If the Wild was flying under the radar, it probably isn’t any longer.
The team confirmed its emergence as one of the best teams in the NHL on Saturday, outdueling the Maple Leafs 4-3 in a shootout in front of 18,568 at Xcel Energy Center to extend its season-long win streak to six games while also handing Toronto just its third loss over the last 18 games.
No one in the NHL has more wins than the Wild (17), and its 35 points are tied for the second most in the league after sweeping a five-game homestand.
Mats Zuccarello and Kirill Kaprizov scored in the shootout, this after a scoreless overtime on the heels of the Maple Leafs erasing a three-goal deficit in the second period to set up a photo finish.
This was a must-see matchup, with each team bringing a five-game win streak into battle, and neither side gave the other much to work with in the early stages.
A hit by Jordan Greenway on the NHL’s reigning leading goal scorer Auston Matthews changed that.
Greenway stood up to a pair of Leafs players before his linemate Marcus Foligno stepped in, fighting Toronto’s Wayne Simmonds.
After that, the Wild took over.
With 24 seconds left in the first period, Wild grabbed the lead when Greenway pounced on the rebound from a Matt Dumba shot that hit the post. The goal was Greenway’s second over the past three games, a span in which he’s racked up four points.
That momentum carried over into the second period, where the Wild was the benefactor of a few fortuitous plays.
Mats Zuccarello’s centering feed caromed off the Maple Leafs’ Justin Holl and flew behind goaltender Jack Campbell at 5:21, a goal that notched Zuccarello’s ninth point over his last seven games and snapped a 0-for-21 drought on the power play.
Kirill Kaprizov also assisted on the play, his 11th point during a season-high five-game point streak.
Then, at 8:07, Joel Eriksson Ek’s shot hit the referee and Marcus Foligno buried the loose puck to lift the Wild to a 3-0 head start.
Not only was the goal Foligno’s fifth over his past eight games, but it marked the first time in his 11-year NHL career that he’s reached the 10-goal plateau in three straight seasons.
But a bounce also worked against the Wild, opening the door for Toronto to claw its way back into the game.
Jason Spezza’s throw from the corner went off Talbot and dropped into the net at 12:47.
Before the period ended, the Wild committed back-to-back penalties and the Maple Leafs capitalized on both opportunities.
First, Spezza’s one-timer rolled five-hole on Talbot at 17:51 for his second goal of the night and with 50 second remaining, Matthews directed in a Spezza pass to even the score at 3.
Overall, Toronto’s power play went 2-for-5. Matthews had two points in the period, assisting on the Maple Leafs’ second goal, while Morgan Rielly had a hand in all three.
This was the first time this season the Wild blew a three-goal lead.
The team had the chance to atone for its letdown in the third period during a 5-on-3 power play for 1:48, but the Wild couldn’t take advantage – having all five of its shots, including two from Kaprizov, stopped by Campbell, who made 37 overall. The Wild’s power play finished 1-for-5.
At the other end, Talbot had 39 saves at the other end to go along with two stops in the shootout – including the final attempt by Toronto’s William Nylander.
