TAMPA, Fla. — In an exciting matchup on Thursday night, Matt Boldy found the back of the net just 54 seconds into the third period, leading the Minnesota Wild to an impressive 4-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning.

This win marked Minnesota’s continued unbeaten streak in regulation, now standing at 5-0-2. Goalie Marc-Andre Fleury played a crucial role, stopping 23 shots, securing both his first win of the season and the 562nd of his illustrious career.

Boldy’s goal came during a power play and allowed the Wild to reclaim a 3-2 advantage. Kirill Kaprizov had a standout performance with two goals, including one scored into an empty net, while Joel Eriksson Ek also contributed with a goal.

For the Lightning, Brandon Hagel and Nikita Kucherov each found the net in the second period, providing a brief lead. However, this defeat ended Tampa Bay’s perfect home record, now at 3-1. Goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy faced 18 shots and suffered his third consecutive loss.

The game began with Kaprizov giving Minnesota an early 1-0 lead at 6:23 of the first period. Tampa Bay responded in the second period with back-to-back goals from Hagel and Kucherov, taking the game to a 2-1 lead before Ek evened the score late in the frame.

Notably, the Wild’s remarkable stretch of not trailing during regulation came to an end at 391 minutes and 31 seconds, which ranks as the second-longest for any team since the start of an NHL season. The 1969-70 Boston Bruins hold the record at 457 minutes and 21 seconds.

Kucherov currently leads the league with eight goals and has managed to contribute points in all seven games played by the Lightning thus far this season.

A crucial moment in the match occurred when Boldy’s goal followed a high-sticking penalty by Nick Paul, allowing the Wild a fourth power-play opportunity within the game.

Statistically, the Wild have managed to score first in all seven of their matches, outpacing their opponents with a remarkable 8-1 goal margin in the first period alone. On the other hand, Tampa Bay, which boasted the league’s best power play last season, struggled on Thursday, failing to capitalize on their only power-play chance and falling to 0 for 8 in these situations during their home games.

Looking ahead, the Minnesota Wild will continue their seven-game road trip with a match against the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday, while the Tampa Bay Lightning will host the Washington Capitals that same evening.