Wild let lead slip away, fall to Devils 5-4 in OT

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ST. PAUL, Minn. — Nico Hischier scored 3:19 into overtime, Cory Schneider got his first win in nearly 14 months and the New Jersey Devils rallied to beat the Minnesota Wild 5-4 on Friday night.



Hischier, Marcus Johansson and Kyle Palmieri each had a goal and an assist for the Devils, who won for the second time in eight games. Will Butcher and Ben Lovejoy also scored.

Schneider had 15 saves in relief, including three in overtime. He allowed five goals Thursday in Chicago and was 0-17-4 since his last win on Dec. 27, 2017.

Wild goaltender Devan Dubnyk misplayed the puck in his own end and made one save before Hischier slammed home a rebound, completing an improbable comeback.

Playing for the third time in four nights, New Jersey trailed 4-1 late in the second period before Butcher started the comeback by scoring off a deflected pass. Palmieri added a power-play goal midway through the third.

Lovejoy scored with 2:45 left in regulation when he beat Dubnyk with a low slap shot from the left circle. Dubnyk has allowed 10 goals in the last two games, both losses that included Minnesota blowing a multi-goal lead.

Mikael Granlund and Brad Hunt each had a goal and assist for Minnesota, which dropped to 1-5-2 in its past eight games. Joel Eriksson Ek and Nick Seeler also scored, and Ryan Suter had two assists.

The Wild are clinging to the final playoff wild card in the jumbled Western Conference.

https://youtu.be/a-XGd4zJuDQ

Seeler and Granlund scored in the first part of the second to increase Minnesota's lead to 4-1 and end Keith Kinkaid's night with 13 saves.

Hunt scored a power-play goal and Eriksson Ek turned a gaffe by Kinkaid behind his net into an easy wraparound for a 2-0 lead midway through the first. Eriksson Ek has four goals in five career games against New Jersey.

https://youtu.be/q34p1gX55Os

Johansson scored on a one-timer 26 seconds into the second to get the Devils on the board.

NOTES: New Jersey is 2-18-2 when trailing after the first period. ... The Devils placed C Blake Coleman (upper body) on injured reserve and activated LW Miles Wood off IR. Coleman has 18 goals, second-best on the team. ... Play was stopped in the first period when, prior to a TV timeout, the Wild ice crew opened the Zamboni door thinking Dubnyk held onto the puck after a save during a New Jersey forecheck.

UP NEXT

Devils: Open a three-game homestand Sunday against Buffalo.

Wild: Host St. Louis on Sunday.