Wild get two goals from Staal in 4-2 win over Knights
ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Eric Staal scored twice in the third period, including the game-winner just past the midway point of the period, to lift the Minnesota Wild to a 4-2 win over the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday night at Xcel Energy Center.
Matt Dumba's blast struck Vegas defenseman Deryk Engelland on the hand and deflected to Stall for a tap-in goal at 12:05 of the period. Staal added an empty-net goal with 5.1 seconds left to seal it.
With Minnesota clinging to a 1-0 lead entering the third period, the teams erupted for three goals in a 2:45 span early in the third.
Brayden McNabb got Vegas (15-8-1) on the board with a blast through a screen on an odd-man rush that fooled Wild goaltender Devan Dubnyk at 2:42.
The Wild (12-10-3) nearly regained the lead less than a minute later, but Vegas goaltender Malcolm Subban robbed Nino Niederreiter with a pad save at the right post.
Jonathan Marchessault took a William Karlsson drop pass and snapped a shot past Dubnyk at 4:39, but Jonas Brodin answered for Minnesota 48 seconds later with a shot from the left point that deflected off McNabb's stick.
Minnesota's Mikael Granlund broke a scoreless tight late in the second period on a beautiful feed from defenseman Mike Reilly.
Reilly picked up the puck just inside the Vegas blue line and carried it to the top of the left circle, opening a passing lane, before whipping a cross-ice pass to Granlund for a one-timer from the right faceoff dot.
Granlund's upper-corner blast beat Subban's outstretched glove at 17:01.
NOTES: The Golden Knights activated D Luca Sbisa from injured reserve on Thursday. Sbisa missed seven games with a lower-body injury. ... Vegas placed RW David Perron and RW William Carrier on injured reserve. Perron sat out his third straight game after suffering an upper-body injury on Nov. 24 against San Jose. Carrier missed his second game since sustaining an upper-body injury on Nov. 25 against Arizona. Each player is expected to miss at least a week. ... Minnesota claimed D Nate Prosser after the St. Louis Blues placed him on waivers. The Elk River, Minn., native, who played one game for the Blues this season, is beginning his third stint as a member of his hometown club. ... Wild LW Jason Zucker is the first Las Vegas native drafted into the NHL and maintains his offseason residence there.