ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Wild has won more games in the last week than the Coyotes have over the past month-plus, but this disparity didn't show up on the ice.
After sleepwalking through two periods and the beginning of a third, the Wild finally stirred but it wasn't enough to stave off a 5-3 upset by Arizona on Tuesday in front of 18,383 at Xcel Energy Center that nixed the Wild's 10-game point streak.
This loss, the Wild's first in regulation since April 5 and only second in 22 games, also snapped the team's home point streak at 13 — one game shy of establishing a new franchise record.
Travis Boyd scored the final tiebreaker for the Coyotes 10 minutes, 22 seconds into the third period on the power play after the Wild climbed out of a 3-1 hole early in the period thanks to goals from Joel Eriksson Ek and Marcus Foligno just 24 seconds apart.
The Wild challenged Boyd's goal to determine if the play was off-side, but video review didn't provide any conclusive evidence to overturn the tally. Phil Kessel added an empty-net goal with 1:19 to go in the third.
Signs of a letdown to Arizona, which posted its first victory in 11 games, popped up back in the first period.
Although the Wild dominated puck possession at times, the team carried only a one-goal lead into the second.
Ryan Hartman scored his 34th goal 11:05 into the first when he cut to the middle of the rush and lifted a shot over Coyotes goalie Karel Vejmelka.
Matt Boldy's assist on the play extended his career-best point streak to 10 games, a run that is the Wild record for a rookie and the longest by an NHL rookie this season.
Kevin Fiala didn't register a point to end his 10-game point streak, but he did draw three penalties; the Wild power play, however, struggled to convert and finished 0 for 6. Arizona was 1 for 4.
With 1:45 left in the second, the Coyotes tied the Wild on a shot by Anton Stralman from inside the right faceoff circle.
Shortly before then, Marc-Andre Fleury had one of his most impressive saves during his Wild tenure when he slid across in time to get a piece of a Nick Schmaltz shot with his glove. Fleury, who was making a third straight start for the first time with the Wild and dropped to 8-2, racked up 21 saves, and Vejmelka had 35.
That late goal seemed to ignite the Coyotes because they capitalized again only 20 seconds into the third period when former Wild draft pick Jack McBain scored his first NHL goal on a deflection.
McBain was traded to Arizona last month for a second-round draft pick after he informed the team he wouldn't be signing with the Wild.
Then at 2:56, Antoine Roussel doubled the Coyotes' lead. But recovering from a multi-goal deficit is nothing new for the Wild.
A backhander by Eriksson Ek sailed in at 4:51, his fifth goal during a career-high three-game goal streak and 26th overall this season. Kirill Kaprizov picked up his second assist of the game on the play and his 105th point of the season on his 25th birthday.
On the very next shift, Foligno poked in a loose puck at 5:15 to bring the Wild back to equilibrium in Foligno's first game since missing four due to COVID-19. He and Eriksson Ek each finished with two points apiece.
