Koivu Nets OT Winner, Wild Beat Edmonton
EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Mikko Koivu did it all Sunday night for the Minnesota Wild.
The 33-year-old Finn capped a fantastic game by scoring 3:11 into overtime as the Wild edged the Oilers 2-1 and improved to 12-1-0 in their last 13 visits to Edmonton.
"Mikko Koivu did so many things aside from scoring that winning goal," Minnesota coach Bruce Boudreau said.
"He was 21-2 on the faceoffs. I've never seen it that high, that kind of percentage for that kind of number you've taken. I'm sure someone has been 26-1 at some point, but not too many people have done that. He was out there every time there was an important faceoff. I thought he controlled the game when he was out there. He was a true leader out there."
Charlie Coyle also scored for the Wild (12-8-4), who snapped a three-game skid. Devan Dubnyk made 28 saves and improved to 7-1-0 against the Oilers, his first NHL team.
Patrick Maroon had the goal for the Oilers (14-10-3), who had won two straight.
"For us to scratch and claw and get a point, I don't want to say we're satisfied, but it was good to get that," Edmonton coach Todd McLellan said. "I didn't think we had the energy level and polish that we needed to beat a good defensive team tonight."
Edmonton got on the board less than 3 minutes into the game. Dubnyk stopped a point shot by Mark Fayne, but couldn't recover in time to prevent Maroon from scoring his eighth of the season on the rebound.
The Wild tied it with 55 seconds to go in the opening period. Coyle was able to muscle in a rebound off Oilers goalie Jonas Gustavsson's skate for his ninth goal this season.
The shots were tied 23-all after a scoreless second. The best opportunity belonged to Minnesota's Zach Parise, who clanged a shot off the post.
The Oilers got a bit of a scare with 6 1/2 minutes remaining in the second when captain and NHL leading scorer Connor McDavid was removed from the game by league concussion spotters after hitting his chin on the ice following a trip by Wild defenseman Jared Spurgeon.
McDavid, however, returned for the start of a scoreless third.
"I was pretty shocked, to be honest," McDavid said of his removal.
"I hit my mouth on the ice. You reach up and grab your mouth when you get hit in the mouth; it's a pretty normal thing. Obviously the spotter thought he knew how I was feeling. He pulled me off. A (rotten) time of the game, too."
Minnesota nearly scored midway through overtime, but a review confirmed the whistle had blown before the puck was pushed across the line in a scrum. Soon afterward, Koivu converted on a backhand.
NOTES: It was the first of three meetings this season between the teams. They play again Friday in Minnesota. ... Gustavsson, who stopped 31 shots, made his third start of the season in net for the Oilers. Cam Talbot has made 24 starts.
UP NEXT
The Wild complete a five-game trip in Toronto on Wednesday.
The Oilers begin a three-game road swing in Buffalo on Tuesday.
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