Wild 4, Oilers 3
Mikko Koivu had a goal and an assist as the Minnesota Wild ended an eight-game losing skid with a 4-3 victory over the visiting Edmonton Oilers on Thursday night.
Minnesota enjoyed an offensive explosion - at least by its standards - after scoring just 10 times during the skid. The win also allows the Wild to finish with a 4-2-0 edge in their season series with the Oilers.
After Taylor Hall gave Edmonton the early lead, Koivu drew the Wild even with 6:13 remaining in the opening period. With the teams playing four-on-four, the Minnesota captain stickhandled into the slot before wristing a shot that eluded Oilers netminder Nikolai Khabibulin.
The Wild went in front on two quick goals midway through the second frame. Jarod Palmer skated in untouched on the left side and whistled a shot high past Khabibulin for his first career NHL goal, while Pierre-Marc Bouchard made it 3-1 just 19 seconds later from nearly the exact same spot.
Ladislav Smid made it a one-goal game with a one-timer of a Hall pass with 5:20 remaining, but Dany Heatley restored the two-goal advantage 46 seconds later on a tap-in from the doorstep.
Shawn Horcoff made it a 4-3 game at 6:40 of the third on a wrist shot that fooled Minnesota netminder Niklas Backstrom. Edmonton had a chance to draw even after the Wild's Justin Falk picked up an interference penalty with 1:23 remaining, but couldn't manage a decent shot on goal despite having a 6-on-4 advantage.