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National Hockey League
Minnesota 4, Columbus 2
When: 7:00 PM ET, Tuesday, January 5, 2016
Where: Nationwide Arena, Columbus, Ohio
Referees: Tim Peel, Justin St. Pierre
Linesmen: Brad Kovachik, Brandon Gawryletz
Attendance: 12411

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Minnesota Wild left winger Zach Parise seemed oblivious to the tight-checking game that surrounded him.

Parise recorded his fourth career hat trick and helped the Wild separate from the Columbus Blue Jackets and win 4-2 in a traffic-jam of a game Tuesday in Nationwide Arena.

"We play well without the puck as a team," Parise said. "But I thought tonight was one of our best games in the offensive zone for a while. It's been a while since we've had one of those, but it was fun."

Parise scored late in the first period and midway through the second to give the Wild a 2-1 lead.

He added his third goal with 56.1 seconds remaining, scoring from the neutral zone into an empty net for his fourth career hat trick.

"I knew it was going to break for him," Wild coach Mike Yeo said. "This has been coming for a while. He's been really strong late in some games, carrying the puck and creating chances.

"You want to see a guy who's playing like that get a breakthrough. You know it's going to happen."

Center Mikael Granlund had a goal and two assists for the Wild, while goaltender Devan Dubnyk finished with 29 saves.

The Wild played most of the game without captain Mikko Koivu, who slammed awkwardly into the boards after getting tangled with Blue Jackets defenseman David Savard and did not return.

Koivu was taken to a local hospital, but the Wild did not provide an update on his injury. Yeo said he wasn't sure if Koivu would spend the night in Columbus.

"We juggled the lines all game," Parise said. "I think everybody played with everybody. Mikko plays big minutes for us, but everybody who played more than usual did a really good job."

Right winger Cam Atkinson and left winger Nick Foligno scored for the Blue Jackets, while rookie goaltender Anton Forsberg finished with 29 saves.

The Blue Jackets struggled to get through Minnesota's neutral zone trap. And when they did, they didn't convert scoring chances.

"They just play boring," Blue Jackets defenseman Cody Goloubef said. "They wait for you to make mistakes and then they jump on you."

The game was tight all night, but ended with a flurry - three goals in the final minute.

Parise's final score of the night pushed the Wild lead to 3-1, but the Blue Jackets - with Forsberg off for an extra skater - pulled to 3-2 with 15.3 seconds remaining when Foligno scored out of a crowd in front of Dubnyk.

However, Granlund won the ensuing faceoff against Blue Jackets center Ryan Johansen.

He won it so clean, in fact, that it rocketed the length of the ice and into the net with 13.6 seconds remaining, to cap the scoring.

The NHL only counts goals on the whole second, so the goals will be recorded as scored two seconds apart. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the two-second gap ties an NHL record.

Other than that flurry, it was an offensive struggle for both teams most of the night.

"They're such a good positional team," Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella said. "It's tough getting through them, and it's about getting underneath the hash marks. We had some good shifts, but the key in a game like this is, 'Who blinks first?' And we did."

The Wild took a 1-0 lead at 17:22 of the first period.

Granlund, carrying the puck with speed through the neutral zone, split two Blue Jackets defenders and fed Parise in the right circle.

Parise made a nifty shot, beating Forsberg with a wrister to the far corner of the net.

The Blue Jackets made it 1-1 at 3:08 of the second period.

Atkinson skated hard to the net and buried a backhand feed from left winger Scott Hartnell from below the goal line.

The Wild regained the lead later in the period, thanks again to Parise.

At 12:43 of the second, with both clubs down a skater following minor penalties, Parise slipped away from his check and gathered a quick pass from Granlund for a clean look at Forsberg.

Parise lifted the puck up and over Forsberg in tight space for a 2-1 lead.

NOTES: Blue Jackets LW Kerby Rychel, currently playing with Cleveland in the American Hockey League, has requested a trade, according to the Columbus Dispatch. Rychel, the No. 19 overall pick in 2013, has played in only 16 NHL games the past two seasons, despite massive struggles by the team. ... Minnesota C Ryan Carter (hand) was a healthy scratch, but the club said it doesn't think he will be out of the lineup much longer. ... Blue Jackets D Cody Goloubef (broken jaw) was activated from the injured reserve and played in his first game since he was struck in the face by a puck Nov. 20.
Top Game Performances
 
Minnesota   Columbus
Zach Parise 3 Points Cam Atkinson 1
Zach Parise 3 Goals Cam Atkinson 1
Mikael Granlund 2 Assists Cody Goloubef 1
N/A Power Play Goals N/A
N/A Short Handed Goals N/A
Devan Dubnyk .935 Save Percentage Anton Forsberg .935
Devan Dubnyk 29 Saves Anton Forsberg 29
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Shots Goals Power Play Penalty Kill Penalty Mins Face Offs Won
Minnesota 33 4 0-2 1-1 4 26
Columbus 31 2 0-1 2-2 6 27
Upcoming Games
  • Columbus will play their next game on the road against Carolina. The Blue Jackets have a W/L % of .438 after a win and .320 after a loss.
  • Minnesota will play their next game at home against Philadelphia. The Wild have a W/L % of .571 after a win and .500 after a loss.