ST. LOUIS -- Erik Haula's right foot was on the goal line when the game-winning shot left his stick, a bid from a sharp angle that somehow snuck behind Blues goalie Jake Allen.
In a tight-checking game, the kind familiar to this city and its team, the Wild returned to the massive arena where they won a first-round playoff series last spring and eked out a 3-1 victory over the Blues.
Behind a pair of goals from a third line that stepped up with star forward Zach Parise out of the lineup, the Wild earned their 53rd win of the year on the last day of 2015, setting a franchise record for wins in a calendar year.