Wild rally from 5-1 down for OT win over Blackhawks
The Minnesota Wild pulled off a remarkable comeback Saturday evening. Down 5-1 top the Western Conference leading Chicago Blackhawks, the Wild rally to score four goals to tie the game and win it in an overtime shoot-out.
From NHL.com
ST. PAUL - The Minnesota Wild didn't need long to turn the boos to cheers.
The Wild heard it from the sellout crowd of 19,310 at the XcelEnergyCenter as they left the ice after 40 minutes trailing the Chicago Blackhawks 5-1.
But Kim Johnsson, Mikko Koivu, Marek Zidlicky and Guillaume Latendresse scored in the final 14 minutes of regulation, and Owen Nolan's goal in the eighth round of the shootout gave the Wild a 6-5 victory -- the biggest comeback win in franchise history.
The Wild got goals by Johnsson, Koivu and Zidlicky in a 2:05 span early in the third to pull within a goal, igniting the crowd. Latendresse tied it with 1:33 to play, and Nolan's goal ended Chicago's five-game winning streak.
The Hawks had allowed a League-low 27 third-period goals before Saturday's meltdown.
Koivu scored in the first round of the shootout, but Patrick Kane tied it by beating Josh Harding in the second round. After Harding and Cristobal Huet each stopped the next five shooters they faced, Nolan snapped a shot into the net and Harding stopped Chicago's John Madden for the win.
The game was tied 1-1 midway through the first period when the Hawks took control.
Toews and Kris Versteeg scored to put Chicago up 3-1 after one period, and the Blackhawks got a power play goal by troy Brouwer and a shorthanded goal by Marian Hossa to open a seemingly-safe lead after 40 minutes.
The Hawks' onslaught sent starting goaltender Niklas Backstrom to the bench in favor or Harding to start the third period.
"Sometimes it's a lot easier coming off the bench," Harding said. "When you're down by that much, there's not really a lot of pressure. You just go out there and have fun."
The crowd got revved up when Johnsson scored at 6:44 and Koivu connected just 45 seconds later. Zidlicky made it a one-goal game when his power-play point shot beat Huet at 8:49
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