**Wild Extend Winning Streak to Seven with 5-2 Victory Over Oilers**
ST. PAUL — With most of the band back together, the Minnesota Wild made the goal horn roar once again on Saturday, securing their seventh straight win. Matt Boldy led the charge with two first-period goals as the Wild, playing with a healthier lineup after five regulars returned, held on to beat a determined Edmonton Oilers squad 5-2.
Ryan Hartman’s opportunistic score in the dying seconds of the opening period proved to be the game’s 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 acquiring Quinn Hughes. Tarasenko also assisted Nico Sturm for an empty-net goal with just 85 seconds remaining.
“It’s exciting for sure,” said Hughes. “I think the team’s won seven in a row. I’ve been here for four of those games. It’s exciting. We’ve got two more before Christmas, hopefully we can grab those.”
Filip Gustavsson was busy all afternoon facing 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 against that team,” Hartman said, referencing Edmonton stars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. McDavid scored once, while Draisaitl added two assists. “The line matched up against 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 game riding a three-game point streak, quickly extended it to four. Less than five minutes into the contest, he intercepted a puck from Oilers defenseman Mattias Ekholm at the defensive blue line and sprung on a breakaway. His crafty backhand shot slipped past the Edmonton goalie on the glove side to give the Wild the early lead.
Near the midway point of the first period, Draisaitl was called for cross-checking and drew a second minor penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct after protesting the call too forcefully.
On the extended power play, Boldy showcased a different approach, powering a blast past Oilers goalie Calvin Pickard high on the stick side to double Minnesota’s lead. “The breakaway was kind of a reaction, and then a slower pass on the power play, so I tried to go to the far side,” said Boldy following his third multi-goal game of the season.
Edmonton answered quickly, with Hartman cashing in a slick give-and-go pass from Jake Middleton with just 7.2 seconds left in the opening period to pull the Oilers within one.
The middle frame saw Edmonton controlling much of the play. They hammered the Wild with a power play early in the period but came up empty. The Wild also got some crucial puck luck when a shot by Oilers defenseman Evan Bouchard clanged off the inside of the goal post behind Gustavsson and bounced away harmlessly. Minnesota’s defense blocked 20 shots throughout the game.
“Yeah, it’s so fun to see,” Gustavsson said of the team’s defensive effort. “Goalies always appreciate it so much. You can’t cover all your body with pads as a player, and they still go out there and block those one-timer shots. It doesn’t matter if it’s a skill guy or not; you love to see that.”
Tarasenko, acquired in a trade with Detroit in July, had been relatively quiet early on with the Wild but has now scored five goals since returning from injury in late November. He put home a loose puck in the crease behind Pickard after an initial shot by Yakov Trenin.
“Vladdy is skating really well, he’s ultra-competitive, and he’s getting shots off,” Wild coach John Hynes said. “Since he’s gotten here, his responsibility without the puck — especially defensively — 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 versus the Wild this season.
The Wild continue their three-game, pre-Christmas homestand Sunday evening when the Central Division-leading Colorado Avalanche make their second visit of the season to St. Paul. The Wild won their first meeting of the year, 3-2 in a shootout, the day after Thanksgiving.
https://www.wctrib.com/sports/pro/matt-boldy-scores-a-pair-as-wild-streak-hits-seven