Talk about your dramatic wins.The Minnesota Wild might not have a better win this season than their first
Adidas Erik Karlsson Jersey , a 4-3 overtime decision Thursday night over the Chicago Blackhawks that featured a short-handed equalizer in the last 25 seconds of regulation and a game-winning breakaway goal from Jason Zucker.“If this is how the year is going to be, I won’t have any hair left at the end of it,” Minnesota coach Bruce Boudreau quipped.Article continues below ...With a two-point game in their pocket for the first time, the Wild try to push above .500 Saturday in a late-afternoon clash with the Carolina Hurricanes that finishes a three-game homestand.Minnesota (1-1-1) came into the game against Chicago looking for offense. The Wild found it, outshooting the Blackhawks 46-30 after being outshot 82-51 in the first two games. They finally sustained puck possession and drove play.Chicago goalie Cam Ward made a spate of outstanding saves that probably prevented Minnesota from scoring six or seven goals, yet the Wild were in danger of losing again after Mikael Granlund took a holding minor at 18:43 of the third period.But Minnesota took advantage of the Blackhawks’ inability to maintain puck control. Eric Staal and Zack Parise pumped shots at Ward, who saved them both. However, defenseman Ryan Suter, who rarely ventures below the point on offense
Adidas Adam Cracknell Jersey , got to the top of the blue paint and poked home a rebound to force overtime.“Just desperation … just trying to get to the net and help out,” Suter said.Zucker wrapped things up in overtime with his second goal of the night, capping one of the best games for anyone in the league during the first week-plus. He finished with three points, a plus-four plus-minus rating and put 10 shots on net.He was a prime reason why the Wild tied their fourth-highest shot total in a game and equaled their second-most shots on goal in a home game.“I wasn’t happy with how I played the first two games,” Zucker said. “I thought I had some good spurts. It just wasn’t good enough. I know the way I can play and tonight was much more like it. I think everybody would have said the same thing about the first two games.”While Minnesota found some footing, Carolina (3-0-1) has been on solid ground from the opener, when it outshot the New York Islanders 46-20 but lost 2-1 in overtime. It has won three straight since then, including a 5-3 decision Tuesday night over Vancouver.Under first-year coach Rod Brind’Amour, the Hurricanes have found their scoring touch
Adidas Josh Jooris Jersey , registering 17 goals, the third-highest total through four games in franchise history.“We want to play that way offensively,” he said. “That’s the way we have to play. We have good talent, and we have to use it to our advantage. Now we have to get better at the other end. I think there’s a lot of room for improvement, which is a positive that we’re still finding ways to get wins.” Hitting the road isn’t normally seen as a good thing for NHL teams, but the New York Islanders are embracing their longest trip of the season to date.New York (15-12-4) starts a four-game Western Conference swing Monday night at Colorado with a good attitude and with the hope of building momentum after a 4-3 shootout win over Detroit on Saturday night.“I think it’s kind of nice, get on the road, be together as a group, kind of get that bonding again
Adidas Timothy Liljegren Jersey ,” center Mathew Barzal told Newsday after the win over the Red Wings. “I get excited playing in front of other fans. I think we all do.”Article continues below ...The Islanders will be on the road when the NHL roster freeze starts Wednesday and concludes Sunday in Dallas just ahead of the Christmas break.“It’s right before Christmas, right before everyone gets to see family and get some time off,” Anthony Beauvillier, who extended his goal streak to three games on Saturday, told Newsday. “It’s going to be a lot of fun.” Beauvillier might change his tune when facing the high-scoring Avalanche on Monday night. Colorado (18-9-6) has scored 121 goals, tops in the Western Conference and third overall, and is coming off a 6-4 win over Dallas on Saturday night.The top line for the Avalanche has combined for 148 points this season and scored five of the six goals against the Stars.Colorado could have had more goals Saturday but had two disallowed upon review.Forward Mikko Rantanen (56 points) is on a 14-game point streak and leads the NHL in scoring. Center Nathan MacKinnon (52 points) is second.The third member, captain Gabe Landeskog, has 21 goals
Adidas Tyler Ennis Jersey , tied with MacKinnon for the team lead.“I’m fortunate to be part of such a good line that finds different ways to score goals,” Landeskog said after the game.The Avalanche pulled out that win on Landeskog’s goal at 16:40 gave them the lead, and MacKinnon added an empty-netter 1:57 later after blowing a two-goal lead in the third period.New York has had issues with the third period this season before pulling one out against Detroit at home. It was the first time in 10 games the Islanders have won when trailing after two periods but helped them improve to 3-3-1 in December.New York might need to put up more goals Monday than it has lately. The Islanders average 2.9 goals per game but only 2.3 in the last seven. That might not be enough against a team that averages 3.7 goals per game.They also can’t afford to lose ground in the playoff race. Even though it’s only December, dropping valuable points could make things tougher down the road.“You’re going to see in these next four, five games things start to settle in a little bit,” New York captain Anders Lee told Newsday. “It’s that time of the year where these points are crucial. Moves are starting to be made and things start to get a little more set in stone. It only gets harder and harder to climb out of a hole if you get put in one.”
