**Wild Extend Winning Streak to Seven with 5-2 Victory Over Oilers**
ST. PAUL — With most of the team back in the lineup, the Minnesota Wild made the goal horn wail once again, securing their seventh straight win on Saturday. Matt Boldy led the charge with two first-period goals, helping the Wild, now healthier with five regular players returning, hold off a determined Edmonton Oilers squad for a 5-2 victory.
Ryan Hartman’s opportunistic goal in the final seconds of the opening period proved to be the difference-maker. Vladimir Tarasenko added an insurance goal in the third period—his fourth in the past three games—as the Wild improved to 4-0-0 since last week’s blockbuster trade for Quinn Hughes. Tarasenko also assisted on Nico Sturm’s empty-net goal with 85 seconds remaining in the game.
“It’s exciting for sure,” Hughes said. “I think the team’s won seven in a row. I’ve been here for four. It’s exciting. We got two more before Christmas, hopefully grab those.”
Goalie Filip Gustavsson had a busy afternoon dealing with Edmonton’s talented offense, finishing with 28 saves and improving to 12-8-3 as Minnesota’s starter.
“We know who to look out for out there against that team,” Hartman said, referencing the Oilers stars. Connor McDavid scored a goal and Leon Draisaitl contributed two assists. “You know the line that was matched up with them did a great job. We locked down the front of the net for the most part, pucks weren’t getting through, and when they did, Gus made some big saves. So, good team win.”
Boldy, who entered the contest on a three-game scoring streak, quickly extended it to four when he intercepted a puck from Oilers defenseman Mattias Ekholm at the defensive blue line. On a breakaway less than five minutes in, Boldy’s crafty backhand slipped past the Edmonton goalie on the glove side.
Near the midway point of the first period, Draisaitl was called for cross-checking and then drew a second minor penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct after protesting the call. The Wild capitalized on the extended power play when Boldy took a pass from Hughes and fired a hard shot past Oilers goalie Calvin Pickard, doubling Minnesota’s lead.
“Breakaway was just kind of a reaction and then kind of a slower pass on the power play, so tried to go to the far side,” Boldy said after recording his third multi-goal game of the season.
Edmonton quickly answered with Hartman’s goal off a slick give-and-go pass from Jake Middleton with 7.2 seconds left in the period.
In the second period, the Oilers controlled much of the power play but were unable to score. The Wild got some crucial puck luck when a shot by Oilers defenseman Evan Bouchard hit the inside of the goalpost behind Gustavsson and bounced out.
Minnesota’s defense played a vital role, blocking 20 shots throughout the game.
“Yeah. You know, it’s so fun to see. The goalies always appreciate it so much,” Gustavsson said of his teammates’ defensive effort. “You can’t cover all your body with pads as a player, and they still go out there and block those one-timer shots. And it doesn’t matter if it’s a skill guy or not, and you love to see that.”
Tarasenko, who was acquired from Detroit in July, had been relatively quiet early on with the Wild but has now scored five goals since returning from an injury in late November. His third-period goal came when he poked a loose puck into the crease after an initial shot by Yakov Trenin.
“Vladdy is skating really well, he’s ultra-competitive, he’s getting shots off,” Wild coach John Hynes said. “I felt like, since he’s gotten here, his responsibility in his play without the puck, from a defensive standpoint, has always been strong. Now he’s just getting rewarded for his hard work.”
Pickard finished with 32 saves for the Oilers, who had won four of their previous five games but are now 0-2-0 against the Wild this season.
The Wild continue their three-game pre-Christmas homestand on Sunday evening, when Central Division-leading Colorado Avalanche make their second visit of the season to St. Paul. The Wild won the first meeting of the season 3-2 in a shootout shortly after Thanksgiving.
https://www.wadenapj.com/sports/pro/matt-boldy-scores-a-pair-as-wild-streak-hits-seven
