Postgame Hat Trick: Wild 5, Coyotes 2

Wild.com's Dan Myers gives three takeaways from the Wild's 5-2 win against the Arizona Coyotes at Gila River Arena in Glendale, Arizona on Wednesday night:

1. Make it four
Minnesota has gotten on a nice little run of late, entering Wednesday night's game in the desert riding a three-game winning streak.
The Wild pushed it one game further in Arizona.
Playing the first of three games out west, and the first of back-to-back games against desert-based clubs, Minnesota scored a pair of quick goals in the first period, then two more quickies early in the second to bury the Coyotes.

Joel Eriksson Ek and Marcus Foligno scored goals in the opening 20, but the Wild probably deserved better than the one-goal lead it had at intermission, because while Minnesota owned the majority of possession and quality chances, one defensive breakdown allowed Arizona a breakaway and a goal.
"I had some time and I picked my spot," Eriksson Ek said of his goal, which came 22 seconds into Minnesota's first power play of the game. "It was a pretty good shot."

No matter, as the Wild wasted no time building on its lead in the second, learning its lesson from a game against Seattle a couple weeks ago where a good start to the game melted quickly in an eventual 4-1 loss to the Kraken.
Minnesota put the pedal down and didn't look back.
"We liked our business-like attitude," said Wild coach Dean Evason. "We didn't expect [Wild players] to not respect this hockey club. But we had a good chat this morning and we really liked our attitude here tonight."

Kevin Fiala and Dmitry Kulikov scored 36 seconds apart in the first three minutes and change of the second as the Wild pushed its lead to 4-1.
Arizona's best chance to get back into the game came later in the second when it received consecutive power plays, but the Wild penalty kill was efficient and solid.
Provided with a late period 5-on-3, the Wild promptly took advantage when Kirill Kaprizov and Mats Zuccarello played catch behind the Arizona net before Kaprizov shoveled the puck into an open cage for a 5-1 lead through 40 minutes.

It was elementary from there, as Minnesota boarded the airplane to Las Vegas with a pair of points, extending its winning streak against the Coyotes to seven consecutive games.
For the Wild, it was its second consecutive 5-2 win and the fourth consecutive game it has scored five goals.
"I think we've had some new guys coming in on the back end and it takes some time to get to know each other for things like that," Eriksson Ek said. "Things like scoring, it comes and goes sometimes. You just have to work hard and do the right things and it's going to come."

2. Things that make you say, "wow"

Playing in front of a national TNT audience, the Wild had a handful of highlight-reel plays, including three during a dominant three-goal second period.
The first was Fiala's goal that made it 4-1, where he contorted his hands and wrists in spectacular fashion, batting a puck out of mid-air and under the crossbar for his second goal of the season and first since Opening Night in Anaheim, a span of 10 games.
"Quick reaction. Instinct, kind of," Fiala said of the goal. "I just tried to get it on net and luckily it went in."
Even Fiala, whose jaw seemed to drop after the goal, couldn't hide his excitement.

"That goal, I was a little impressed," Fiala admitted. "I can be honest. That goal was not a usual goal. That was probably one of the best [I've scored]. But like I said, it was lucky too."
"Good hand-eye coordination," Eriksson Ek said. "That was a nice goal."

The second was the ridiculous glove save by Kaapo Kahkonen gloving down a Lawson Crouse breakaway chance late in the period. Just a couple seconds after a turnover at the offensive blueline sent Crouse in all alone while shorthanded, Kahkonen sprawled and gloved down what looked like a sure goal.

Moments later, the Wild earned the 5-on-3 that saw Kaprizov and Zuccarello finish off a beauty of a goal where Coyotes goaltender Karel Vejmelka simply had no shot.
Instead of a 4-2 game after two, it was 5-1.
"That would have made it a two-goal game at the time," Evason said. "He makes that save and helps us. We talk about Cam [Talbot] a lot, making a save at different points in hockey games to keep our momentum or gain it. Kahker did the last two [games] the exact same thing."

3. Point night in the desert

Any time you score five goals in a game it means it was a good night offensively. For Minnesota, a few guys had outstanding efforts in the victory.
After seeing Kaprizov snap his lengthy goal drought a few games ago, Fiala getting off the schneid was a big deal. But his goal was only the beginning, as the speedy Swiss import also had two assists in the game.

Zuccarello had two assists, and so did defensemen Jon Merrill and Jared Spurgeon.
Former Coyote Alex Goligoski, who spent five years in Arizona before signing a one-year deal with the Wild during the offseason, had an assist in his return to Gila River Arena.

Kulikov's goal was his first in a Wild uniform.
"You need a deep team, it makes teams very dangerous I think," Eriksson Ek said. "Knowing every night you have lines that can step up and be that line that really wins the game for our team."

Loose pucks

• Minnesota's 9-3-0 record is its second-best start through 12 games in franchise history (10-2-0 in 2006-07)
• Per NHL PR, Kaprizov is the fastest Wild player in team history to reach 30 career goals (67 games) and is one of eight active players to do so in fewer than 70 games
• Wild blueliners combined for one goal and five assists Wednesday. For the season, Minnesota defensemen are tied for the NHL lead with nine goals and 38 points
• The three-point game by Fiala was his seventh and one off his career best
• Kulikov's five points this season are already one better than he had all of last year
• Rem Pitlick had an assist and now has two points in three games with Minnesota
• Jordan Greenway returned to the lineup after missing the past four games with a lower-body injury
• Kahkonen finished the game with 23 saves on 25 shots
• Coyotes netminder Karel Vejmelka started the game and allowed five goals on 22 shots through two periods before being benched to start the third
• Arizona goalie Scott Wedgewood stopped all eight shots he faced in the final period
• Andrew Ladd and Shayne Gostisbehere had the goals for Arizona
• Gostisbehere, in his first year with the Coyotes, had a two-point game and leads the club with 11 points

Dan's three stars

1. Kevin Fiala
   2. Marcus Foligno
   3. Kaapo Kahkonen

Highlights

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