Kirill Kaprizov scored the tiebreaking goal early in the third period on Tuesday night for the Minnesota Wild, who beat the New York Islanders 4-2 in Elmont, N.Y.
Joel Eriksson Ek added an insurance goal just 42 seconds later for the Wild, who have won two straight following a four-game losing streak.
Pat Maroon and Vinni Lettieri also scored for the Wild. Goalie Marc-Andre Fleury made 27 saves.
Noah Dobson and Oliver Wahlstrom scored for the Islanders, who have lost three of their past four games (1-1-2). Goalie Semyon Varlamov recorded 27 saves.
The Wild needed only 19 seconds to take the lead. A chipped puck by Minnesota defenseman Jake Middleton glanced off the back boards and to Eriksson Ek. The center’s pass glanced off the side of the net and to Maroon, who sent a shot over Varlamov’s glove.
The teams traded empty power plays before the Islanders tied the score with nine minutes remaining in the period. Cal Clutterbuck fended off Middleton and checked Dakota Mermis into the back boards before passing to Casey Cizikas, who collected the puck after it bounced off his skate. Cizikas then dished to Dobson, whose shot from the right faceoff circle sailed under Fleury’s glove.
A tripping penalty on Connor Dewar generated the power play that yielded Wahlstrom’s goal at the 8:34 mark of the second. Wahlstrom took a pass from Pierre Engvall, skated past Lettieri and got around Mermis while maintaining control of the puck before firing a shot beyond Fleury’s glove.
Lettieri tied the score a little under four minutes later, when he took a pass from Matt Boldy, shuffled in front of the blue line and scored on a wrister that sailed past the stick of Varlamov — who was screened by teammate Sebastian Aho as well as Wild right winger Ryan Hartman — with 7:57 left.
Dobson was whistled for roughing 47 seconds before Kaprizov went to one knee in the right faceoff circle and fired a sizzling slap shot that glanced off Varlamov’s glove at the 6:50 mark of the third period.
Minnesota doubled the lead after Maroon and Eriksson Ek converged upon Engvall. Maroon picked up the loose puck and passed to Eriksson Ek, who beat Varlamov from point-blank range.
–Field Level Media
