National Hockey League
Minnesota 3, New Jersey 2
When: 7:00 PM ET, Wednesday, November 24, 2021
Where: Prudential Center, Newark, New Jersey
Referees: Pierre Lambert, Brandon Schrader
Linesmen: Matt MacPherson, Libor Suchanek
Attendance: 14763

Cam Talbot made a season-high 40 saves and stopped three shots in the shootout as the visiting Minnesota Wild squandered a late lead before recording a 3-2 victory over the New Jersey Devils Wednesday night in Newark, N.J.

The Wild halted their second losing streak of the season after encountering heavy traffic. They were delayed in getting from their Manhattan hotel due to a closure in the Holland Tunnel connecting lower Manhattan and Jersey City. Minnesota did not arrive at the arena until 6:26 ET, and the opening faceoff was delayed 24 minutes.

Talbot made 18 saves in the opening period when the Wild took a 2-0 lead on an even-strength goal by Ryan Hartman and a short-handed tally by Nico Sturm. He then made four saves during a New Jersey 5-on-3 late in the third period and four more in overtime.

Once the shootout began, Talbot made a stick save on defenseman Dougie Hamilton's backhand try in the first round and a pad save on Jesper Bratt in the second round.

After Minnesota's Kevin Fiala lifted a wrist shot under New Jersey goaltender MacKenzie Blackwood's pad, Talbot stopped Yegor Sharangovich to end it.

Pavel Zacha and Sharangovich scored in the third period for the Devils, who hit four goalposts and dropped to 1-2-2 in their past five games.

Blackwood made 25 saves for New Jersey, which went 0-for-4 on the power play.

Sharangovich forced overtime when he scored New Jersey's third extra attacker goal of the season with 67 seconds remaining. He tied the game with a one-timer from the low slot after getting a nifty no-look pass from Nico Hischier.

Zacha made it a one-goal game 3:08 into the third when he ripped a one-timer from the left circle over Talbot's stick after Hischier retrieved a loose puck and made a no-look pass.

Minnesota went ahead with 7:50 remaining in the first period when Hartman parked himself in front of the net and had plenty of time to deflect a slap shot from the right point by defenseman Dimitry Kulikov over Blackwood's stick.

The Wild doubled the lead with 54 seconds left in the period when Sturm finished off a 2-on-1 with Frederick Gaudreau by lifting a one-timer from the low slot off the tip of Blackwood's glove and into the net moments after the Wild easily cleared the defensive zone past four Devils.

--Field Level Media

Top Game Performances
 
Minnesota   New Jersey
Ryan Hartman 1 Points Nico Hischier 2
Ryan Hartman 1 Goals Yegor Sharangovich 1
Jonas Brodin 1 Assists Nico Hischier 2
N/A Power Play Goals N/A
Nico Sturm 1 Short Handed Goals N/A
Cam Talbot .952 Save Percentage Mackenzie Blackwood .926
Cam Talbot 40 Saves Mackenzie Blackwood 25
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Shots Goals Power Play Penalty Kill Penalty Mins Face Offs Won
Minnesota 27 3 0-3 4-4 10 24
New Jersey 42 2 0-4 3-3 8 29
Upcoming Games
  • New Jersey will play their next game on the road against Nashville. The Devils have a W/L % of .375 after a win and .556 after a loss.
  • Minnesota will play their next game at home against Winnipeg. The Wild have a W/L % of .545 after a win and .750 after a loss.