The Wild quench the Oilers

Hartman's hat trick sets the Wild ablaze

Three leads, three answers

The Edmonton Oilers led three times on qualification night in St. Paul. Three times the Minnesota Wild hauled them back. Edmonton had finished 6th of 32 last season and Minnesota 11th, but none of that counted here. One loss, and a candle on the West's shelf went dark before the Gauntlet was a night old.

Evan Bouchard, a defenseman, struck first with a slap shot just 0:54 in. Marco Rossi deflected the equalizer home at 7:47. Brandon Duhaime and Evander Kane dropped the gloves at 17:56. Then Warren Foegele slapped Edmonton ahead at 18:27, and Ryan Hartman answered with a wrist shot only 0:34 later, at 19:01.

Hartman owns the third

Foegele struck again 0:32 into the 2nd with a snap shot, and that lead held for 20:06. Then Hartman snapped it level 0:38 into the 3rd. Mats Zuccarello's wrister at 6:48, set up by Kaprizov and Hartman, put Minnesota in front for the first time. Joel Eriksson Ek's wrist shot at 10:28 stood as the winner.

Kane tipped in a power play goal at 12:55 to cut the gap to one. Hartman finished his hat trick at 15:50, and Marcus Foligno hit the empty net 0:47 later. Filip Gustavsson made 24 saves on 28 shots. Edmonton's flame was snuffed. The Wild burn on, one of 19 still lit.