The Wild is still in must-win territory to save its season, but now the Golden Knights are, too.
Despite falling behind 3-1 in the first-round series and getting outplayed for stretches, the Wild clawed back to force a winner-take-all Game 7 against Vegas after prevailing 3-0 on Wednesday night in front of 4,500 at Xcel Energy Center to keep its season alive.
"We just always seem to find a way," goaltender Cam Talbot said. "That's what I love about this group. We can be down, but we're never out. We just keep persevering."
This is the third time in the Wild's history that it has initiated a Game 7 after trailing 3-1. In both instances, the Wild completed the series comeback — in 2003 against Colorado in the first round and then again in the second round vs. Vancouver to advance to its only appearance in the Western Conference finals.
Puck drop for Game 7 is 8 p.m. Friday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
"Anything can happen in Game 7," winger Kevin Fiala said. "We'll be ready."
Talbot stopped 23 shots for his second shutout in the series, and Fiala set up the decisive goal before scoring his first of the playoffs — a timely breakthrough for one of the Wild's top forwards.
"Kevin hasn't changed anything," coach Dean Evason said. "He's played the same way. Just got rewarded."
Ryan Hartman snapped a scoreless struggle 4 minutes, 21 seconds into the third period when he buried a 2-on-1 pass from Fiala for Hartman's second goal of these playoffs off Fiala's first assist.
Later in the third, at 8:55, Chandler Stephenson appeared to tie the score on a shot through traffic but the goal was waved off because of goaltender interference, with Vegas winger Alex Tuch planted in the crease.
Vegas issued a coach's challenge, but video review confirmed no goal — swinging the score back to 1-0.
"I never get those calls," Talbot said. "But the way they've been calling them all playoff long, it would be hard to overturn that."
Because of the unsuccessful challenge, the Wild received a power play and the unit finally delivered after going 0-for-8. Fiala capitalized on a five-hole wrist shot on goalie Marc-Andre Fleury at 9:35, sealing his third career multipoint game in his playoff career.
Nick Bjugstad added a third goal on a backhander with 4:43 to go, becoming the sixth Minnesota-born player to record a playoff goal with the Wild and putting an exclamation point on an effective night for the fourth line.
Fleury totaled 21 saves. Talbot's shutout was the sixth of his playoff career and the first shutout ever at home for the Wild when the team is facing elimination. Captain Jared Spurgeon had two assists.
Although the second period — like the first — was scoreless, that's when the Wild's energy began to surge.
Foligno checked the Golden Knights' Zach Whitecloud into the boards, a hit that knocked loose a pane of glass, and Matt Dumba checked former Wild player Tuch as he gathered a pass to get out of the Vegas zone. The Golden Knights' Alec Martinez ended up fighting Dumba in the aftermath, with Dumba raising his arms to the crowd as he skated to the penalty box — igniting a robust cheer inside Xcel Energy Center.
"Even though we didn't score in that period, it just felt like the momentum was in our favor," Foligno said. "So, that physicality is needed, just the wearing down of a team."
And in the third, the Wild finally gained separation from Vegas — skating away on the scoreboard to pull even in a best-of-seven series that now comes down to one game.
"We don't know the results in a couple days, but we know that we're in it," Evason said. "We know we can compete. We know we're going to battle."
