ST. PAUL - Coming into the game both Kirill Kaprizov and Mats Zuccarello were above point-per-game players while Ryan Hartman had only one goal and one assist in five games.
Even though Kaprizov and Zuccarello had the points to show for it this season, Wild head coach Dean Evason thought about splitting up the Wild's top line.
"You always talk about it," Evason said on breaking up the Wild's top line. "There is a process to this. You talk to them individually then you talk to them as a group and you give them the opportunity to pull themselves out of whatever funk, if it's offensively of defensively.
That's the process. They're the athletes, they're the pros, they are the ones in the arena, let's let them try to figure it out before we stand behind them and try to make decisions."
Not only did Hartman record five points but every one of the five were big-time plays that were crucial for the Wild.
Hartman's first point came after the Wild allowed the first goal under a minute into the game and after they took four penalties. His pass to Marco Rossi tied the game at 1-1 and stopped any momentum the Oilers had.
The Oilers picked up another goal later but Hartman answered with his first of three. Calen Addison passed the puck over to Jake Middleton who ripped a shot on net. Hartman swatted the rebound past Jack Campbell for his second goal of the year.
Edmonton answered yet again, taking the lead for the third time of the game after Warren Foegele scored his second of the night off the rush. Foegele's goal was the second time in two periods that the Oilers scored in the opening minute.
After numerous chances, the Wild just couldn't find the back of the net and went into the third period down a goal. Campbell played unbelievably in the second period where he robbed Connor Dewar twice and followed it up with one of the best saves of the season, on Pat Maroon.
The Wild answered with a goal in the opening minute to start the third period and it was none other than Hartman. It came after another gorgeous goal from the Wild's top line.
Kaprizov corralled the puck by the blue line and fed one across the ice to Zuccarello who redirected the pass off his skate to Hartman in the slot who ripped home his second of the game and third of the year.
"Just stick with it," Zuccarello said on the top line turning it around. "There are 82 games and tough teams you play against every night that are trying to shut you down so, some nights are harder. Just stick with the game, keep it simple, and I just told Hartzy to put it in the net."
That he did, as Hartman notched his second of the game after a great play from the Wild's top line which tied the game at 3-3.
More chances came from the Wild and the top line captilized yet again just around six minutes later. Addison dumped the puck in on Bouchard who coughed the puck up.
Hartman picked up the loose puck from Bouchard and fed one to Kaprizov who was all alone in front. Kaprizov then sent one over to Zuccarello who ripped home his second of the year making it 4-3 Wild for their first lead of the game.
"Felt good. We were able to find each other," Hartman said on the way his line played. "We talked about it as a line, we've been watching some shifts, and too many times we were trying to get inside or forcing a little bit. We were keeping it and waiting for our moment to strike."
The Wild's top line didn't stop there after Hartman picked up his third of the game late in the third after Joel Eriksson Ek notched his fifth of the year on a nice pass from Maroon and Evander Kane's goal that made it 5-4.
A broken play in the neutral zone resulted in the Wild's sixth goal of the game. It started with a great play by Kaprizov after he poked the puck ahead for Jake Middleton who with a burst of speed, walked into the offensive zone before connecting with Hartman for his third of the game.
"We thought they were trending in the right direction," Evason said on the Wild's top line after the 7-4 win over the Oilers. "They are as disappointed when they don't help the team have success as all of us. They worked their butts off and looked like a line we know they can be."
This win was much needed for the Wild following two straight losses on home ice against the Los Angeles Kings and Columbus Blue Jackets. The Wild are set to go on the road for three games including a back-to-back on Thursday and Friday.
A perfect time to gain some momentum and it all came after an impressive night by Hartman and the Wild's top line.