Postgame Hat Trick: Wild 3, Avalanche 2 (OT)

Wild.com's Dan Myers gives three takeaways from the Wild's 3-2 overtime win against the Colorado Avalanche at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul on Sunday night:

1. Working overtime
For the third consecutive game, the Wild needed bonus time to get a bonus point.
Whatever it takes, right?
Once again, it was Kevin Fiala playing a part in the deciding goal, this time scoring the game-winning tally on a wicked one-timer from the right circle just 15 seconds into overtime to lift the Wild over their Central Division-leading rivals from Colorado.
After a cross checking penalty by Erik Johnson late in regulation, the Wild began the overtime 4-on-3, and chose to begin the festivities with four forwards on the ice.
It was the brainchild of assistant coach Brett McLean, who rolled out Fiala, Mats Zuccarello, Joel Eriksson Ek and Kirill Kaprizov without a defenseman.

It didn't take long for that call to pay dividends... one offensive rush, to be exact.
"I'm not gonna lie to you, when they went out there I'm like, 'Oh boy' but that's just how he and we drew it up," said Wild coach Dean Evason.
The game marked the seventh time this season the Wild has seen a game decided in overtime.

"This is how you have to play; we have to be comfortable being uncomfortable, whether it's a one-goal lead or you're chasing that one-goal lead. It's huge," said Wild defenseman Matt Dumba. "You've got to be on your toes at all times and just be ready to capitalize at all times or to shut them down."
The victory extended the Wild's winning streak to six games, the third time this season Minnesota has managed to accumulate a winning streak of at least six games. It is the first team in the NHL to rack up a trio of six-game winning streaks this season, and it's the first time in franchise history the Wild has done so.
Overall, Minnesota is now 8-1-1 in its past 10 games and improved to 6-1-0 on its franchise record nine-game homestand, which concludes this week with consecutive games against Pennsylvania clubs Philadelphia and Pittsburgh on Tuesday and Thursday, respectively.

"We want to get as high as possible in the standings but we don't really look where they are. Obviously, [Colorado is] first in the league, I know that now, but they're still in our division and if you want to get to the Stanley Cup Final, you have to go through them," Fiala said. "So we don't really care how many points they have, we can beat anybody and that's what we know, not just think. It was just a good test for us and now we can keep going forward."
2. Terrific Talbot
Playing for the second time in 22 hours, against the NHL's top team, it wasn't a surprise that the Wild came out with some heavy legs.
Playing a speedy, up-and-down game against the Avalanche isn't a recipe for success at any time, but especially just a day after a physical, grinding game against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Colorado had a big edge on the shot chart, but the Wild did what it had to limiting the grade-A chances, so while the Avs had an abundance of quantity, there wasn't a ton of quality. The ones they did have were gobbled up by Cam Talbot, who finished with 40 (!) saves and was named the game's No. 1 star.

"Second half of back-to-backs are always tough. You kind of expect that as a goaltender, no matter what, especially against a team like that," Talbot said. "Obviously, you got to give our guys in front of me a ton of credit. We didn't really break throughout the first couple periods and they made some good plays. They've got some special players on that team and we knew they weren't going to fold in the third. The perseverance from our team to come back, and fight back, and get that tying goal, and then win in overtime is just so much fun to watch back there."
Talbot stopped the first 32 shots he faced, surrendering goals by Nazem Kadri and a power-play goal by Mikko Rantanen just under four minutes apart in the third period as Colorado built a 2-1 lead.
Talbot remained steady, however, keeping the Wild within a single shot until Ryan Hartman finished off a pass from Mats Zuccarello with 5:27 left in regulation, tying the game at 2-2.

"Yeah he's been unbelievable for the whole season, tonight as well, just great saves and keeping us in the game. I feel like they had some chances of course to make some goals there, and he just saved all of them," said Wild forward Kevin Fiala. "Very nice to have all of that and to know if they have chances, our goaltenders are going to stop them."
Talbot extended his winning streak to seven games, which is the longest active winning streak in NHL and tied his career best set in 2017.
He is 8-0-0 with a 2.13 goals-against average, a .924 save percentage and one shutout in his past nine games (eight starts).
3. Klutch Kirill
You can't stop Kirill Kaprizov, you can only hope to contain him. The guy is absolutely stupid hot right now, tallying the game's first goal late in the second period. He's now scored at least a goal in three consecutive games and is up to 36 on the season.
He's also up to 81 points, two shy of Marian Gaborik's franchise mark.
But more than the production, it's the timing of the production. This isn't a guy who is a big boxscore. Not even close.

"He doesn't score when it's a 6-2 game, he doesn't pot the seventh goal or something like that. He's a gamer," Talbot said. "He wants to be in those situations where we're either up a goal and need an insurance or we need a tying goal. He thrives in those situations. He's a very special player and we're definitely lucky to have him."
Kaprizov also doesn't shy away from contact. A second after his goal on Sunday, he was hit into the back of the Avalanche net, and instead of turtling, he got back on his skates and went after the Avalanche player who hit him there.
When an opponent ventures into his goaltender's crease, he's more than willing to be the one to get in there and retrieve him. And while he has a number of guys on the roster willing to step up and defend him, Kaprizov is usually the first one to do that too.

"I'm definitely not scared. It's one of these parts of the game. It happens," Kaprizov said through a translator. "I try not to think about it too much. Couple extra shots here and there. I just do my job. Score goals, help my team win and just play my game.
"I would think there's no one out there that wants to get a sweaty hand in the face or a butt end to the face. I think there's a time and a place where you have to stick up for yourself. But, overall, I'm just trying to play my game and not to react. Everyone has their limits. But, for the most part, I tend to focus on the game at hand."
Kaprizov's goal total ranks fourth-most in team history and there's still a month remaining on the schedule. If he keeps scoring them like he did on Sunday -- in front of the net, near the blue paint -- he's got a great chance of setting that record too.
He's not a guy who scores only the pretty ones, although he does do that. He's willing to mix in a greasy one too.

"I've never seen it before, a guy who can just work through the traffic and the battles. He's so strong on his skates," Dumba said. "And [Fiala's] going, too. They're a couple little bulls; it's hard to get the puck off them, they're just going to keep it. And when you have that on your team, you see guys like that just battling at their size, it's intoxicating and everyone wants to put forth that effort and work as hard as they can."

Added Evason: "He's a hockey player. He is truly a hockey player. He wants to have success for the team. You never hear him talking about himself, ever. I think it's one of the biggest compliments a guy could have when I say he's truly just a hockey player and does all the right things. Even after he scores and Hartzy gets a whack, he's the one that's the first one in there. He cares as much about other players scoring and his teammates as he does about him scoring."

Loose pucks

• Hartman's goal was his 27th of the season and his 50th point. He has seven points in his past six games
• Zuccarello finished with three assists, including the primary helper on the tying and winning goals
• Zuccarello's 48 assists are tied with Andrew Brunette for third-most in a season in franchise history, two back of Pierre-Marc Bouchard's team mark
• Zuccarello has 13 points in his past 12 games
• Kadri finished with a goal and an assist
• Darcy Kuemper finished with 26 saves

Dan's three stars

1. Cam Talbot
   2. Mats Zuccarello
   3. Kevin Fiala

Highlights

#