ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Matt Dumba went to one knee and slid across the ice to celebrate before being mobbed by his teammates.
An overtime goal provided much-needed relief to Dumba and the Minnesota Wild.
Dumba scored with 2:39 remaining in overtime to snap a 33-game goal-scoring drought and lift Minnesota to a 3-2 win against the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday night.
“I don’t know how to describe it,” Dumba said. “Obviously, it was good scoring in OT but it’d kind of been a long time coming. This feels good. I was trying not to think about it but now getting it, yeah, it felt awesome.”
It was Dumba’s fourth goal of the season and his fifth career overtime goal, which ties him with Brent Burns for most by a defenseman in Wild history.
Dumba has had plenty of scoring chances recently but hadn’t scored since Nov. 12.
“I don’t know what was better, the goal or the (celebration),” Minnesota forward Marcus Foligno said. “But a lot of energy that was built up for a while. It’s just huge to see him get it. Even better that it was a game-winner.”
Kevin Fiala scored twice for the Wild and Alex Stalock made 27 saves as Minnesota recovered from a 6-1 loss to Boston in its previous game.
Adam Boqvist and Olli Maatta scored in the third period for Chicago. Corey Crawford made 31 saves for the Blackhawks, who had won six of their previous seven games.
“I think it’s been a while since we played that poorly,” Chicago coach Jeremy Colliton said. “First two periods and overtime I didn’t think were very good, but a credit to them, that’s part of, they made it hard on us. They had an urgency and desperation to their game that we didn’t match in the beginning.”
Stalock started in place of Devan Dubynk and didn’t see a shot until 7:22 left in the first period. The Wild outshot the Blackhawks 12-4 in the opening period.
Fiala scored his first goal early in the second, scooping up a loose puck along the wall and spinning into the slot before wristing a quick shot past Crawford, who was screened by Luke Kunin. He scored his 11th goal of the season later in the period when he took a pass at the Wild’s own blue line and skated straight up the ice before snapping a quick shot between Crawford’s legs.
Fiala had one goal in the previous 17 games.
“There's nights you look at Kevin and he's so dynamic,” Minnesota coach Bruce Boudreau said. “He's bringing people out of their seats quite frankly. If he can continue to do that it'd be pretty special.”
Chicago tied the score in the third as it outshot Minnesota 15-7 in the period. Boqvist scored his third goal of the season and Maatta sent the game to overtime by scoring with 3:10 left in regulation.
“I feel good that we got the point,” Blackhawks defenseman Duncan Keith said. “Sometimes, it’s not going to be pretty. We did a good job finding a way to get one.”
Chicago was 0 for 3 on the power-play against a Wild team that ranked 30th in penalty kill in the NHL.
Fiala nearly had his first hat trick in a back-and-forth overtime, that also saw Chicago's Jonathan Toews ring a shot off the post behind Stalock. Dumba finally won it as the puck flipped up and over Crawford after a scrum in front of the net.
Dumba scored at least 10 goals each of the previous four seasons. He led all NHL defenseman with 12 goals when he sustained a pectoralis injury in December 2018 and missed the remainder of last season.
“The last four games he's really settled in to being the guy that we know he can be,” Boudreau said. “That's a real positive sign and for 30 more games, I hope he can do it.”
NOTES: Chicago scratched D Nick Seeler a day after claiming him off waivers from Minnesota. Seeler had played in just six games for the Wild this season. He has two goals and nine assists in 99 career NHL games. ... Minnesota altered its lineup after losing 6-1 to Boston in its last game. Ryan Donato started in place of Victor Rask on the fourth line and D Brad Hunt was back in the lineup for Greg Pateryn. ... The Wild are now 13-7-2 in the last 22 regular-season games against Chicago. ... Blackhawks RW Patrick Kane had his 12-game point streak snapped.
UP NEXT
Blackhawks: Host Boston on Wednesday night for the second game of the back-to-back.
Wild: Host Vancouver on Thursday night.
