The Wild might be getting hot at the right time.
After beating Calgary on the road Monday night, the Wild went to Edmonton and beat the Oilers, 5-3 Tuesday night.
Kyle Brodziak scored the first and last goals for Minnesota. His first came on a slap shot just 61 seconds into the game, giving the Wild an early edge.
With game tied 1-1 in the second, Charlie Coyle buried a slap shot for his seventh goal of his rookie season. Less than four minutes later Mikael Granlund gave the Wild a 3-1 lead.
Granlund was optioned back to Houston before the game, but recalled before he could get on the plane because Mike Rupp was out with an injury.
Zach Parise started the third period with 20 seconds of hockey that help explain why he received a $98 million contract last summer. His hard work resulted in a wrist shot that found the back of the net on a power play for his team leading 16th goal of the season.
Brodziak then scored his second goal of the game at 5:34 of the third, giving the Wild a 5-1 lead.
Give the Oilers credit for not quitting. Goals by Shawn Horcoff and Magnus Paajarvi less than three minute part cut the Wild’s lead to two, 5-3.
But the Wild kept the Oilers off the board for the final 7:13 of the game.
The win is huge for the Wild, who are in the middle of a jam-packed Western Conference playoff race.
1. Chicago, 70 points
2. Anaheim, 59 points
3. Vancouver, 55 points
4. Los Angeles, 52 points
5. San Jose, 51 points
6. Minnesota, 51 points
7. St. Louis, 50 points
8. Detroit, 47 points
Note: Minnesota outshot Edmonton, 30-19. Clayton Stoner finished with two assists.
