But the Wild got back on an even keel before the period ended.

Jakub Lauko slipped the puck between the post and Penguins goalie Joel Blomqvist (35 saves) with 2:57 left in the first and then, 55 seconds later, Gaudreau turned a Pittsburgh ball over Blomqvist for his first goal of the season.

Just 1:38 into the second period and on his next shift after his goal, Gaudreau polished off a breakaway set up by Kaprizov for the fourth two-goal game of his career.

Kaprizov was also the architect of the Wild’s next goal with 37 seconds left in the second, the Wild’s leading scorer found Mats Zuccarello for a redirect as Zuccarello crashed into the net for a much-needed reset for the Wild.

Minutes earlier, the Penguins turned up the pressure after denying the second of five Wild power plays that came after Brock Faber’s first NHL fight.

Faber was tied along the boards with Pittsburgh captain Sidney Crosby, who assisted on every Penguins goal, and after the two’s push ended with Crosby breaking free, Crosby’s teammate Jack St Ivany came off the bench and fought with Faber. St. Ivany received an extra penalty for roughness on the play.