Wild 5, Islanders 4: Nino Niederreiter capped a furious third-period comeback against his former team with 4:33 remaining as host Minnesota rallied from a pair of three-goal deficits.

Niederreiter snapped a tie during a scramble in front, poking the puck past Chad Johnson while laying on the ice for his 12th of the season. Fellow former Islander Thomas Vanek and captain Mikko Koivu each recorded a goal and an assist, Jason Pominville and Erik Haula also tallied and Niklas Backstrom made 15 saves in his 400th career contest for the Wild, who completed a 2-1-1 homestand.

Michael Grabner, Brock Nelson and Matt Martin gave New York a 3-0 lead after one period for the second straight game and Josh Bailey scored in the middle session before Minnesota erupted for four goals in the third. Johnson turned aside 25 shots for the Islanders, who have lost consecutive games for the first time since dropping three in a row from Oct. 28-Nov. 1.

Grabner opened the scoring at 8:31 of the first period with a shot from the top of the slot that deflected off Pominville and into the net. Nelson tipped defenseman Nick Leddy's one-timer from above the left faceoff circle past Backstrom during a power play with 2:45 left in the session and blue-liner Thomas Hickey's shot from the left circle glanced off Martin's skate and in 32 seconds later for a 3-0 advantage.

Minnesota got on the board on Pominville's man-advantage goal at 9:01 of the second, but Bailey restored New York's three-goal cushion with 2:43 remaining in the period. Koivu began the Wild's comeback 2:51 into the third, Haula's pass attempt caromed in off Hickey's skate with 8:57 left and Vanek forged a tie 45 seconds later by backhanding a loose puck in the crease into the net.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Wild D Keith Ballard left the game with just under 12 minutes remaining in the second period after being on the receiving end of a crushing check by Martin between the players' benches. A stretcher was brought out for Ballard, who appeared to be unconscious after having his head rammed into the boards, then hitting the ice, but he walked off with the help of team trainers. ... Islanders G Jaroslav Halak was scheduled to start but was a late scratch due to an upper-body injury. The 29-year-old Slovakian did serve as Johnson's backup. ... Minnesota entered the contest a league-best 36-for-38 on the penalty kill at home. ... Islanders D Lubomir Visnovsky notched an assist in his return from an upper-body injury, while Wild D Ryan Suter collected three after missing two contests with the mumps.