The Minnesota Wild picked up a huge two points on Friday night with a 2-1 decision of the Capitals in Washington, DC.
The win moved them into the second wild card spot in the Western Conference ahead of the Colorado Avalanche and the Arizona Coyotes.
Jordan Greenway scored game-winner for Wild – file photo by Lewis Bleiman
“It means temporarily we’re in a playoff spot,” Minnesota coach Bruce Boudreau said. “So that’s what that means. We’ve got to do it again tomorrow (against the Carolina Hurricanes).”
Luke Kunin scored what would be the game winner just past the midway point of the third period.
Devan Dubnyk made 21 saves to get the win.
The Caps have dropped two straight.
“Tonight, we weren’t at our best. At the end of the day, they leave with two points and we get nothing out of it, so we’ve got to be better. That’s right through our group,” Capitals head coach Todd Reirden said after the loss.
Jordan Greenway staked the Wild to an 1-0 lead in the first period.
“It was good effort by [Ryan Donato],” Greenway said. “He made a great play on the wall and I saw a lane to the net and put my head down and put my knee out and just kind of put it in.”
Brett Connolly scored the Caps’ lone goal in the middle frame to tie the score.
“I think we didn’t play our best and let a team hang around on the road, and it just kind of came down to one chance and they buried that chance,” Connolly said. “So not our best effort, but we’ve got a few more games to go.”
[WATCH:Â All Wild vs. Capitals highlights]
Braden Holtby made 25 saves in the loss.
“I think you could tell they got more desperate as the game went on. They don’t give up much, they’re pretty stingy defensively. I think just, after coming off some emotional games lately, I think we didn’t ramp it up enough for this one, for their situation, how they were playing,” Holtby said after the loss.
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