Eric Staal scores, adds two assists as Wild topple Oilers 4-3

Zach Parise, Jared Spurgeon and Mikael Granlund also scored for the Wild (7-3-2), who have won six of their last seven games.

Granlund extended his points streak to nine games.

“It feels like pucks are going in,” he said. “There are a lot of things that I think I can do better, but pucks are finding their way in and I’ll take it.”

Leon Draisaitl, Connor McDavid and Alex Chiasson responded for the Oilers (6-4-1), who saw a three-game winning streak halted.

“We were the better team, five-on-five, but special teams cost us,” McDavid said. “Our power play didn’t do anything (0-for-5) and they went three-for-three on their power play. That’s not good.”

“You give up three on the penalty kill and get none on the power play and you’re not winning,” Oilers head coach Todd McLellan added. “We could play that game 100 times, and do the same thing over and over again, and not win it.”

The Oilers started the scoring eight minutes into the opening period just after a power play expired, as Ryan Nugent-Hopkins dove to poke the puck to Draisaitl, who sent his seventh goal of the season into an empty net before Wild goalie Alex Stalock could get across.

Minnesota tied it up with six minutes left in the first with a power-play goal. Parise pounced on a rebound and slipped it past Oilers goaltender Cam Talbot.

Edmonton outshot the Wild 22-14 in the first period.

The Oilers went up 2-1 four minutes into the second period when McDavid turned on the jets to get past a pair of defenders and then beat Stalock up high for his ninth of the season.

Minnesota tied the game back up 12 minutes into the second when Spurgeon was left alone in front to score his second of the year.

Edmonton surged back ahead less than a minute later however as Chiasson tipped in a Matt Benning point shot.

The Wild pulled even again with 1:40 left in the second with Staal tipping a shot in on the power play.

Minnesota pulled ahead with yet another power-play goal with 5:48 remaining, as Granlund’s seeing-eye shot snuck past Talbot for his sixth goal of the season.

Notes: The Oilers remain home to face the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday. The Wild’s next game is Saturday in St. Louis… With seven consecutive road games, the Wild are on their longest trip in franchise history… It was the first of three meetings between the two teams this season… The Wild currently have the oldest team in the NHL with an average age of 28.9. The Oilers are currently the youngest, with an average age of 25.5.

Shane Jones, The Canadian Press

by Canadian Press

Eric Staal scores, adds two assists as Wild topple Oilers 4-3

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