The Minnesota Wild finally secured a third-period lead despite a controversial call that added extra pressure.
Kaapo Kahkonen made an impressive 32 saves in his NHL debut, and defenseman Ryan Suter scored the decisive goal early in the third period as the Wild defeated the New Jersey Devils 3-2 on Tuesday night. The game was marked by a disputed goal that the NHL later admitted should not have counted.
The controversy revolved around Jesper Boqvist’s first NHL goal, which tied the game 1-1 in the first period. Wild coach Bruce Boudreau challenged the play, arguing that Devils forward Wayne Simmonds had played the puck with a high stick in the neutral zone and then again in the offensive zone without another player touching it, which should have stopped the play. However, the referees allowed the goal to stand, and the Wild were penalized for delaying the game.
During the third period, the NHL issued a statement acknowledging that the goal should have been disallowed.
“I didn’t need the league to tell me they made a mistake,” Boudreau said. “But they admitted it, and that’s it. We knew the rule and were surprised when they said it was unchallengeable.”
Despite the setback, the Wild remained composed and ultimately outplayed the Devils. Zach Parise and Jordan Greenway also scored for Minnesota, extending the Wild’s point streak to seven games (4-0-3).
“I think I’ll process this later,” said the 23-year-old Kahkonen. “I’m really happy, and it’s great to build on this.”
In addition to Boqvist’s goal, Kyle Palmieri scored on a power play for the Devils. Louis Domingue, making his second consecutive start, recorded 26 saves.
“I don’t think we did a lot wrong, but we didn’t do enough right,” said Palmieri, who now has nine goals. “They were on the second night of a back-to-back, and we couldn’t find a way to score.”
The game-winner came at 3:00 into the third period when Ryan Hartman won a faceoff, and Ryan Donato set up Suter for a shot from the left circle that beat Domingue.
Reflecting on the win, Parise said, “After losing control in the last two games, it was important to end the trip with a win. It was a good road trip overall.”
The Wild took the lead in both the first and second periods, with the Devils managing to tie the game each time. Parise opened the scoring at 5:30 with a power-play goal, tipping in a shot by Suter just four seconds after a penalty on Blake Coleman.
Boqvist then tied the game with his first NHL goal, a shot from the top of the right circle that deflected off Minnesota’s Luke Kunin. Despite the challenge from the Wild, referees Brad Meier and Mitch Dunning reviewed the play and upheld the goal.
“New Jersey’s Wayne Simmonds high-sticked the puck in the neutral zone and then played it again in the attacking zone. The goal should have been disallowed,” the NHL said during the third period.
Greenway put the Wild back in the lead with a breakaway goal midway through the second period. Palmieri responded a little over three minutes later, redirecting a cross-ice pass from Taylor Hall on a power play to tie the game again.
Game Notes:
- Wild goaltender Devan Dubnyk missed his fifth consecutive game due to a family matter.
- The Wild and Devils will not face each other again until March 26 in Minnesota.
Up Next:
- Wild: Host Ottawa in a Black Friday matinee.
- Devils: Travel to Montreal to play the Canadiens on Thursday.
