was bending down to pick up his stick.
Only 1:54 later, the Wild moved ahead on a rising shot by captain Jared Spurgeon that sailed by a jumping Foligno screen and behind Ducks goalie John Gibson, who was out with injury the last time these two teams faced off.
This was the Wild's first lead in the first period this season, but it was short-lived. By 11:11, Anaheim evened the score at 2 on a nifty deflection by Troy Terry, who had his back to Talbot and the Wild net.
Rakell's second goal of the game 1:49 into the second period on the power play, another deflection, put the Ducks up 3-2 — the fifth time the Wild's penalty kill has been scored on in four games. Overall, Anaheim went 1-for-3 on the power play and the Wild was 0 for 4.
Again, the Wild retaliated with a goal that also secured momentum.
After Foligno scooped up a turnover by the Ducks, he carried the puck behind the net before feeding Jon Merrill for a one-timer at 11:56 of the second period.
Anaheim challenged the play to see if the Wild was off-side, but a lengthy video review confirmed the legitimacy of the goal — which counted as Merrill's first with the Wild and first in the NHL since Feb.8, 2020. Gibson ended up with 32 saves.
With an assist on Merrill's goal, Foligno extended his point streak to four games — the longest he's had at the outset of a season in his career.
The Wild wrapped up the second period on the upswing but couldn't capitalize in the third, setting up overtime where Hartman scored his second game-winner of the season to secure the Wild's ninth straight win against the Ducks.
