Postgame Hat Trick: Wild 4, Rangers 1

Wild.com's Dan Myers gives three takeaways from the Wild's 4-1 win against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden in New York City on Friday night:

1. Mikael Granlund and Eric Staal looked good together.
Minnesota, which scored three first-period goals last Tuesday in St. Paul -- all off Rangers turnovers -- got one again when Staal forechecked Tony DeAngelo right into a turnover behind the Rangers net. The puck squirted free to the front of the goal where Granlund pounced, beating Rangers goaltender Alexandar Georgiev at 16:06 for a 1-0 lead.

But that line wasn't done, and neither was Granlund ... not by a long shot.
Just 1:37 later, Zach Parise made a fantastic behind-the-back centering feed to a crashing Staal, who shoveled the puck past Georgiev for his 28th goal. Granlund picked up the secondary assist in the process.

In the third period, with Minnesota leading by a goal, it was Staal who re-established the two-goal lead with a deflection in front.
Ten minutes after that, Granlund scored his second of the night on a snipe.

Granlund also assisted on Staal's third-period tally, providing him with his second career four-point game.
The outburst provided Granlund with his 16th and 17th goals of the season, snapping an 11-game goal drought.
2. In case anyone in the Big Apple thought Staal was finished when he struggled in a 20-game stint with the Rangers a couple of years ago, the 33-year-old centerman proved he has plenty left in the tank.
His second goal, a crucial power-play marker less than a minute into the third, was his 29th of the season, tying his total from all of last season.

He also assisted on both of Granlund's goals, giving him 29 assists. His 58 points this season are seven fewer than he had all of last season with 21 games still remaining on the schedule.
3. The Wild went 3-0 and secured all six points on its trip to the East Coast.
The game Friday at MSG was Minnesota's final road game of the season against an Eastern Conference foe, and the Wild made sure it was memorable.
After winning Monday afternoon in Brooklyn against the Islanders, the Wild followed with impressive wins in New Jersey and in Manhattan, going a perfect 3-for-3 in the Big Apple.
Winning in New Jersey moved the Wild into third place in the Central Division for the first time this season, but it was short-lived; the Dallas Stars won a couple of hours later in Los Angeles, bumping Minnesota back down to the top wild card in the Western Conference.
But with Dallas not in action on Friday, the Wild will get to enjoy third place a little bit longer. The Stars host fellow Central foe Winnipeg on Saturday night before Minnesota skates again Sunday, back at Xcel Energy Center, against the San Jose Sharks.
Related:
- Depth evident in win against New Jersey - Watch: Chuck Fletcher discusses Wild's play on NHL Now