The Minnesota Wild continued their torrid run through the NHL with a statement victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday afternoon, skating to a 5-2 win at Grand Casino Arena in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The win marked the Wild’s seventh straight, a stretch that has seen them go 15-2-1 in the last two months and set a new franchise record with a 14-game home points streak (12-0-2 since November 1, 2025). For the Oilers, it was another tough lesson against the Central Division’s elite, and a reminder of how much work remains if they hope to contend come playoff time.
Minnesota wasted no time asserting themselves, with Matt Boldy opening the scoring just 3:42 into the contest. The Wild winger, who has been on a tear of late, broke in alone and beat Edmonton goaltender Calvin Pickard with a slick backhander. Boldy wasn’t done, either. Seven minutes later, he hammered home a one-timer from the right circle on the power play, giving him his 22nd goal of the season and tying him with Kirill Kaprizov for the team lead. "Boldy has seven goals in his past eight games," noted the Associated Press, underscoring just how hot the Wild’s offense has been during this streak.
The Oilers, to their credit, didn’t fold. After falling behind 2-0 in the first 11 minutes—a scenario that’s become all too familiar for Edmonton, who have now trailed by two goals in the opening period 12 times in 36 games this season—they clawed their way back. Andrew Mangiapane, mired in a 22-game goal drought, finally broke through by redirecting a shot past Wild netminder Filip Gustavsson to cut the deficit in half. The relief was palpable for the Oilers forward and his teammates.
With just over a minute to play in the opening frame, Edmonton’s power play struck gold. In a chaotic scramble in front of the crease, Connor McDavid poked home a loose puck to tie the game at two. It was McDavid’s 11th goal in nine games, part of a blistering stretch that’s seen him rack up 11 goals and 12 assists in that span. Leon Draisaitl, meanwhile, picked up two assists on the night, reaching the 50-point plateau for the 11th consecutive season—a feat that ties him with Oilers legends Glenn Anderson and Mark Messier.
But just as Edmonton seemed to have seized the momentum, disaster struck. With only eight seconds left in the period, Minnesota’s Ryan Hartman slipped behind the Oilers’ defense, took a feed from Jake Middleton, and tapped it past Pickard. The late goal proved to be the backbreaker. "That’s a big goal at the end of the first period, one that shouldn’t happen. It really hurt us," Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch admitted postgame. The Oilers never recovered.
From there, Minnesota’s defense—and their red-hot goaltender—took over. The Wild have allowed just 11 goals during their seven-game winning streak, never conceding more than two in a game. Filip Gustavsson was sharp again, stopping 28 of 30 shots and improving his record to 8-1-1 in his last 10 starts. The Oilers, meanwhile, managed only six shots in the second period and three in the opening 10 minutes of the third, stymied at every turn by a Wild team that’s become a defensive juggernaut.
Midway through the third, Vladimir Tarasenko—who has now scored four goals in his last three games—put the game out of reach by chasing down a rebound and scoring on a backhand. Nico Sturm added an empty-netter with 1:25 remaining, and the Wild faithful erupted as their team’s franchise-best home run continued. Mats Zuccarello chipped in with two assists, further highlighting the depth and balance that has made Minnesota so dangerous.
For Edmonton, the loss was a mixed bag. The Oilers wrapped up their five-game road trip with a respectable 3-2 record, having defeated Toronto, Pittsburgh, and Boston but falling to Montreal and Minnesota. Still, the inability to close out a third consecutive win—something they’ve failed to do six times already this season—remains a concern. "We played well against Minnesota both games and unfortunately we haven’t had anything to show for it," said Knoblauch. "After you lose any game you’re always disappointed but I liked the guys’ effort."
Goaltending remains a question mark for the Oilers. With Tristan Jarry sidelined indefinitely due to a lower-body injury, Calvin Pickard got the start and stopped 32 of 36 shots. While his .889 save percentage wasn’t eye-popping, Pickard kept Edmonton in the game for long stretches. "Pickard wasn’t the problem Saturday afternoon. If anything, he was the reason the game stayed competitive as long as it did," wrote The Hockey News. But with Jarry out and Pickard having played back-to-back, Connor Ingram is expected to get the nod in net for Sunday’s tilt against the Vegas Golden Knights. Ingram’s AHL numbers haven’t inspired confidence, and the Oilers’ defensive lapses against Minnesota only heighten the pressure on the untested netminder.
"There was a lot of good in our game over the course of those five games," said Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse. "We played some good teams and I thought the whole group found ways to contribute." Looking ahead, the Oilers know they must tighten up defensively and play smarter, more disciplined hockey if they want to support Ingram and get back in the win column. The Golden Knights, who arrive in Edmonton missing key players Jack Eichel and Shea Theodore, present a golden opportunity for the Oilers to right the ship. "We’re looking forward to it, a big divisional game," Nurse added. "They’re a team that we’ve played a lot these last couple of years. I think everyone will be up for that one."
Meanwhile, the Wild’s machine-like consistency continues to turn heads across the league. With two 20-plus goal scorers in Boldy and Kaprizov, a defense anchored by former Norris Trophy winner Quinn Hughes, and Gustavsson playing the best hockey of his career, Minnesota looks every bit the contender. The Wild will put their home streak on the line Sunday night against the Colorado Avalanche, another heavyweight in the Central Division.
As the Oilers return home, questions linger about their goaltending and defensive structure. But if there’s one thing Saturday’s loss made clear, it’s that the gap between the Oilers and the league’s best is real—and closing it will require a level of consistency and maturity that’s eluded them so far. Sunday’s matchup against Vegas could be a pivotal moment in that journey.
