Wild 4, Blue Jackets 2
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Left winger Zach Parise recorded his first hat trick of the season, leading the Minnesota Wild to a 4-2 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday in Nationwide Arena.
Parise, who increased his season total to 14 goals, was set up on both of his first two goals by center Mikael Granlund. He scored late in the first period for a 1-0 lead and midway through the second to put Minnesota up 2-1.
He added his third goal with 56.1 seconds remaining, scoring from the neutral zone into an empty net for his fourth career hat trick.
After Columbus left winger Nick Foligno sliced the deficit to one with 16 seconds left, Granlund capped the scoring 1.6 seconds later with another empty-netter.
Minnesota goaltender Devan Dubnyk made 29 saves for his 17th victory of the season.
Wild center Mikko Koivu was injured in the first period and taken to a Columbus hospital after slamming back-first into the end boards following a tangle with Blue Jackets defenseman David Savard.
The Wild did not provide an update on Koivu's condition before the end of the game.
Right winger Cam Atkinson scored the Blue Jackets' first goal. Columbus rookie goaltender Anton Forsberg finished with 29 saves.
The Blue Jackets are currently without both of their regular goaltenders. Starter Sergei Bobrovsky has a groin injury, while backup Curtis McElhinney sustained an ankle injury Saturday.
That leaves 23-year-old Forsberg and 21-year-old Joonas Korpisalo, both rookies, to carry the load for the foreseeable future.
However, the Blue Jackets' issues Tuesday weren't in goal; they were on the other end of the rink. For the ninth time in 41 games -- half of the season -- the Jackets scored one goal or fewer.
The Wild took a 1-0 lead at 17:22 of the first period.
Granlund, carrying the puck with speed through the neutral zones, split two Blue Jackets defenders and fed Parise in the right circle.
Parise made a nifty shot, beating Forsberg with a wrister to the far corner of the net.
The Blue Jackets made it 1-1 at 3:08 of the second period.
Atkinson skated hard to the net and buried a backhand feed from left winger Scott Hartnell from below the goal line.
The Wild regained the lead later in the period, thanks again to Parise.
At 12:43 of the second, with both clubs down a skater following minor penalties, Parise slipped away from his check and gathered a quick pass from Granlund for a clean look at Forsberg.
Parise lifted the puck up and over Forsberg in tight space for a 2-1 lead.
NOTES: Blue Jackets LW Kerby Rychel, currently playing for the minor league team in AHL Cleveland, has requested a trade, according to the Columbus Dispatch. Rychel, the No. 19 overall pick in 2013, has played in only 16 NHL games the past two seasons, despite massive struggles by the team. ... Minnesota C Ryan Carter (hand) was a healthy scratch, but the club doesn't think he will be out of the lineup much longer. ... Blue Jackets D Cody Goloubef (broken jaw) was activated from the injured reserve and played in his first game since he was struck in the face by a puck on Nov. 20.