Wild rally to dump Habs in OT
There are a few sure things Minnesota Wild fans can count on. Two of them are pretty assists by Quinn Hughes, and home wins over the Montreal Canadiens.
They got to see both on Monday.
Hughes set up three goals, tying a franchise record in the process, and the Wild rallied, beating Montreal 4-3 in overtime for their 12th straight home win versus the Habs.
Trailing 3-2 with 13 minutes left in regulation, Minnesota got an equalizing goal from Brock Faber and the overtime clincher from Kirill Kaprizov to win their only February home game.
Kaprizov was hooked on an overtime rush to the net, giving the Wild a 4-on-3 power play in the extra session, and setting up the dramatic overtime winner. Hughes assisted on the goal, giving him three assists in the game.
Filip Gustavsson had 17 saves for Minnesota, which next plays at home on March 1, after the NHL’s extended break for the Winter Olympics.
Fans were still buzzing from a pre-game introduction of the Wild’s many Olympians when Eriksson Ek ripped a rising shot just inside the far post to give Minnesota the lead just 38 seconds into the game.
Hughes set up Kirill Kaprizov’s team-leading 31st goal of the season to double the Wild’s lead later in the first. It was the ninth consecutive game with an assist for Hughes, tying Kaprizov’s franchise record. But Montreal responded before the period was over, scoring in the final minute to cut Minnesota’s lead to 2-1 after one.
Both teams had chances in the middle frame. But it was Montreal connecting in the final minute of the period, again, tying the game with 17 seconds left in the second on a pretty cross-ice passing play. The visitors needed just a dozen seconds in the third period to take their first lead, when Kirby Dach tipped a blind pass between Gustavsson’s blocker and the post.
But Faber scored on a rush to the net for his career-best 13th of the season to tie the game again.
The Wild’s defensive corps got a little healthier before the game, when veteran Zach Bogosian returned to the lineup after missing 12 games over the previous month with a lower body injury. But the good health on the blue line was short-lived, as Daemon Hunt left the game before the first period was half done, after taking a Canadiens shot to the neck. He did not return.
Jakub Dobes had 20 saves for the Canadiens, who beat the Wild on a last-minute goal last month in Montreal.
The Wild close the pre-Olympic portion of their schedule on Wednesday night with their first trip to Nashville in 2025-26.
Briefly
A bug making its way through the Wild locker room caused further lineup juggling on Monday. Nico Sturm, who missed the Saturday game in Edmonton, returned to the lineup, but the Wild were without forward Marcus Foligno and goalie Jesper Wallstedt, both of whom were scratched due to illness. Minnesota recalled goalie Cal Petersen from Iowa under emergency conditions to back up Gustavsson, and Tyler Pitlick skated on the fourth line in place of Foligno.
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