|
 Parise took advantage, scoring the game-winner early in the third
period as the Wild snapped a three-game losing streak with a 2-1
victory over the Rangers.
Right winger Nino Niederreiter also scored for the Wild and goalie
Darcy Kuemper had 29 saves for his 12th win of the season — a
franchise record for a rookie netminder. It was the first win for
the Wild (35-22-9) since last week's NHL trade deadline.
"It's important, getting wins this time of the year and finding ways
to win games like this," Wild coach Mike Yeo said, gearing up for a
fight to the finish as the playoffs get closer. "We're going to have
a lot of games that don't feel perfect at the end. We're going to be
playing against a lot of desperate teams, teams that we have to
expect to be good every night. I expect a lot of close games down
the stretch."
Center Derek Stepan scored for the Rangers (35-28-4) during a
second-period power play as New York lost its second game in a row.
Goalie Cam Talbot, making just his second start since the Olympic
break, had 24 saves, falling to 11-6-0 this season. The Parise
mistake had the Rangers stewing afterward.
"It's unacceptable," said left winger Rick Nash. "When the puck's
there, the wingers have to crash down and everybody's got to take a
guy. I think we were a bit out of position and they capitalized. I
think Cam made the first two or three saves. We can't expect him to
make all of them. We've got to be better."
Niederreiter opened the scoring with his first goal since before a
stint with Team Switzerland at the Sochi Olympics. He took advantage
of a Rangers turnover behind the net, finding himself all alone in
front of Talbot with the puck. A quick wrist shot later, Minnesota
led 1-0.
During a second-period power play, Stepan got the Rangers back to
even. His point-blank shot hit the post, but the Rangers regrouped
without losing possession of the puck and eventually got it back to
Stepan at the blue line. His shot through a crowd in front of
Kuemper sailed past the goalie on the stick side.
For Stepan, it was his second goal in the past four games.
Early in the third period during a scramble in front of Talbot, the
Wild got four consecutive whacks at the puck with right winger Jason
Pominville, center Mikael Granlund and Parise all taking turns. The
last shot of the quartet came off Parise's stick and slid under the
goalie's outstretched right arm. It was Parise's 23rd goal of the
season — one behind Pominville, who is the team leader.
[to top of second column] |
"(Talbot) made a couple good saves," Parise said. "Pommer had about
six whacks at it too, but it was a really smart play by Granlund to
attack the net, for him to recognize that he had room. That's what
started the play, and I think at that point of the game, we needed
to start getting some pucks into the crease there and get an ugly
one. Luckily, it went in.
The Rangers had two shots in a mad scramble in front of Kuemper in
the game's final 10 seconds but could not tie the score.
"They capitalized on the mistakes that we made, and offensively we
weren't able to capitalize on some of their mistakes," Rangers coach
Alain Vigneault said. "For the first two periods, both teams were
playing fairly close to the vest. They were flipping a lot of pucks,
and you're using the glass to get it out. After they scored their
second goal in the third period, they sort of backed off a little
bit on their forecheck, and we were able to get some chances there
but weren't able to finish."
It was the sixth consecutive one-goal game the Wild have played.
NOTES: Wild RW Justin Fontaine was a healthy scratch for the fourth
consecutive game on Thursday. The rookie has 12 goals this season
but does not have a point since Jan. 16. ... Newly signed F Ryan
Haggerty was not with the Rangers in Minnesota on Thursday. He is
expected to join the team on Saturday when they return to New York.
Haggerty signed Wednesday, leaving college a year early after
leading Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute with 28 goals this season.
... It took the Wild more than six minutes to get their first shot
on goal, and then it came off the stick of Rangers D Ryan McDonagh.
He bounced a clearing attempt off G Cam Talbot's pads, which went in
the books at Minnesota's first shot on goal of the game. ... The
Wild's four-game homestand concludes Saturday against the Columbus
Blue Jackets. The Rangers' three-game road trip wraps up Friday
night in Winnipeg against the Jets. Winnipeg won the season's first
meeting between the teams 5-2 at Madison Square Garden on Dec. 2.
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