Alex Pietrangelo scored at 1:53 of overtime to lift the Vegas Golden Knights to a 3-2 win over the Minnesota Wild on Wednesday night after another thrilling comeback by Minnesota.
Alex Tuch, originally drafted by the Wild in 2014, set up Pietrangelo with a pass across the slot, helping the West Division-leading Golden Knights create some breathing room in the standings. Six of the eight matchups between the teams this season were decided by one goal, providing a potential preview of a closely contested postseason series.
“As we get closer to the playoffs, the intensity ramps up,” said Pietrangelo. “With more fans entering the buildings, the atmosphere becomes even more exciting.”
Wild coach Dean Evason added, “It was an incredible game. It had everything.”
Marc-Andre Fleury made 26 saves and claimed third place on the NHL’s all-time wins list, surpassing Roberto Luongo with his 490th career victory.
“I’m honored to have played enough games and with such a great team to reach this milestone,” said Fleury, who has been rotating starts with Robin Lehner.
Chandler Stephenson scored in the second period, and Reilly Smith netted the game-tying goal on a power play with 4:16 left in regulation for Vegas. The Wild had taken a 2-1 lead when Kirill Kaprizov scored twice in 2:10 but were frustrated by a late hooking call against Mats Zuccarello, which set up Smith’s goal off a pass from William Karlsson.
“I guess they weren’t looking to call any penalties until Vegas was down,” said an irked Ryan Hartman of the Wild.
The Golden Knights (37-13-2) extended their lead over the third-place Wild (33-14-5) to five points, with Colorado in between. All three teams have clinched playoff berths, but the final standings remain up for grabs as the season winds down. Vegas and Minnesota have four games left, while Colorado has five remaining.
“We earned it tonight,” said Golden Knights coach Peter DeBoer. “I’m glad we ended that streak, at least for tonight.”
Kirill Kaprizov, Vegas’ main target in a physical contest, further strengthened his Calder Trophy case. He scored a spectacular goal by batting in an airborne pass with 8:47 left in regulation, then gave the Wild a brief 2-1 lead just over two minutes later, snapping a shot past Fleury.
Cam Talbot made 31 saves for Minnesota. After giving up five goals through two periods on Monday, Talbot rebounded by stopping all 11 shots in the third period of that game.
A Heated Battle
Monday’s game, where the Wild rallied for a 6-5 victory with three third-period goals, set the stage for another intense contest. The arena had a playoff-like atmosphere even with a limited, socially distanced crowd.
The first period was chaotic and physical, with a combined 30 penalty minutes. Vegas defensemen Zach Whitecloud and Nicolas Hague were bloodied in scrums, while Minnesota’s Hartman also left the ice with a bloodied face. After Whitecloud tussled with Kaprizov, Marcus Foligno stepped in to fight Hague.
“It’s going to be a great series if we face these guys in the playoffs,” said Foligno.
Injury Updates
Golden Knights leading scorer Max Pacioretty missed his second straight game with an undisclosed injury, and forward Tomas Nosek was sidelined for a fifth consecutive game. Vegas dressed just 17 skaters.
The Wild were without their second-leading scorer, Kevin Fiala, due to a lower-body injury, which coach Dean Evason said isn’t serious. Marcus Johansson returned after missing two games with an upper-body injury.
UP NEXT
- Golden Knights: Return home to host the St. Louis Blues on Friday and Saturday.
- Wild: Finish their seven-game homestand against Anaheim on Friday and Saturday.