Jared Spurgeon scored two goals and Zach Parise recorded three points to lead the visiting Minnesota Wild to a 4-3 win over the Ottawa Senators on Saturday afternoon.
Spurgeon recorded the second multi-goal game of his nine-year NHL career, scoring twice during a dominant second period for the Wild. Parise assisted both of Spurgeon's goals and added a score of his own 6:07 into the third period.
The Wild now have scored eight goals in two games, after a seven-game stretch that saw them find the net just 10 times. Spurgeon and Parise have been the offensive catalysts, each recording five points over those two games, both Minnesota victories.
Luke Kunin and Charlie Coyle each had two assists for Minnesota. The red-hot line of Kunin, Coyle and Parise has combined for 19 points over the Wild's last five games.
The Senators outshot the Wild 15-8 in the first period and were rewarded for their early pressure by Matt Duchene's goal in the period's final minute. Duchene left the penalty box just in time to take a stretch pass from Zack Smith, and then fought through two Minnesota defensemen to score his 17th goal of the season.
Minnesota responded with a one-sided frame of its own, outshooting the Senators by a 13-4 margin in the second period and scoring three times. Beyond Spurgeon's two scores, Jordan Greenway also converted at the 14:10 mark, getting a piece of his own rebound during a scramble in front of Ottawa's net.
The Senators also found the scoresheet at 8:08 of the period, when Bobby Ryan sent a nicely placed pass to an open Ryan Dzingel at the far post.
Mark Stone's team-leading 20th goal brought the Senators within one, at the 10:10 mark of the third period. Stone now has five straight seasons of 20 or more goals.
Ottawa is 0-6-1 over its last seven games, and the Senators winless in their last six meetings with the Wild.
Anders Nilsson saved 22 of 26 shots in his Senators debut. Ottawa acquired the goaltender on Wednesday as part of a four-player trade with the Vancouver Canucks.
The Wild have 13 wins this season after allowing the first goal of a game, the second-highest total of any team in the league.
--Field level Media
Minnesota | Ottawa | |
Zach Parise 3 | Points | Matt Duchene 1 |
Jared Spurgeon 2 | Goals | Matt Duchene 1 |
Zach Parise 2 | Assists | Cody Ceci 1 |
N/A | Power Play Goals | N/A |
N/A | Short Handed Goals | N/A |
Devan Dubnyk .889 | Save Percentage | Anders Nilsson .846 |
Devan Dubnyk 24 | Saves | Anders Nilsson 22 |
Team | Shots | Goals | Power Play | Penalty Kill | Penalty Mins | Face Offs Won |
Minnesota | 26 | 4 | 0-3 | 2-2 | 4 | 35 |
Ottawa | 27 | 3 | 0-2 | 3-3 | 6 | 28 |