Minnesota Wild's Marc-Andre Fleury (29) pokes the puck away from Winnipeg Jets' Kyle Connor (81) as Marcus Foligno (17) and Oskar Sundqvist (70) defend during first period NHL action in Winnipeg, Wednesday, March 8, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/John Woods
WINNIPEG – Marc-Andre Fleury made 46 saves to lift the Minnesota Wild to a 4-2 victory over the Winnipeg Jets on Wednesday that extended the team’s point streak to 11 consecutive games.
The Wild are 9-0-2 in their past 11 contests. Fleury also has victories in his last four starts.
Marcus Foligno had a goal and assist and Frederick Gaudreau, Ryan Hartman and Mason Shaw, into an empty net, also scored for the Wild (37-21-7). Oskar Sundqvist and Jake Middleton each contributed a pair of assists.
Logan Stanley and Nino Niederreiter scored for the Jets (36-26-3), who are 2-7-2 in their last 11 games. Connor Hellebuyck stopped 19 shots.
The victory moves the Wild into a tie with the idle Dallas Stars atop the Central Division. The Jets remain fourth in the division and hold the second Western Conference wild-card spot, three points behind the idle Edmonton Oilers and four points ahead of idle Calgary.
Minnesota was coming off a 1-0 shootout loss Tuesday night at home against the Calgary Flames and it showed early in the game.
The Wild didn’t get their first shot on goal until 8:49 into the opening frame. The Jets had six shots at that point and Fleury made some vintage sprawling, glove-snapping saves.
Foligno scored with his team’s third shot of the period, ripping the puck from the high slot over Hellebuyck’s right shoulder at 14:14.
The period ended with the Jets ahead 15-5 on shots on goal.
Four goals were scored in the second period, including three in a span of 86 seconds.
Gaudreau started it off at 7:06 when he stickhandled to the front of Hellebuyck and recorded his 12th goal of the season to make it 2-0.
Stanley scored his first goal of the season, and third of his career, 30 seconds later off a rebound. It was the 15th game in the defenceman’s injury-marred season.
Hartman made it 3-1 at 8:31 with a shot that went between Hellebuyck’s pads.
Niederreiter’s 20th goal of the season marked the 400th point of his NHL career.
The former Minnesota skater scored after a puck bounced off a Wild player straight to him and he put it past Fleury with 2:45 left in the period. It also extended his point streak to four games (two goals, two assists).
The Jets were outshooting the Wild 34-16 after two periods.
Winnipeg had its third power play of the game midway through the third period, but only got one shot on goal and Fleury continued making head-turning saves.
With Hellebuyck pulled for the extra attacker, a breakdown by the Jets gave Mats Zuccarello the puck and he passed it to Shaw for the empty-net goal with 38 seconds remaining.
STINGY MINNE
The Wild entered the game not allowing a goal for 170 minutes and 57 seconds in regulation and overtime. They had previously been scored on in the first period of a 2-1 victory in Vancouver last Thursday.
When Stanley scored Winnipeg’s goal 7:36 into the second period, it was the first goal Minnesota goalies had allowed in a total of 198:33.
UP NEXT
Jets: Begin a three-game road trip Saturday in Florida against the Panthers.
Wild: Play the second game of a four-game road trip Saturday in San Jose against the Sharks.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 8, 2023.
