Matt Boldy Nets Shootout Winner as Wild Beat the Capitals 4-3

After hitting the post in overtime, Matt Boldy scored the game-winner for the Minnesota Wild (24-11-4) to secure a 4-3 over the Washington Capitals (25-10-3) in the shootout. Alex Ovechkin scored his 18th goal of the season on the power play, putting him at 871 for his career. The Wild are 4-1-0 in their last five games.

Game Recap

The opening 10 minutes of the game saw a gritty battle between both teams with minimal offensive chances. After the 10-minute mark, Tom Wilson capitalized on a loose puck off a rebound and scored his 15th of the season putting the Capitals up 1-0. The Wild got to work quickly because 65 seconds later Ryan Hartman evened the score at one after deflecting a shot from the blue line by Zach Bogosian.

After both offensive bursts, both teams went back to a scrappy play style minimizing offensive chances. The Capitals would go on the power play with 1:48 remaining in the first period after Bogosian hooked Dylan Strome behind the net. Washington netminder Charlie Lindgren allowed a shorthanded goal after misplaying a puck behind his net. Minnesota forward Yakov Trenin potted the go-ahead goal, around Lindgren, to put the Wild up 2-1 to end the period. 

The Wild entered the second period in a frenzy and put Lindgren to work early. Twenty seconds in he stopped Frederick Gaudreau on a breakaway chance and continued to pepper him with shots. The Wild controlled the pace of the game for most of the second period until the 14-minute mark where Marat Khusnutdinov was called for a high-sticking double minor on Martin Fehervary. Ovechkin ripped a snap shot from above the circles to score the equalizer making it 2-2 heading into the third period.