Postgame Hat Trick: Wild 4, Devils 2

Wild.com's Dan Myers gives three takeaways from the Wild's 4-2 win against the New Jersey Devils at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey on Saturday afternoon:

1. The Wild got its much sought-after first win since the All-Star break.
Minnesota had gone 0-2-2 since returning from its layoff, but with teams converging in the playoff race, Minnesota was in desperate need of two points on Saturday afternoon.
It got it.
Despite an early deficit once again, the Wild did not wilt. Marcus Foligno scored on a pretty wraparound to erase the early hole and take things to the first intermission tied at 1-1.

In the second, it was former Devil Zach Parise and Devils nemesis Joel Eriksson Ek giving Minnesota its first lead of the game then its first multi-goal lead in five games.

Devan Dubnyk didn't see a lot of volume, but came up with a couple of timely saves, including one on Pavel Zacha and another on Nico Hischier on a breakaway chance.

After New Jersey closed within 3-2 early in the third period, Luke Kunin stayed hot with his second goal of the year. He has points in three-straight games since he recall from Iowa, with two of those contests being multi-point efforts.
2. Foligno had the second Gordie Howe hat trick of his NHL career.
The stats aren't there to back it up just yet, but it's clear that Foligno is far more comfortable in his second season in Minnesota. On Saturday, the stats backed up his play, as Foligno scored a goal, dished out an assist and dished out some punishment as well, dropping the mitts with former Wild forward Kurtis Gabriel.
The goal was a pretty one too: Wraparound, backhand, upstairs off the post and under the crossbar, for his fifth tally of the season.

Foligno is going through one of those stretches right now where he seems to make an impactful play every night. Sometimes it shows up in the boxscore, and sometimes it doesn't. Saturday was one of those times.
For Foligno, it was his first Gordie Howe hatty since Dec. 19, 2013 against the Boston Bruins, when he was a member of the Buffalo Sabres.
3. Minnesota continued its trend of daytime success, especially on the road.
Saturday's matinee affair in Newark was the first of back-to-back day games in the Big Apple, and maybe that's a good thing.
With the win, the Wild is now 6-0 in daytime starts away from home, securing wins over St. Louis, Winnipeg, Toronto, Ottawa, Vegas and now New Jersey.
Can the Wild make it 7-0 on Sunday against the New York Islanders? Tune into FOX Sports North tomorrow at 2 p.m. CT.