Wild beat Oilers 7-4; Ryan Hartman's hat trick breaks two ties and then breaks open the game

After the Wild's No. 1 line managed only a smattering of goals nearly two weeks into the season, coach Dean Evason could have split up Kirill Kaprizov, Ryan Hartman and Mats Zuccarello to try to ignite their games.

But then the Wild would have missed out on their breakout performance.

"You knew this was going to happen at some point," defenseman Jake Middleton said.

Hartman scored two tiebreakers en route to a hat trick and Zuccarello finally secured the Wild the lead in a 7-4 rally against the Oilers on Tuesday at Xcel Energy Center that also included three assists for Kaprizov.

"They did look like the line that we've known them to be," Evason said.

Tied at 3 after Hartman's second goal of the night only 38 seconds into the third period, Zuccarello wired in a Kaprizov pass at 6:48 to finally lift the Wild past Edmonton.

Joel Eriksson Ek's team-leading fifth goal at 10:28, a slick top-shelf flip over goalie Jack Campbell, turned into the clincher after Evander Kane converted on the power play for the Oilers at 12:55.

Then Hartman picked up his second career hat trick when he crashed the net to polish off a Middleton feed with 4:10 left.

Marcus Foligno added an empty-netter at 16:37.

"Fortunately, I got to be a part of that top line coming to life," said Middleton, whose three assists sealed a career-high three-point effort.

This was Hartman's first hat trick with the Wild; add in his two assists, and his five points tied his career best.

"This one felt more real," said Hartman, whose first hat trick with Chicago featured a pair of empty-net goals.

Overall, he, Kaprizov and Zuccarello combined for 10 points; before puck drop, they totaled 15 points and just four goals.

"We've been watching some shifts together, and too many times we were trying to get inside or were forcing it a little bit," Hartman said. "I think we've kind of been keeping it and waiting for our moment to strike as opposed to forcing it. We've been holding onto it and making really good plays. That was the difference."

Asked if he considered breaking up the line, Evason said there's a process that includes talking to players individually and then as a group. He also made it clear players get an opportunity to snap out of their funks.

"We felt they were trending in the right direction," Evason said.

So were the Wild after a rocky beginning, yet again.

After a shot through traffic by Edmonton's Evan Bouchard eluded goaltender Filip Gustavsson (25 saves) only 54 seconds into the first period, Jon Merrill was whistled for tripping less than a minute later.

Then a brief 45 seconds into the power play, Jonas Brodin was sent to the penalty box for hooking to give the Oilers a meaty five-on-three. But they didn't capitalize. Same on two more chances later in the first, Hartman getting called for a high stick and the team getting dinged for too many men.

To be fair, Edmonton didn't have reigning NHL MVP Connor McDavid in action, the superstar sidelined with an upper-body injury suffered over the weekend to put an exclamation point on a rough debut for the Oilers, who are stuck on one win.

The Wild power play also didn't connect (0-for-3), but the offense clicked at five-on-five.

Marco Rossi delivered the equalizer at 7:47 of the first off a redirect in front, and after Warren Foegele pounced on a carom from a Wild shot block to reinstate Edmonton's edge with 1:33 left in the period, Hartman retaliated only 34 seconds later when he buried a rebound.

But the Wild's knack for slow starts showed up in the second.

At 32 seconds, Foegele handcuffed Gustavsson from the deep slot, and a goaltending clinic by Campbell (24 saves) kept Edmonton ahead the rest of the period.

Campbell had some help from the post, which interfered with a Kaprizov one-timer, but he also made some highlight-reel stops. He made a sprawling save to catch a Pat Maroon shot with his right arm and was locked in against Connor Dewar when Dewar was left all alone at the top of the crease.

"We had a couple open nets," Hartman said. "I know I had one; Patty had one. I had a breakaway I didn't score on and another chance that usually I can lift and put in the net, but it didn't go in.

"So, it was frustrating going into the third knowing we should have been up."

But that frustration didn't show up on the ice.

The Wild kept throwing pucks on net, and a five-goal blitz in the third improved them to 3-2-1 ahead of a three-game road trip that starts Thursday at Philadelphia.

"It's tough teams we play against every night that are trying to shut you down, so some nights it's hard," Zuccarello said. "Just stick with the game, keep it simple and just told Hartzy to put it in the net."