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 Zucker set a team record when he scored just eight seconds into
the third period — the fastest home goal to start a period in team
history — as Minnesota cruised to a 4-1 win over the Edmonton
Oilers.
Right wingers Jason Pominville and Justin Fontaine and defenseman
Nate Prosser added goals for the Wild (26-19-5), who are winners of
six of their last eight games.
"Walking out for that third period, I was thinking, 'boy, it'd be
nice to grab another goal here quick,'" joked Wild coach Mike Yeo.
Zucker opened the final period with a successful rush to the Oilers
net, taking a cross-ice pass from left winger Dany Heatley and
catching Oilers goaltender Ben Scrivens out of position. It was
Zucker's fourth goal of the season, and all of them have come since
he was recalled from the Wild's minor league team in Iowa on Jan. 1.
For Edmonton (15-30-5), center Jordan Eberle scored in the second
period, but the team fell to 2-6-2 in its past 10 games. Scrivens,
acquired Wednesday in a trade with the Los Angeles Kings, made 29
saves for the Oilers.
"We did so many things well in our own zone. It was just a couple
mistakes that seemed somewhat innocuous at the time, but those are
the ones that end up in the back of your net," Scrivens said.
It was the 20th appearance of the season, but the first in an Oilers
jersey, for the goalie, who grew up just outside Edmonton in Spruce
Grove, Alberta. He fell to 7-6-4.
"Hopefully we can shore those up and keep ourselves in games, give
ourselves a chance to win some games," Scrivens said.
Pominville scored the lone goal of the opening period, making a
pretty move around Scrivens after center Mikael Granlund stole the
puck behind the Edmonton net and fed it to the goalmouth.
"It was nice," said Pominville, who leads the Wild with 19 goals. "I
think it was a good play overall. (Granlund) just forechecked really
hard. I don't know if he got his stick on it or not. I gave him a
yell and he just kind of knew where I was and flipped it over to the
area."
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The Oilers tied the game early in the second period when
Eberle capped off a 2-on-1 rush to the net after a Wild
turnover, snapping a wrist shot past Minnesota goaltender Darcy
Kuemper.
Edmonton controlled play for long stretches in the second period
but could not get another shot past Kuemper to take the lead.
"We've got to find a way to get that second goal," Oilers left
winger David Perron said. "When it's 1-1 we're not assertive
enough in the game. Once it's 4-1 we start trying to make a
comeback, but that's too big of a lead."
Instead, the Wild got goals from Prosser — his first of the
season — and Fontaine two minutes apart late in the period to
lead 3-1 after 40 minutes.
"Even at 2-1, I was still comfortable, and then that third one
gets turned over and it's an odd-man rush the other way, and now
it's big trouble," said Oilers coach Dallas Eakins.
Kuemper finished with 20 saves for the Wild, improving to 3-2-0.
NOTES: Thursday night was the 1,000th regular-season game in
Wild history. They entered the league as an expansion team in
2000, going 456-400-143 in their first 999 games. ... Newly
acquired Oilers C Matt Hendricks made his Edmonton debut in his
home state. Traded to the Oilers from the Nashville Predators on
Wednesday, Hendricks is from the Minneapolis suburb of Blaine
and played collegiate hockey at nearby St. Cloud State. ... Wild
D Keith Ballard was back on the ice for the first time since
Jan. 7. He was a healthy scratch in four consecutive games. ...
Edmonton was without RW Ales Hemsky after he suffered an ankle
injury earlier in the week during a game in Dallas. While the
severity of the injury was not revealed, some speculated that
Hemsky's spot on the Czech Republic's Olympic team might be in
jeopardy. ... The Oilers' four-game road trip concludes Saturday
when they visit the Winnipeg Jets. The Wild play the last of
four consecutive home games on Saturday, hosting the Dallas
Stars.
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