Kevin Fiala's flashy goal highlight of Wild win over Coyotes

GLENDALE, ARIZ. – Kevin Fiala didn't play baseball as a kid, but his swing would suggest otherwise.

Fiala scored the Wild's flashiest goal of the season so far, batting in the puck with the shaft of his stick to open the floodgates on a 5-2 blowout against the Coyotes in front of 13,488 at Gila River Arena that extended the team's win streak to four games at the beginning of a three-game road trip.

"That goal, I was a little impressed," Fiala said. "I gotta be honest. That goal was not a usual goal."

Fiala finished with three points, the seventh time in his career he's notched more than two points in a game, while Kirill Kaprizov recorded his third goal over the past four games. Captain Jared Spurgeon, Jon Merrill and Mats Zuccarello had two assists apiece.

As for goalie Kaapo Kahkonen, he improved to 2-1, winning back-to-back starts after making 24 saves. His best stop came late in the second period when he gloved down a shorthanded breakaway by Lawson Crouse.

This run by the Wild is tied for the longest of the season, matching the 4-0 start by the team, which has racked up five goals (one via shootout) in each of its latest victories.

"We're buzzing," Fiala said. "I feel like every night we always step on the gas. We never brake."

The highlight-reel goal from Fiala came 2 minutes, 45 seconds into the second period on a terrific display of hand-eye coordination that put the Wild ahead 3-1.

A centering pass by Spurgeon clipped the Coyotes' Shayne Gostisbehere and while the puck sailed in the air, Fiala caught a piece of it with his stick and batted it into the net for a jaw-dropping goal — literally. That was Fiala's reaction as his Wild teammates crowded around him in celebration.

"Quick reaction," Fiala said. "Instinct, kind of. I saw the puck. Spurgy tried to pass it back to me, and it redirected in the air and I just tried to get it on net. Luckily it went in."

The goal was Fiala's second this season and first since the season opener, snapping a 10-game drought.

Only 36 seconds later, Dmitry Kulikov buried his first goal of the season on a shot from the slot and then during a 5-on-3 power play with 1:09 left in the period, Kaprizov stuffed the puck inside the near post for his team-leading 10th point. He became the fastest in Wild history to score 30 career goals (67 games).

"Great goal," coach Dean Evason said.

Coyotes goalie Karel Vejmelka exited the game after the second period with 17 saves. Scott Wedgewood had eight stops in relief.

In the end, 10 different Wild players registered at least a point.

BOXSCORE: Wild 5, Arizona 2

"Anytime you get contributions from everybody in the lineup, it takes the pressure off of the top guys," Kulikov said. "You know that you can put anybody on the ice and feel confident that they will do the job."

Only 4:22 into the first period, the Wild capitalized on the power play when Joel Eriksson Ek sent a top-shelf shot by Vejmelka. Overall, the Wild went 2-for-3 and the Coyotes blanked on their three chances.

By the nine-minute mark, the Wild was up 2-0 after Merrill's point shot was deflected in by Marcus Foligno while Vejmelka was without his stick.

Before the first period ended, Arizona cut its deficit in half after Andrew Ladd scored on a breakaway at 14:10.

But when the Wild returned for the second period, the team took over — surrendering only one goal the rest of the way, a one-timer by Gostisbehere 7:04 into the third.

This result sends the Wild into Vegas on Thursday on a roll ahead of its first matchup against the Golden Knights since they eliminated the Wild from the playoffs last season.

"We feel great about ourselves," Fiala said. "But we can't chill. We always have to keep going. It's still early. You can't tell how good we are right now. We respect everybody else, every team, but we respect also ourselves.

"We're a great team. We just have to keep going."