ST. PAUL, Minn., Dec. 23 (UPI) -- Niklas Backstrom allowed only a first-period goal on 30 shots Wednesday and the Minnesota Wild held on to defeat Edmonton 3-1.
The Oilers have lost five in a row after winning five straight.
Owen Nolan broke a 1-1 tie with 1:38 remaining in the second period and the Wild protected its one-goal lead until Guillaume Latendresse scored into an empty net with 6 seconds left in the contest.
Minnesota had lost two in a row.
The lone goal against Backstrom came from Robert Nilsson with 4:36 left in the first.
Backstrom had lost his previous two starts while allowing a combined eight goals. Prior to that, however, he had won four straight outings and had given up just three goals in those contests.
Edmonton has dropped 11 straight games in Minnesota.
