Wild gain confidence earning point in comeback

NEWARK, N.J. -- The Minnesota Wild trailed the New Jersey Devils by two goals in the third period, and it looked like they were certain to lose for the sixth time in eight games and score one goal or fewer for the third time in four.

But a comeback forced overtime, earned a point in the standings for a 4-3 loss, and gave the Wild a little swagger in their march toward the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

"The points are important. We had an opportunity to get two," Wild forward Zach Parise said. "But I think given the way we came back a couple of times, this one could be important."

The value of the point was magnified when the Dallas Stars lost to the Philadelphia Flyers, 4-2. The results gave Minnesota, which holds the Western Conference's first wild-card spot with 84 points, a eight-point lead on Dallas.

"I think it proves to ourselves that we can come back from being down. We were down two with under 10 to play," Wild forward Matt Cooke said. "The next time we're in a situation like this we can look back on it and draw some excitement."

After the Wild mustered 12 shots through the first two periods, Parise scored 21 seconds into the third to cut the Devils lead to 2-1. It was one of two shots the Wild took in the opening 10 minutes of the period.

Mikael Granlund and Cooke scored 4:52 apart to force overtime, giving the Wild a 1-1-1 record on their three-game road trip.

Following a home-and-home with the Detroit Red Wings and a home date with the Vancouver Canucks on March 26, the Wild open a four-game road trip against four Western Conference teams in a playoff spot: the St. Louis Blues, Phoenix Coyotes, Los Angeles Kings and Chicago Blackhawks.

The Wild would have preferred to win in overtime rather than lose on Andy Greene's goal two minutes into extra time.

"I can't be disappointed when you get points this time of year," Wild coach Mike Yeo said. "We can't be feeling too good about it. But at the same time, when you're facing a two-goal deficit in the third period and you battle back to get a point on the road, you have to accept that. I'm not sitting here saying we're in love with our game. But it's positive the way the guys found a way to get that point."