ST. PAUL, Minn. _ The Jets were the best team in the NHL during the regular season on home ice, a prowess they had no problem flexing during their sweep of the Wild in the first two games in Winnipeg.
Two clubs tied for the second-most points at home.
One of them was the Wild.
And that efficiency was on display in the team's return to St. Paul, Minn., as the Wild held serve with the Jets _ muscling their way to a much-needed and hard-fought 6-2 win Sunday in front of 19,175 at Xcel Energy Center in Game 3 to start to climb back into the first-round, best-of-seven series by trimming the Jets' lead to 2-1.
But getting last change and a friendly crowd didn't seem to be the only catalyst.
After getting outplayed and overwhelmed during parts of their stint in Winnipeg, the Wild exhibited the desperation and urgency needed to avoid a disastrous three-game hole _ a tone that was set by the veterans and emphasized by the youth.
Captain Mikko Koivu assisted on two goals, center Eric Staal earned two points _ including his first goal of the series _ and goalie Devan Dubnyk pocketed 29 saves, while winger Jordan Greenway buried his first NHL goal and defenseman Nick Seeler tallied a pair of assists.
This success, however, didn't come easy _ keeping with the season's theme. The Wild committed two slashing penalties in the first five minutes, and the Jets capitalized on their first shot _ a throw by captain Blake Wheeler that got tipped by defenseman Jonas Brodin's stick before scooting between Dubnyk and the post only 4 minutes, 50 seconds after puck drop.
The power play also suited the Wild. Although the team failed to convert on a lengthy five-on-three, it still scored with the man advantage at 9:47 when winger Mikael Granlund put back a rebound off a Koivu shot he set up. And then with 2:10 left in the first, winger Zach Parise redirected a Koivu feed for his team-leading third tally of the postseason.
Overall, the Wild finished 2-for-3 on the power play; the Jets went 1-for-5.
In the second, the Wild grew their edge to two for the first time in the series after leading for just 53 seconds in Winnipeg _ an offensive outburst ignited by the puck possession and tenacious forecheck the Wild lacked on the road.
It was as if the snowplows outside that have been patrolling the Twin Cities during the weekend's blizzard cleared the neutral zone, creating time and space that the Wild exploited.
Just 3:32 into the period, the fourth line set defenseman Matt Dumba up for a seeing-eye shot through traffic as part of his two-point effort.
As expected, though, the Jets didn't sag. Instead, they clawed within one after a Tyler Myers shot from the half-wall eluded Dubnyk _ a shot Dubnyk had pawed all series long.
But the miscue didn't derail the Wild, not when the team capped off the period with three goals in 3:43.
Staal started the parade after accepting a Granlund pass and roofing it over goalie Connor Hellebuyck in tight at 14:40. Only 20 seconds later, Greenway unleashed a glove-side shot over Hellebuyck's glove for his first pro goal. After that, a Jared Spurgeon attempt deflected off winger Marcus Foligno and in at 18:23 _ a franchise-record sixth goal for a home playoff game.
Fellow playoff newcomer Seeler assisted on the goal and Greenway's.
Hellebuyck was replaced by Steve Mason for the third; he exited with 16 saves, while Mason racked up seven.
