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Wild beat Bruins in SO; Minnesota claims wild-card berth

Apr 9, 2014 - 5:30 AM St. Paul, MN (SportsNetwork.com) - Ryan Suter scored the game-tying goal with 1:05 remaining in regulation, while Ilya Bryzgalov stopped Brad Marchand to end the shootout, as Minnesota claimed a 4-3 victory over Boston and wrapped up a wild-card berth on Tuesday night at Xcel Energy Center.

Mikko Koivu scored the lone goal of the game's final segment, and the Wild have won five of their last six overall.

Jason Pominville tallied twice and Koivu recorded a pair of assists in regulation for the hosts, who clinched the top wild card spot in the Western Conference with the win.

"We played ourselves into the playoffs the way that you want to. It says a lot about the guys in here, and hopefully we can keep this thing going here," Suter said.

Bryzgalov finished with 21 saves, improving to 7-0-3 since arriving in the Twin Cities.

Loui Eriksson, Reilly Smith and Patrice Bergeron lit the lamp for the Bruins, who moved three points up on St. Louis -- which lost at home in regulation to Washington -- in the race for the Presidents' Trophy.

"I felt we were a little sloppy tonight. We weren't very sharp in our passing and our playmaking," Bruins head coach Claude Julien said.

Tuukka Rask also stopped 21 shots.

Pominville got the jump 1:05 in, ripping a shot from the left point past Rask only 24 seconds into a tripping minor to Milan Lucic.

Suter was sent off just over a minute later on a slash, and Smith knotted the score at three minutes even. Boston went up 2-1 as Bergeron tallied just after the midway point of the period, ripping a shot home off a scramble near the crease.

Only 28 seconds later, Pominville tallied again, rushing the crease and redirecting a Matt Moulson pass.

Eriksson was then credited with the final tip of a Zdeno Chara slapper that was redirected by Gregory Campbell on the advantage gave the Bruins a 3-2 edge with 3:42 left in the second.

Bryzgalov was on the bench when Suter managed to sneak a shot from between the circles through traffic in front with 65 seconds showing.

Minnesota swarmed the Boston crease througout overtime, racking up six shots and twice as many scoring chances, but Rask remained resolute.

Game Notes

Koivu tied an NHL record by notching his 15th career shootout-deciding marker ... The Wild have made the playoffs in back-to-back seasons for just the second time, having first accomplished the feat in 2007 and 2008 ... After going 0-for-36 all-time on the advantage against the Wild, the Bruins converted two of their five power-play opportunities.