EDMONTON, Alberta — The Wild had a tall task in trying to cool off the Oilers on Friday. Edmonton had won 20 of its previous 25 games and was riding a nine-game points streak at Rogers Place.

But the Wild also had a plan: Control the pace, battle hard for loose pucks and stay out of the penalty box.

It worked, even as Minnesota was outshot 43-18. Twenty of those Edmonton shots came in the third period.

Minnesota Wild’s Mats Zuccarello (36) and Edmonton Oilers’ Connor McDavid (97) work behind the net during the second period of an NHL hockey game Friday, Feb. 23, 2024, in Edmonton, Alberta. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)

Matt Boldy scored a pair of goals, and Filip Gustavsson stopped 41 of 43 shots as the Wild improved to 6-1-1 since returning from the all-star break to bolster their chances of making the playoffs for a fourth consecutive season.

The Oilers, who entered the game with the NHL’s fourth-best power play, went 2 for 2 with the man advantage, pulling to within 3-2 late. But Mats Zuccarello scored an empty-netter 1:27 left to seal the win.

Jonas Brodin’s slap shot from the left circle found the far post and banked in to give Minnesota a 3-1 lead with 7:42 remaining.

Leon Draistaitl and Zach Hyman scored for Edmonton.

Minnesota played the game it needed to play, controlling pace — and the puck — for most of the first two periods before white-knuckling it late.

Joel Eriksson Ek appeared to give the Wild a 1-0 lead midway through the first period when he sliced a shot from the right circle past Calvin Pickard, but the Oilers challenged for offsides and it was an easy call.

Minnesota Wild’s Frederick Gaudreau (89) and Edmonton Oilers’ Mattias Ekholm (14) works for the rebound from goalie Calvin Pickard (30) during the first period of an NHL hockey game Friday, Feb. 23, 2024, in Edmonton, Alberta. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)

The Wild finally took a lead when Boldy finished a rush with a quick shot from the high slot that beat Pickard with 22.8 seconds left in the first period. It started when Brock Faber turned over a puck in the corner on an Oilers rush and started one the other way.

Jake Middleton skated the puck straight up the middle and passed to Boldy on his right flank. Boldy skated behind Middleton between the circles and fired.

Midway through the second period, Eriksson Ek was called for holding Connor McDavid and the Oilers wasted little time in tying it up. Leon Draisaitl scored on a one-timer from the right circle that found the top far corner of the net at 10:27, just 17 seconds into their first power play.

Edmonton entered the game with the NHL’s fourth-best power play (26.3 percent success rate), and Draisaitl’s 14 power-play goal moved him alone into third place in the league.

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