ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Marcus Johansson scored at 3:38 of overtime with the goal off its moorings and the Minnesota Wild overcame a last-second tying goal to beat the Nashville Predators 3-2 on Tuesday night.
Predators goalie Justus Annunen knocked the goal out of place as he backed up on a rush. Johansson’s first shot hit the moving net and he got the puck back and slid it across the line. After a review, the goal was ruled good, infuriating the Nashville players and coaches.
Steven Stamkos tied it for Nashville with 0.3 seconds left in regulation and Annunen off for an extra attacker, beating the clock and goalie Filip Gustavsson with a one-timer from the left side. Defenseman Nick Blankenburg kept the puck in at the blue line and got the puck to Stamkos for his second goal of the season and 584th overall.
Minnesota closed a six-game homestand with consecutive victories after dropping the first four. Kirill Kaprizov and Zeev Buium scored power-play goals for the Wild, and Gustavsson made 32 saves.
Matthew Wood also scored for weary Nashville, with the Predators coming off a 5-4 overtime loss to Vancouver at home Monday night. Annunen stopped 22 shots in his third game of season.
Buium gave Minnesota a 2-1 lead with 4:01 left in the second, deflecting fellow defenseman Brock Faber’s feed from the point past Annunen — with Stamkos sitting for slashing Matt Boldy.
Kaprizov opened the scoring on a power play midway through the first period, firing a wrist shot from between the top of the circles for his eighth goal of the season. The Wild got the man advantage when Michael Bunting was sent off for elbowing Buium.
Wood tied it on a tip at 5:16 of the second off a Minnesota turnover.
Up next
Predators: Host Philadelphia on Thursday night.
Wild: At Carolina on Thursday night.
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