MINNEAPOLIS -- The Wild's season started days ago, but this felt like the official coronation.
A sellout crowd played narrator, buzzing after goals and passes and hits.
Kirill Kaprizov skated under a magnifying glass, and the opponent across the ice was a legitimate rival.
After a season of seclusion, from a jam-packed Xcel Energy Center and a full slate of competitors, the Wild was welcomed back to the NHL it used to know it – and the NHL that will grade its progress.
And class is already in session.
The Wild erased four deficits before finally overcoming the Jets 6-5 in overtime on Tuesday to stay undefeated in its home opener in front of an announced crowd of 18,156 – the largest to witness a Wild game at Xcel Energy Center since before the COVID-19 pandemic.
This is the first time the Wild has debuted 3-0 since 2015.
Joel Eriksson Ek polished off his first career hat trick 3 minutes, 30 seconds into overtime after he tied the game at 5 by whacking in a puck with 59 seconds to go in the third period.
Before that, Winnipeg had a sixth goal reversed – an empty-netter by Mark Scheifele with 1:16 to go – after the Wild successfully challenged for off-sides, a dramatic conclusion to the latest chapter of the Wild-Jets saga.
This battle inside the Central Division was on hold last season when the NHL realigned during an abbreviated, 56-game campaign. The Wild (1-2) did well during this break from its most familiar foes, becoming a playoff team in a transition year, but the competition will be tougher as the NHL returns to its usual setup.
That reminder came early against the Jets, with Winnipeg seizing the lead only 3 minutes, 48 seconds into the game when Kyle Connor wired a shot by Wild goaltender Cam Talbot.
Just seconds before, Kaprizov received a raucous ovation when he took to the ice for his first shift – cheers that began to crescendo when he pushed the puck between Nathan Beaulieu's legs and uncorked a shot that stayed out.
Winnipeg gathered the puck and transitioned the other way, capitalizing on Connor's shot, but the Wild responded just 53 seconds later.
Mats Zuccarello pounded on the rebound from a Matt Dumba shot for his first goal of the season, and Kaprizov earned his third assist in three games.
The Jets answered back on Connor's second goal of the night, a wide-open shot in the heart of the slot at 8:17.
After that, the feistiness picked up.
Kaprizov, who had the Jets' attention when he was on the ice, caught a piece of 6-foot-7 Logan Stanley and was penalized for roughing. When he exited the penalty box, Kaprizov was taken down by Pierre-Luc Dubois.
On the ensuing power play, the Wild evened the score at 18:40 on a wrap-around backhander by Eriksson Ek. Then came more fireworks, with Marcus Foligno and Brenden Dillon dropping the gloves after the next faceoff – a fight that included a jumping punch from Foligno, who flung off some of his equipment as he left the action.
The same routine happened in the second, with the Wild once again playing catch-up.
Josh Morrissey put Winnipeg ahead 3-2 on the power play at 5:49, but the Wild retaliated with 2:01 left in the second on a poke-check by goalie Connor Hellebuyck that caromed in off Zuccarello.
In the third period, the Jets went ahead by two goals: DuBois tallied another power play goal from inside the right faceoff circle at 4:19 and Andrew Copp converted on a rising shot at 6:37 to cap off his three-point effort.
But Foligno stuffed in a loose puck on the power play with 4:58 to go before Eriksson Ek tied the game against Helleybuck, who turned aside 38 shots. Eriksson Ek's game-winner came on a 4-on-3 power play in overtime. Overall, the Wild was 3-for-5 and Winnipeg went 2-for-6.
Talbot made 25 saves, including one on Stanley right before Eriksson Ek's clutch finish.
