Matt Boldy scores 2 as Wild beat Oilers 4-2 for sixth win in eight games
By The Associated Press on February 23, 2024.
EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) – Matt Boldy scored a twice as the Minnesota Wild beat the Edmonton Oilers 4-2 on Friday night. Jonas Brodin and Mats Zuccarello also scored for the Wild, who are 6-1-1 in their last eight games. Filip Gustavsson stopped 41 shots to help Minnesota pull two points behind St. Louis for the second wild card in the Western Conference. Leon Draisaitl and Zach Hyman had goals for the Oilers, who have lost two in a row but are 28-7-1 in their last 36 games. Calvin Pickard finished with 16 saves. The Wild appeared to get on the scoreboard about seven minutes into the game on a snipe by Joel Eriksson Ek, but the goal was waved off for offside after a video review. Minnesota made it 1-0 with 23 seconds left in the first when Boldy cut into the middle and fired a wrist shot that ticked off Pickard’s goalie and in for his 21st of the season. Eriksson Ek picked up an assist to extend his points streak to seven games. Edmonton tied it with a power-play goal with 9:33 left in the second as Connor McDavid sent a backhand pass to Draisaitl, who beat Wild Gustavsson short side with his patented one-timer from the right wing for his 28th. Draisaitl got his 284th career power-play point, moving past Mark Messier for sole possession of third place in franchise history McDavid extended his home-game point streak to 21 games on the play, tying his personal best set last year. The Oilers came close to getting another one six minutes later when Mattias Ekholm flipped a puck from behind the goal-line that snuck behind Gustavsson and sat in the crease, but Declan Chisholm put it into his pads after almost poking it in himself. The Wild retook the lead 9:31 into the third as Brodin stepped in from the point and fired a shot past Pickard for his fifth. Kirill Kaprizov extended his points streak to seven games with an assist. Minnesota went up 3-1 with 7:43 left as Edmonton turned the puck over and Boldy showed off his deft hands to notch his second of the game. Edmonton got one back with another power-play goal with 5:09 left as a rebound pinballed around in front before coming to Hyman at the side of the net for his team-leading 35th. Zuccarello sealed the win with an empt-netter with 1:27 left. UP NEXT Wild: At Seattle on Saturday night to finish a three-game trip. Oilers: Host Calgary on Saturday night in the third of a five-game homestand. ___ AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl 18-17
