Game Recap: Devils 4, Wild 3

NEWARK, N.J. -- The Minnesota Wild (3-4-2) fell to the New Jersey Devils (5-2-1) on Sunday night, leaving it winless on the three-game road trip. The Wild picked up 1 point in a 3-2 shootout loss against the Capitals on Friday night.

The Devils took an early 1-0 lead in the game with a shot from F Jesper Bratt that beat G Marc-Andre Fleury at 6:13.

On a breakaway where he almost didn't get his stick loose from a Devils' defender in time, F Pat Maroon tied the game 1-1 and beat G Vitek Vanecek for his first goal in a Wild sweater. With the goal, he extends his point streak to six games (1-5=6). He was assisted on the play by D Jonas Brodin and D Brock Faber.

Minnesota out-shot New Jersey 12-9 at the end of the first period.

The Wild took the lead for the first time in the game when F Ryan Hartman scored on the power play at 2:31, 2-1. The goal is his team-leading sixth, and his first PPG, of the season. He was assisted by D Calen Addison and F Joel Eriksson Ek. Eriksson Ek now leads the Wild in scoring this season with 10 points.

It looked like the Devils tied the game at 4:44 but the play was deemed offside upon review.

New Jersey would ultimately tie the game 2-2 with their own power play goal scored by F Tyler Toffoli at 6:10. Hartman had been called for slashing at 5:45 to give New Jersey the man advantage.

The Devils took a 3-2 lead at 6:54 when F Erik Haula scored unassisted. Haula was drafted by Minnesota 182nd overall in the 2009 NHL Draft and recorded 89 points (42-47=89) in 266 games with the Wild (2013-17). 

D Dakota Mermis was called for high-sticking at 16:10 and the Devils' power play capitalized. Bratt tallied his second goal of the game to give New Jersey a 4-2 lead. 

Minnesota still led in shots 26-20 at the end of the second.

After a quiet third period, D Jake Middleton scored his first goal of the season, 4-3 Devils. With the goal, Middleton now leads Wild defensemen in scoring this season with six points (1-5=6).

He was assisted by Maroon and F Marcus Foligno at 15:17. Maroon's assist gives him his second multi-point game (1-1=2) of the season and he now owns seven points (1-6=7) in his last six contests. Foligno's assist extend his point streak to a season-best of four games (2-2=4).

What else?

• New Jersey's power play is the best in the NHL at 33.3% (8/24)
• F Kirill Kaprizov led the Wild with 27:30, Brodin led defensemen with 23:49
• Minnesota won 54.9% of faceoffs
• Eriksson Ek went 14/19 (74%) in the faceoff dot

What'd they say?

"It gets tough to continue to talk about positives when you're not getting results." -Head Coach Dean Evason on the special teams

"I've been getting chances. Obviously, it's nice to get one outta the way there." -Maroon on his first goal with the Wild

"We got a lucky one tonight but I think we deserve a few more." -Addison on the team's first power play goal of the season

"Get back on the ice. Get back to practice. That's the best thing to do. Learn from our mistakes." -Fleury on how the team can regroup

What's next?

Minnesota will get a rematch against New Jersey, but this time on home ice. The Wild will host the Devils on Thursday, Nov. 2 at 7 p.m. CT at Xcel Energy Center and on Bally Sports North.