Wild complete winning trip with win at Anaheim

[January 21, 2021]  Joel Eriksson Ek scored less than two minutes into the third period and the Minnesota Wild got some revenge Wednesday with a 3-2 victory over the Anaheim Ducks to complete a season-opening, four-game road trip.

Ryan Hartman scored a short-handed goal for the Wild, and Nick Bonino added a power-play tally. It was Minnesota's first power-play goal in 19 tries on the season.

Minnesota went 3-1-0 on its trip to Los Angeles and Anaheim and will play its home opener Friday against the San Jose Sharks.

Nicolas Deslauriers and Cam Fowler each scored second-period goals for Anaheim, matching the Ducks' goal total in their past two games combined.

Each goaltender made his first appearance of the season. The Wild's Kaapo Kahkonen stopped 22 shots in his sixth career game. It was his fourth career victory. Ducks veteran Ryan Miller made 29 saves.
 

Erikkson Ek delivered his game-winner after the Wild came up with a loose puck behind the Ducks' goal. Jordan Greenway slid the puck out front to Erikkson Ek, who hammered his shot into the upper-right corner of the goal for his second of the season.

The Wild jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the second period and seemed well on their way toward avenging a 1-0 defeat to the Ducks on Monday.

Hartman gave Minnesota a 1-0 lead at 13:51 of the first period with a short-handed breakaway goal, scoring off the deflection of his initial shot when it caromed off Miller's left blocker. It was Hartman's first of the season.

Anaheim Ducks defenseman Andy Welinski (45) falls to the ice while chasing down a puck in front of Minnesota Wild center Nico Sturm (7)during the first period at Honda Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports

The Wild made it 2-0 at 5:50 of the second period on Bonino's power-play goal. Bonino popped up the puck on a faceoff in the Ducks' zone and picked up the rebound off the chest of Eriksson Ek before scoring his first of the season.

The Ducks reacted quickly, getting a goal from Deslauriers at 8:58 of the second period and tying it less than four minutes later when Fowler scored past Kahkonen. Carter Rowney had an assist on both goals, and Deslauriers helped set up Fowler.

Defenseman Ian Cole made his Wild debut and played 17:31 after he was acquired in a trade with the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday.

--Field Level Media

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