Wild sticks with same script, tops Kings in OT for second straight game

LOS ANGELES – Two overtime wins after twice erasing two-goal deficits in the third period.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it?

"If it's not broke, it's cracked," coach Dean Evason said after the Wild's second 4-3 overtime victory Saturday over the Kings at Staples Center. "We can repair some stuff, obviously, a lot of stuff. But for the most part, we competed our butts off and the guys certainly had a really good feeling."

The Wild is the first team to win each of its first two games of a season by overcoming a multi-goal deficit in the third period.

This is also just the second time in team history the Wild has won consecutive games after trailing by multiple goals in the third period; the other occasion was Oct.28 and 30 in 2014.

"I just think we're well-conditioned," defenseman Ryan Suter said.

The perseverance to get to overtime is commendable, but the execution after that is telling. Overtime hasn't always been easy for the Wild, but the team sure has a knack for it this season.

After Kirill Kaprizov was the clutch finisher Thursday, he played architect Saturday – feeding center Marcus Johansson for a floater that eluded goalie Jonathan Quick.

"It bobbled a little bit when I shot it," Johansson said. "I didn't get a lot of it, but it turned out to be a nice little chip shot and I'll take that any day."

Even before the game-tying goal — Suter was originally credited with it, until on Sunday an official scoring change gave the goal to Matt Dumba — with two seconds left in the third period, a shot through traffic that flew by Quick's glove, the night was memorable for Suter.

He notched the 500th of his career and 300th with the Wild earlier in the game on Dumba's goal that opened the scoring.

Suter is just the second-active NHL defenseman and 28th all-time to record 500 assists. He's the second player in Wild history to reach the 300-clip, with Mikko Koivu leading the way at 504.

"It felt great," Suter said. "Obviously, to tie it up with under a second left is always good. We didn't like where we were at the start of the third, but we knew what had happened the game before if we stuck with it. You never know."

Overshadowed by the result but an issue nonetheless is the power play.

After going 0-for-5 Saturday, the unit is 0-for-11 to start the season.

"Power play obviously has to produce," Evason said. "Even though we did some good things Game 1, [there were] not as many [in] Game 2."