Game Recap: Wild 4, Jets 3 (OT)

WINNIPEG -- Matt Boldy scored twice, including the overtime winner, and the Minnesota Wild came back to win 4-3 against the Winnipeg Jets at Canada Life Centre on Saturday.

Boldy scored 39 seconds into overtime from the slot to complete the late comeback, after Mats Zuccarello tied it 3-3 at 19:38 of the third period on the power play.

“I didn't think it was a bad game from us, I didn't think it was our best,” Boldy said. “But just sticking with it, taking the positives and getting back on track I think is the biggest thing. For us, when we're playing hard and simple and letting the plays come to us rather than force them, that's what makes us good.

“I think in the second [period] there, we were forcing a little bit too much and trying to make too many plays, and [we] went out for the third and kind of simplified a bit and found a way to tie it up.”

Quinn Hughes had three assists, Kirill Kaprizov had a goal and two assists, and Zuccarello had a goal and an assist for the Wild (23-10-6), who have points in nine of 10 (8-1-1). Jesper Wallstedt made 23 saves.

“It’s a hard game,” Wallstedt said. “They get a couple good looks, and they capitalized on some of them, but I just keep reminding myself to just try to keep the team in the game, make the next save and do my best to make sure there’s still a chance to win the game. Fortunately, today we could, and the guys came up big.”

Kyle Connor and Mark Scheifele each had a goal and an assist, and Connor Hellebuyck made 15 saves for the Jets (15-17-4), who lost their fifth straight (0-2-3). Gabriel Vilardi had two assists.

"To give one up like that late, and then obviously the bounces didn't seem to go our way late in the game, it’s definitely frustrating,” Winnipeg forward Jonathan Toews said. “I think we need to just keep that attitude, that we keep working and doing the little things right and getting all four lines going, that our bounces are going to come. I think we talked about really building that belief in our locker room tonight, and I think we came out really strong. And I think we all feel we deserve better, but it's the way it goes. So we'll move on and move on to the next one.”

Gustav Nyquist appeared to give the Jets the lead at 9:20 of the first period with an end-to-end individual effort, but Minnesota challenged for offside and the goal was overturned.

“It's another bounce that’s tough to stomach, but I think [Nyquist] did a [heck] of a job of just kind of taking a deep breath and moving on,” Toews said. “And he played great tonight and rang one off the bar there in the second. So guys like him, to keep driving, keep making plays the way he has, it’s going to make our team a lot better.”

Josh Morrissey made it 1-0 Jets at 11:36 of the first period, when Connor’s pass from the corner set him up for a slapshot from the high slot.

“You know what, that was a [heck] of an effort by our hockey team. It really was,” Winnipeg coach Scott Arniel said. “What is it, [Minnesota is the] second-hottest team in the League since November 1st? That was a [heck] of a hockey game by us. And I thought that we did everything we possibly could to win that hockey game.”

Boldy tied it at 18:29, redirecting Jared Spurgeon’s point shot at the top of the crease.

“It was a great play by Jared,” Boldy said. “He's so good at finding lanes and giving you shots that are very typical. It wasn't a designed play or anything, it's trying to get to the net. Hellebuyck is so good, so the more you're there the better chances you get because he makes a lot of saves.”

Kaprizov made it 2-1 Wild at 7:33 of the second period, skating into the Jets zone past Jets defenseman Dylan DeMelo and beating Hellebuyck with a deke to the backhand.

“We knew we were coming in here losing the last two games [before] the break -- I give the guys a lot of credit,” Minnesota coach John Hynes said. “I thought we did a really good job of sticking with it and overcoming some adversity at the end of the second period. … So to start off with a good win in the fashion that it was, hopefully should set us up moving forward here on the trip.”

Connor tied it 2-2 at 17:56 when Scheifele’s pass from behind the net found him for a quick shot at the bottom edge of the circle.

“I thought overall most of the game was a tight-fought match,” Wallstedt said. “Obviously at the end of the second we kind of made some small mistakes and they ended up capitalizing on their chances. But I thought the game overall was tight throughout and at the end there we knew maybe we had an extra level and we put that in, and I thought we created a lot and obviously capitalized at the end there.”

Scheifele gave the Jets a 3-2 lead at 19:57. Toews won a face-off back to Scheifele who scored with a wrist shot from the left circle.

“It’s a [bad] loss with them scoring so late in the game to tie it,” Scheifele said. “We played well. We still got a point. Obviously, all points are big, and we would have liked to get both of them, but you know, coming off the break, we had a lot of great efforts out there. We’ve just got to keep going.”

Said Arniel: “I told the guys after, I'm real proud of the effort. Real proud of the details, things that we did, the looks we got, the chances, the opportunities we had. We deserved a better fate. … We’ve got to make sure, those one-goal games, we’ve got to find a way. That one had a little bit different feel to it. That had a different outcome than maybe some of the past ones have had.”

NOTES: Boldy scored his fifth overtime goal and tied three others for third most in Wild history. Kirill Kaprizov owns the franchise mark with 12. … Kaprizov’s goal is his 285th career even-strength point, passing Marian Gaborik (284) for second in Wild history, behind Mikko Koivu (433). … Hughes had his 27th career three-assist game, passing Gary Suter for the third most by an American defenseman. He trails Brian Leetch (40) and Phil Housley (34). … Connor had his 13th multi-point game of the season, tied with Jack Eichel for the second most by an American skater and behind only Zach Werenski (14).