In less than three minutes, the Wild didn't just lose the lead.
Momentum was gone, too.
An unsuccessful coach's challenge and subsequent power play goal threatened to derail the Wild. But when time ran out, the sequence was just an example of the adversity the team overcame to claw back for a 6-5 stunner against the Golden Knights at Xcel Energy Center after scoring twice in the last two minutes.
"We never get down on each other, and everyone picks each other back up," goalie Cam Talbot said. "I think that's why we're so successful in these situations. It doesn't matter what the score is. Every guy just wants to play for each other on that bench, and you can see it come out at the end."
The Wild scored the last goal in the game and the first, a shot by center Joel Eriksson Ek during a rocky patch for Vegas goalie Robin Lehner, who had lost his stick and then grabbed it upside down once he regained it.
But on the next shift, the Golden Knights tied it on a shot from Shea Theodore with Mattias Janmark setting the screen in front.
Talbot protested the goal, and the Wild challenged for goaltender interference but video determined there wasn't any interference on the play.
"The explanation was that Cam engaged," coach Dean Evason said. "We thought that Cam definitely put his hands on his back, but it wasn't like he stepped out and hammered him. But that really didn't have the effect. It was when he spun, when Cam was off him, he spun and clipped him.
"In our minds, there was no question it was a goalie interference. But they have to make a call quick. They might have a replay that we didn't see. We had a chat with them. They gave us their explanation, and there's nothing we can do after they made the call."
On the ensuing power play for an unsuccessful challenge, the Golden Knights scored to take a 2-1 lead.
"The worst part was that they scored right after that on the power play, too, that they shouldn't have even had," said Talbot, who mentioned he didn't get an explanation on why there wasn't goaltender interference. "For Ek to get a big goal to start the game and get the crowd into it, that call really deflates us. And then they score on the power play and all of a sudden it's a 2-1 hockey game for them."
Soon after Vegas' go-ahead goal, the Wild tied it at 2 and although the team would again fall behind – by as much as two goals twice – the Wild eventually prevailed and downgraded a possible game-turning situation into a stepping stone.
"I know with the guys we have and the confidence we have on the bench right now, that especially after the other night, we can come back and we don't need a lot of time to do it," Talbot said. "So, it was just focusing on making that next save and just giving us that opportunity. You could tell the guys were confident after that."
This was the second straight comeback victory for the Wild, who rallied 4-3 in overtime on Saturday against the Blues after again being down by two goals in the third.
The Wild and the Bruins have a league-high four wins this season after coming back from a multi-goal deficit in the third.
"The belief is in each other," Evason said. "I think that's the key. You don't know obviously what's going to happen, the result. But I think the group believes that if their attitude is correct, then we're going to have an opportunity."
A familiar cast of characters were behind the rally.
Jonas Brodin scored the game-winner after tying the game Saturday with 1 minute to go in regulation. Kirill Kaprizov had the equalizer, his second game-tying goal in the past three games. And Kevin Fiala set up Kaprizov after he scored the overtime winner on Saturday.
Another standout showing came from veteran Nick Bonino.
After being promoted to the Fiala and Victor Rask line, he scored twice and added an assist for his second three-point game of the season fifth multi-point effort in his last 11 appearances.
"Sometimes it goes in, and sometimes it doesn't," Bonino said. "Today, it went off my back and a rebound fell there. I'll definitely take them."
