Wild 3, Hurricanes 2 (SO)
SAINT PAUL, Minn. -- Charlie Coyle and Zach Parise scored in a shootout as the Minnesota Wild got a rare home win, beating the Carolina Hurricanes 3-2 on Saturday afternoon.
Jason Zucker and David Jones scored in regulation for Minnesota, which has won just three games at Xcel Energy Center since 2016 began. The Wild (33-28-11) got 31 saves from goalie Devan Dubnyk and remains in the playoff hunt, one point behind the Colorado Avalanche in the race for the final postseason slot in the West. Dubnyk stopped two of three shots in the shootout.
Chris Terry and Jordan Staal scored the goals for the Hurricanes (31-27-14), who are currently five points out of a playoff spot in the East, and could sink further back of eighth-place Detroit pending Saturday night results. Cam Ward had 30 saves for the Hurricanes, now winless in their last four (0-1-3).
The opening 20 minutes were dead even, with both teams getting one penalty, both teams getting seven shots on goal, and neither team finding a way to score.
Minnesota finally broke the deadlock with 4:23 to play in the middle period when Jones scored his second goal as a member of the Wild. Nino Niederreiter passed from behind the Carolina net to Erik Haula, who was between the circles. Ward blocked Haula's low shot with the goalie's left leg pad, but the puck sat uncovered in the crease for a half-second. That was just long enough for Jones to fight off Carolina rookie defenseman Noah Hanifin and pop the puck up over the goalie. It was the 11th goal of the season for Jones, who came to Minnesota in a trade with the Calgary Flames on Feb. 29.
The Hurricanes needed less than two minutes to answer when Terry snapped a 12-game goal drought. Hanifin's outlet pass sprung Terry and Nathan Gerbe on a 2-on-1 rush into the offensive zone. From the right circle, Terry ripped a rising shot that beat Dubnyk's glove.
Zucker re-established the Wild lead just 16 seconds into the third. After bring the puck into the zone, Zucker got the puck to Wild captain Mikko Koivu, who shot from the left circle. The puck hit the lip of Ward's glove and rebounded to the top of the crease, hitting Zucker in the abdomen and falling to the ice. Zucker was able to wheel around and slap the puck over the line before Ward could get back in position.
But Staal capitalized on a juicy rebound to forge a 2-2 tie. Dubnyk stopped a tipped shot by Elias Lindholm but sticked away the loose puck and inadvertently directed it right Staal, waiting at the left of the net. He shot high over the sprawling goalie for Staal's second goal in the past three games.
Both teams had chances in overtime, with Carolina controlling much of the play, and Lindholm getting thwarted by Dubnyk on a breakaway in the final seconds.
NOTES: Wild LW Thomas Vanek was a healthy scratch on Saturday for just the second time this season. He has notched three assists and no goals in Minnesota's last 10 games. ... Carolina D Ryan Murphy missed Saturday's game due to an upper-body injury. He had played in the Hurricanes' previous seven games, recording three assists, since being recalled from the AHL on March 1. ... Saturday's game was played with the Big Ten hockey logo displayed at center ice of Xcel Energy Center, prior to Minnesota and Michigan playing for the conference title on Saturday night in St. Paul. ... With a nod to March Madness, Minnesota Timberwolves assistant coach Sidney Lowe delivered the pre-game "Let's Play Hockey" cheer for the crowd. Lowe was a key player in North Carolina State's memorable run to the NCAA basketball title in 1983 and coached the Wolfpack for six seasons.