Postgame Hat Trick: Wild 2, Oilers 1 (OT)

Dan Myers gives three takeaways from the Wild's 2-1 overtime win against the Edmonton Oilers on Sunday night at Rogers Place in Edmonton:

1. Wild captain Mikko Koivu was outstanding against the Oilers.
His goal with 1:49 remaining in overtime was a thing of beauty, flipping the puck to his backhand before sweeping it past Oilers goaltender Jonas Gustavsson for his sixth goal.

But scoring the winning goal wasn't the only way Koivu contributed against the Oilers. He also won an astounding 21 of 23 faceoffs (93 percent), a success rate that is almost unheard of in the National Hockey League.

"I've never seen it that high, that kind of percentage for that number you've taken," said Wild coach Bruce Boudreau. "And he was out there every time there was an important faceoff. I thought he controlled the game when he was out there. He was a true leader tonight."
The 21 faceoff victories were a season high for Koivu and two shy of his career high of 23.
Koivu's winning goal also allows the Wild to go for a winning road trip when it plays the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday night at the Air Canada Centre.

"They're all big. In the end it doesn't really matter, but I think for sure on a long road trip, it's always a good way to build your team," Koivu said. "Guys feel good about their game or the team's game and you're having fun with it."
2. A fighting major by Kurtis Gabriel may have directly led to a Wild goal late in the first period.
How, exactly?
With the fourth line on the ice waiting for a faceoff, Gabriel and Edmonton's Zack Kassian dropped the mitts. After each was sent to his respective dressing room, Zach Parise hopped on the ice to take Gabriel's shift.
With Parise unavailable, Boudreau bumped Nino Niederreiter up to Parise's spot with Eric Staal and Charlie Coyle. The trio combined to get the board seconds later when Staal got the puck to Niederreiter near the right post. His initial shot was stopped by Oilers goaltender Jonas Gustavsson, but the rebound came right back to him. He fired a quick pass to Coyle for the easy tap in with 55 seconds remaining in the period.

"It paid off," Coyle said. "It's funny the way it works sometimes, but they made a nice play, [Staal] to him and I think he tried to put one on and then just found me. It was a great play by them, so wide open net for me."

Not to be overlooked on the play: Niederreiter's fantastic forecheck that helped force Edmonton (14-10-3) into a turnover. That's where Staal initially gained control of the puck to start the sequence.

"The shift before, [the Staal line] got hemmed in and, in my mind, I said I think a change would do everybody good," Boudreau said. "I think Zach had three breakaways after that as well, hit a post. And then Charlie, the last two periods, played the way we expect him to play. He was outstanding. It did work, it gave them a jumpstart."
3. The Wild penalty kill was on point, especially in the second period.
With the game tied at 1-1, Jared Spurgeon took a tripping penalty on Oilers forward Connor McDavid. With nine seconds remaining on the minor, Nate Prosser's clearing attempt sailed the length of the ice and into the netting for a delay of game penalty.
No worries.
Minnesota's penalty kill was up to the task, allowing little in the way of shots on goal, much less quality scoring chances.
"We were frustrated a bit and I think that's why, especially on our power play, we weren't able to capitalize on the chances we had," Oilers forward Milan Lucic told the team's website. "We definitely had our opportunities to go up a goal or two and didn't bear down on them."
After struggling in the opening game of the four-game Canadian trip, allowing two goals in a 5-4 loss to the Vancouver Canucks, the Wild's PK looked much better against the Flames and Oilers.

Loose Pucks

• Wild goaltender Devan Dubnyk finished with 28 saves and improved to 7-1-0 lifetime against the club that drafted him in the first round of the 2004 NHL Draft.

• Coyle and Matt Dumba assisted on Koivu's winning goal.
• The Wild improved to 12-1-0 in its past 13 games in Edmonton.
• Minnesota kept the NHL's leading scorer, Connor McDavid, off the scoresheet.
• Gustavsson finished with 31 saves in a losing effort.
• Attendance: 18,347

He Said It

"I will always enjoy and go out there for a quick lap on a win. Not gonna pass up that opportunity. It's nothing sour by any means, this was the start of my NHL career and I'll always have very good memories of this place." -- Wild goaltender Devan Dubnyk, on being named the first star in the place he once played

They Said It

"It was a disappointing loss. I thought we found a way to get a point on an ugly night. They found a way to get two points on an ugly night." -- Oilers coach Todd McLellan

Dan's Three Stars

* Mikko Koivu
\\ Devan Dubnyk
\\* Charlie Coyle