The Minnesota Wild stayed hot and grabbed a share of the NHL lead in points on , rallying to earn a 2-1 overtime win over the Nashville Predators. Ryan Hartman’s goal at 2:27 of the extra period gave the Wild their fifth straight win and moved them to 22-11-3 on the season, tied with the Boston Bruins for tops in the league.
The Predators took an early lead on a power play goal by Roman Josi at 13:23 of the first period. But the Wild answered back on a power play of their own, with Kirill Kaprizov knotting the game just over a minute later. Both teams had chances to win it in regulation, but neither could find the back of the net.
In overtime, the Wild carried the play and eventually broke through when Hartman took a pass from Kaprizov and beat Predators goalie Juuse Saros. The win was the Wild’s fourth straight on the road and their eighth in their last nine games.
Kaprizov has been on a tear lately, and his assist on Hartman’s goal was his 15th point in his last 13 games. The Russian forward now has 20 goals and 31 points on the season, which leads the Wild in both categories.
The Wild’s power play has been clicking lately, and they converted once again in overtime, improving to 3-for-13 with the man advantage in their last five games. Their penalty kill was also strong, killing off all three of Nashville’s power plays.
The Wild have been impressive both at home and on the road this season. They are 13-5-1 at Xcel Energy Center and 9-6-2 on the road, giving them a league-best road record.
With their current hot streak, the Wild are positioned well for a strong postseason push. They are currently third in the Central Division, but they are just two points behind the first-place Dallas Stars. With 46 games remaining in the regular season, the Wild have plenty of time to make a run at the division title.
The Wild are firing on all cylinders right now, and their 5-game winning streak has put them right in the thick of the playoff race. With Kaprizov leading the way and their special teams clicking, the Wild are a team to be reckoned with. They will look to continue their winning ways when they host the Colorado Avalanche on .
| Team | Points |
|---|---|
| Wild | 49 |
| Bruins | 49 |
| Stars | 48 |
