St. Paul, MN (SportsNetwork.com) – Charlie Coyle netted the shootout winner
and Minnesota kept its recent run of success alive with a 3-2 decision over
Ottawa at Xcel Energy Center.
Matt Dumba tallied twice in regulation for the Wild, who have won six of their
last seven contests and improved to 14-2-1 since late January.
Devan Dubnyk made a franchise record 21st consecutive start. The reigning NHL
player of the month turned aside 31 shots for the win.
Mika Zibanejad and Bobby Ryan scored for the Senators, who picked up a point
for the sixth straight game but saw their five-game win streak halted. Andrew
Hammond made 36 saves for the visitors.
Each side had scored twice in the first three rounds, but both teams came up
empty in the fourth round. Coyle began the fifth round by beating Hammond high
and inside the right post on a wrister. Dubnyk closed out the contest by
flashing his left pad to halt a Mike Hoffman chance.
Dumba put the hosts on the board at the 52-second mark of the second period on
a one-timer from the left circle, then followed up at 8:05 on a power play off
a dish from new acquisition Chris Stewart.
Zibanejad countered just 28 seconds later for the Sens by whacking a bouncing
puck through Dubnyk, and Ryan evened things at 11:48 with a sweeping shot from
the left wing.
Dubnyk was saved by his net and his penalty killers during a power play
beginning with 9:12 left in regulation as Dumba was booked for hooking.
Zibanejad rang two shots and Erik Karlsson one off iron, and Ottawa spent
almost a minute longer in the Minnesota zone after the advantage expired but
couldn’t forge ahead.
Game Notes
Dumba recorded his first career two-goal game … Hammond suffered his first
NHL defeat after winning each of his first five starts since a recall from
Binghamton of the American Hockey League … Dubnyk improved to 16-3-1 with
five shutouts and a goals-against average well below 2.00 since arriving from
the Coyotes … Stewart arrived from the Buffalo Sabres on Monday’s trade
deadline, while defenseman Jordan Leopold came over from Columbus in a deal
facilitated through a letter written by his daughter to the Blue Jackets
earlier in the winter.
