Postgame Hat Trick: Capitals 5, Wild 2

Wild.com's Dan Myers gives three takeaways from the Wild's 5-2 loss against the Washington Capitals at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul on Tuesday night:

1. The Wild struggled in its return home.
The game Tuesday marked the Wild's first game in St. Paul in 17 days, on the heels of a seven-game road trip in which Minnesota went 5-2-0.
The Wild couldn't keep that momentum alive however.
Dmitry Orlov scored his first of two goals in the game 6:33 in and Tom Wilson added a late first-period goal to give Washington a two-goal lead after one. Andre Burakovsky made it 3-0 just over three minutes into the second before the Wild finally hit the scoresheet for the first time.
Down two late in the second, Minnesota made its best push of the night but could never draw closer.
2. Mikko Koivu scored his third of the year to give the Wild a chance.
Capitals goaltender Pheonix Copley, making his first career start against the Wild, was perfect until Koivu's shot slipped through his arm and trickled across the goal line at 11:57 of the second period.

Off the drop of the next puck, Marcus Foligno and Tom Wilson engaged in a rough-and-tumble battle of fists at center ice. The Wild owned play the final eight minutes and change of the period.
3. Orlov's second goal of the night early in the third was a deflator.
With the Caps leading by a pair, Minnesota had a chance to draw closer with the benefit of a power play. But after killing the Wild's advantage, Washington extended its lead, with Orlov finishing off a textbook 3-on-2 rush by ripping a one timer over the shoulder of Devan Dubnyk.
A couple of minutes later, T.J. Oshie scored on a one timer of his own to make it 5-1. Matt Dumba scored a late goal for Minnesota, his sixth of the season.