Sunday, March 8, 2020 09:00 PM (ET)

Fiala's OT goal propels Wild past Ducks

Field Level Media
Mar 9, 2020

Kevin Fiala scored two goals, including the game-winner in overtime on a power play with 59 seconds remaining, as the Minnesota Wild moved back into playoff eligibility with a 5-4 road victory over the Anaheim Ducks on Sunday.

Mats Zuccarello, Victor Rask and Alex Galchenyuk also scored as the Wild took hold of a wild-card spot in the Western Conference one day after they were crushed 7-3 by the Los Angeles Kings.

Jakob Silfverberg scored two goals and Rickard Rakell had three assists for the Ducks, who fell just short of their first three-game winning streak since the first week of the season.

A fortuitous situation helped the Wild get on track early. Trailing 1-0, Zuccarello and Fiala scored 1:31 apart in the first period.

Galchenyuk appeared to take out the legs of Ducks goalie Ryan Miller as Zuccarello scored. Anaheim challenged the goal, but the play was not overturned, giving the Wild a power play that led to Fiala's score.

The NHL's situation room determined that because the contact between Galchenyuk and Miller occurred outside of the crease, goalie interference did not apply.

Wild goalie Devan Dubnyk had 22 saves in his first start since Feb. 23. Miller had 25 saves for the Ducks, one game after Anaheim's No. 1 goalie John Gibson left early with a groin injury.

Silfverberg gave the Ducks a 1-0 lead at 11:18 of the first period when he scored from the left circle after a pass from Rakell. Zuccarello's disputed goal, his 15th of the season, came 44 seconds after Silfverberg scored. Fiala's goal soon followed.

Danton Heinen scored 11:52 into the second period for the Ducks to tie the score 2-2, his third goal in seven games with the Ducks.

Silfverberg's second goal, and 20th of the season, came at 14:55 of the second period as Anaheim took a 3-2 advantage. Rakell used some nifty stickhandling to bring the puck across the blue line, where he fed Silfverberg.

Trailing 3-2 early in the third period, Rask scored an unassisted goal with just over 18 minutes remaining to tie it 3-3. Rask picked up a turnover at center ice and worked his way through traffic to score.

Following Galchenyuk's goal at 14:20 to give the Wild a 4-3 lead, the Ducks pulled Miller late and Christian Djoos took advantage by scoring with less than two minutes remaining. Rakell earned his third assist on the goal.

--Field Level Media

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