Wild salvage a point but fall to Devils in shootout

NEWARK, N.J. – Scoring goals is a grind for the Wild, so much so that they are comfortable playing catch up.

“Pretty numb to it now,” Marcus Foligno said. “As long as we keep [it] that we’re a goal away, I think we’re fine. That’s the mentality we have.”

While benefiting from a close call off goaltender Filip Gustavsson’s back and an overturned goal in overtime, the Wild were in that range all night — the Devils not pulling away for good until they outlasted the Wild 3-2 in a shootout Monday at Prudential Center, to sweep a home-and-home that concluded with a much more competitive rematch than Round 1.

“They carried play. We carried play,” coach John Hynes said. “But I like the way that we stuck with it, found a way to get a big point for us. We’d like two, but I just think the response from the style of game we played the other night to tonight was much more indicative of icing the game that gives us the best chance to win.”

New Jersey’s Paul Cotter and Jesper Bratt converted in the shootout after a Cotter goal in overtime was disallowed because the Devils were offside. But the point the Wild banked from Matt Boldy’s late third-period equalizer gave them a one-point lead over the Blues for the Western Conference’s first wild card — for now.

St. Louis could leapfrog the Wild on Tuesday with its 10th consecutive victory. The Blues play host to the Red Wings.

“It’s a huge point, obviously,” Vinnie Hinostroza said, “especially when we’re down 2-1 late.”

The Wild were also behind 1-0 despite a more assertive start than the one they had in Saturday’s 5-2 loss to New Jersey at Xcel Energy Center. The Devils upped the pressure to flip momentum and were rewarded 12 minutes, 30 seconds into the game when Luke Hughes pounced on busted coverage to skate into the left faceoff circle and wire the puck by Gustavsson.

The Wild had two chances to retaliate on the power play in the second period after Foligno, who was elevated to the Wild’s top line after his Gordie Howe hat trick Saturday, drew the penalties. But the Wild blanked on both looks; New Jersey’s power play also went 0-for-2.

Finally, 2:57 into the third period, the Wild capitalized against goaltender Jacob Markstrom (27 saves) when Hinostroza deflected in a Jake Middleton shot.

The Devils almost answered back on the very next shift when the rebound from a Brett Pesce shot landed on Gustavsson’s back. Video review confirmed the puck didn’t cross the goal line.

“It would have been a bad goal,” said Gustavsson, who had 26 saves in his third consecutive start since welcoming another son, Lage, last Wednesday.

Later, the Wild won a defensive-zone draw after an icing, but Justin Brazeau lost the puck trying to exit and Nico Hischier, coming off a hat trick on Saturday, buried a redirect at 9:12.

“The objective’s got to be make sure that we can win the faceoff, get out of the zone, live to fight another day,” Hynes said. “So, we’ll take the lesson out of that one.”

But again, the Wild rallied, this time when Foligno’s forecheck led to a turnover off his skate that bounced right to Boldy for a backhander that he lifted in with 2:08 to go in regulation for his 100th career goal and team-leading 25th.

“It was just a great play by Moose,” Boldy said. “He starts that whole thing. He’s such a presence on the ice, so big and strong.”

Boldy and Mats Zuccarello were denied in the shootout, but the Wild did get a do-over in overtime after Cutter’s goal was called back. “Unfortunately, we didn’t take advantage,” Gustavsson said.

BOXSCORE: New Jersey 3, Wild 2 (SO)

NHL standings

Still, that point could come in handy if the bottom of the West’s playoff race remains tight – a battle the Wild are in while still not being at full strength.

The Wild do have injured forwards Kirill Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson Ek with them on the road, but neither is expected to play on the trip.

They also won’t have Zeev Buium suiting up for them any time soon should the prized prospect choose to turn pro.

Buium and the University of Denver advanced to the Frozen Four, which begins April 10 in St. Louis, after defeating Boston College on Sunday in a rematch of last season’s final that Denver won.

“This is how we have to play,” Foligno said. “We’ve got to play stingy. We’ve got to play smart.”