Toronto Maple Leafs' Mitch Marner battles for position in front of Minnesota Wild goaltender Filip Gustavsson during the second period of Wednesday night’s NHL game in Toronto. Marner was closely defended as he tried to screen Gustavsson. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn)
The Minnesota Wild handed the struggling Toronto Maple Leafs a 3-1 defeat on Wednesday, marking Toronto’s third straight regulation loss. Minnesota’s Filip Gustavsson was outstanding in goal, making 31 saves to secure the win.
Jared Spurgeon and Marat Khusnutdinov each scored in the first period, giving the Wild (30-17-4) an early advantage. Marcus Foligno sealed the victory with an empty-net goal late in the third. With this win, Minnesota now has two consecutive victories but remains 3-5-0 in its last eight outings.
Toronto (30-19-2) managed just one goal, courtesy of William Nylander, who leads the team with 29 goals this season. Leafs goaltender Joseph Woll stopped 22 shots but couldn’t prevent another frustrating loss for his team, which has scored just three goals during this rough patch.
Kaprizov’s Absence Looms Large
Minnesota played without its top scorer, Kirill Kaprizov, who is sidelined with a lower-body injury. The Russian forward, who has tallied 52 points this season, is set for surgery and will be out for at least four weeks.
Even without their star, the Wild came out strong, with Khusnutdinov and Spurgeon putting them ahead 2-0 in the opening frame. Toronto had its chances, with Auston Matthews hitting the post and Nylander striking the crossbar in the second period.
Nylander finally got Toronto on the board midway through the third, cutting the deficit in half. But with Woll pulled for an extra attacker, Foligno secured the win with an empty-net goal.
Leafs’ Injury Woes & Wild’s Veteran Moment
Toronto welcomed Max Pacioretty back to the lineup after he missed three games due to an upper-body injury. Meanwhile, Minnesota’s veteran goaltender Marc-André Fleury is set to play in Montreal on Thursday, a special moment for the 40-year-old, who is in his final NHL season.
Turning Point
Minnesota’s second goal came on a power play when Spurgeon’s shot deflected off Matthews and past Woll, giving the Wild a crucial 2-0 lead.
Key Stat
Kaprizov, despite missing his 14th game of the season, has been a dominant force. Before his injury, he ranked fifth in the NHL with 1.41 points per game.
