Kevin Fiala had a goal and an assist in the third period to break open a scoreless game, Cam Talbot had his second shutout of the show and the Wild again staved off elimination with a 3-0 victory over the Golden Knights on Wednesday night.
“We have been playing this all year long. If it comes down to it, when we need a significant rack or a big game or a big period, we just always appear to find a way,” Talbot said.
The first-round series moves back into Las Vegas for its decisive Game 7 on Friday night. The Colorado Avalanche, who tied the Golden Knights for the best regular-season record from the NHL, wait after crossing the St. Louis Blues.
“It’s an opportunity to come out in your house arena with all your supporters excited and filled with emotion,” right wing Reilly Smith said. “So it’s the things we dreamed about as children.”
Ryan Hartman scored and Nick Bjugstad tacked on the last goal in service of Talbot, who made 23 stops. He had 38 saves Monday night to help the Wild steal Game 5 while still being outshot 40-14.
“It was merely a matter of time.”
Marc-Andre Fleury, who made 21 stops, gave up three goals for its second consecutive game after allowing only four scores on the first four games.
Fiala, the team second-leading scorer during the regular season, went with a point in the first five matches before tallying two in the best possible moment. The Swiss left-wing zinged a slap shot on a power play from the circle that sneaked underneath Fleury’s pad.
The Golden Knights almost tied it moments prior to that on Chandler Stephenson’s shot from behind the circle that Talbot never watched. Alex Tuch was at the crease, arguing that he was being pushed by Matt Dumba, and the goal was waved off. Not even the challenge by Vegas coach Peter DeBoer worked this time, following two earlier goals from the show by Joel Eriksson Ek were overturned by video inspection.
“If that you stood, I probably wouldn’t be sitting here now. I’d just be getting fined,” Talbot said.
Following 44:21 of scoreless play, this tightly checked game opened up when the bounce off a blocked shot caught the Golden Knights flat-footed and Fiala found space for an odd-man hurry with Hartman. Fiala put up his partner flawlessly, also Hartman delivered the puck above Fleury’s glove to ignite the 25% capacity crowd at Xcel Energy Center.
The most recent was that the San Jose Sharks, then coached by DeBoer, to beat Vegas in 2019. Minnesota has done it twice, both in 2003.
The Golden Knights, later reaching the Stanley Cup finals in 2018 in their inaugural season, are 2-8 in the play because then in games with an opportunity to progress.
“We believe in our group. We’ve got one game in our house rink to proceed. It’s that simple,” captain Mark Stone explained.
Following a penalty-free first phase, the intensity slowly increased. Minnesota’s Marcus Foligno checked Zach Whitecloud difficult enough one of the stanchions came loose, disconnecting the glass as the Vegas defenseman moved hurtling through the suddenly open space.
“There is a few big, big men on the market,” Wild coach Dean Evason explained.
Four decades back, to protect Dumba in the expansion draft, the Wild traded Tuch to Vegas.
For the Wild, the middle period was bound to be as pivotal a time as they’ve had all year.
Many times a step behind the speedier Golden Knights, especially with the longer shift change, the Wild were outshot a stunning 22-1 in the second phase of the 3-2 win on Monday and also 72-40 over the first five matches of the set. Vegas had an 8-1 goals benefit, also. Minnesota was outscored 61-46 in middle eyeglasses during the regular season.
