NEWARK, N.J. – Music legends from the Garden State like Bruce Springsteen and Bon Jovi and even Frank Sinatra love to croon about underdogs defying the odds. On Monday in the heart of Jersey, some underdogs in desperate need of a break got one, and a vital point came with it.
The offensively challenged Minnesota Wild were barely two minutes from their fourth regulation loss in five games when a puck bounced to Matt Boldy. He tucked a backhander past the New Jersey Devils’ goalie, and the Wild got the standings point that comes with overtime.
The Devils prevailed in a shootout, winning 3-2, but for the Wild it felt a bit like mission accomplished as they scrap and claw toward what they hope is an invite to the NHL postseason.
“Everything this time of year is important, and there were two objectives coming in the game,” said Wild coach John Hynes, who had bristled at his team’s effort and results in their previous outing. “Let’s make sure that we get back to the game that gives us the best chance to win with the mentality and the details and things like that. We did that, and then you’ve got to come out with one or two points every game. That’s what our objective is, and we accomplished both tonight.”
The Wild trailed throughout, but they got a Vinnie Hinostroza goal to tie it in the third, and Boldy’s goal to tie it again. The Devils appeared to win the game in overtime on a Paul Cotter goal, but officials reviewed the play and found they had entered the zone offside.
“Obviously when we see that play, we’re thinking it can be (offside) and then the day and age we’re in today, we have the TVs on the bench and they immediately put it back and zoom in, so we kind of knew right away it was offside,” Hinostroza said. “It’s like a rollercoaster of emotions there. Probably a little bit more for them, jumping on the ice, celebrating and then having to come back. So I think, um, I think we did a pretty good job.”
Filip Gustavsson had 26 saves for the Wild, who grabbed a one-point lead over idle St. Louis in the race for the top Western Conference wild card spot.
The Wild found offense to again be elusive for the first 40 minutes, but they finally found the back of the net with 17 to play when Hinostroza was in the right place – at the top of the New Jersey crease – to tip a Jake Middleton shot that slipped past the goalie. It was the fifth goal for Hinostroza since the Wild claimed him off waivers in early February.
Exactly 30 seconds later, New Jersey very nearly re-established a lead when Gustavsson stopped a long-range shot, and the puck popped up and landed on the goalie’s back. He caught the puck with his glove hand, pinning it between his arm and back, and stopped his momentum before backing into the net.
The home rink blew the goal horn anyway, and fans celebrated what they thought was a go-ahead score. But the on-ice officials called no goal and confirmed the call after video review.
“It went off the blocker and went up,” Gustavsson said, admitting that defenseman Zach Bogosian helped him find the puck once the goalie lost sight of it. “And Bogo talked to me. It was up in the air, and then I just held up my hand in the back there.”
The Wild coach had liked very little of what he saw in Saturday’s 5-2 home loss to the Devils – in which Nico Hischier had a hat trick – and addressed some issues with the team on Sunday before the team flight to New Jersey. The message appeared to be received early on as Minnesota posted the game’s first four shots on goal and played an aggressive offensive zone game early on.
But instead of an early lead, the Wild found themselves chasing again after some defensive zone chaos helped the Devils strike first.
Middleton had his stick knocked out of his hands by New Jersey’s Justin Dowling while Minnesota tried to clear the zone. As Middleton took another teammate’s stick and scrambled back to his position, it left a lane for Devils defenseman Luke Hughes to zip a wrist shot past Gustavsson on the glove side to put New Jersey ahead.
New Jersey led 1-0 in the first and 2-1 on Hischier’s goal in the third before Boldy’s goal tied things with just 2:05 left in regulation. Marcus Foligno, who spent Monday on the top line with Boldy and Marco Rossi, had pulled the puck off the end boards and fed Boldy, who was alone at the top of the crease.
“It was just a great play by Moose. He starts that whole thing,” Boldy said. “He’s such a presence on the ice, so big and strong. Guys know when he’s out there, so for him to have the wherewithal to kind of make that play was great. So all credit to him.”
Jakob Markstrom had 27 saves for the Devils, who have won three of their past four.
The Wild have an off-day on Tuesday, then will continue the East Coast road trip with a Wednesday night meeting at Madison Square Garden versus the New York Rangers. The teams met March 13 in St. Paul with the Rangers prevailing 3-2 in overtime.
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