MONTREAL (AP) Eric Staal's short-handed goal in the third period broke a tie and helped Minnesota to a 4-2 victory over the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday night, giving the Wild a ninth straight win that tied the team record.
Jordan Schroeder and Jared Spurgeon also scored for the Wild (20-8-4), who last won nine in a row March 8-24, 2007. They have a chance to break the record Friday night against the Rangers in New York. Jason Zucker added an empty-net goal with 23 seconds left in the game.
Max Pacioretty and Artturi Lehkonen scored for Montreal (21-8-4), which ended a two-game winning run.
The game featured a duel between two of the NHL's leading goalies, with Devan Dubnyk having the edge over Carey Price as the Canadiens outshot the Wild 34-27.
After a scoreless first period, the Canadiens struck. After Brian Flynn and Tomas Plekanec were stopped on back-to-back chances, Phillip Danault sent Pacioretty in alone to beat Dubnyk with a low shot from the right side 2:01 into the second.
Price was at the heart of Minnesota's tying goal at 7:07 as his clearing attempt was picked off by Schroeder and the recent call-up from AHL Iowa circled the net and shot high. Price got most of it, but inadvertently nudged it into the net with a skate.
Lehkonen was alone in front to put in Flynn's rebound at 10:35, but Spurgeon, playing his 400th NHL game, finished a three-pass attack in the Montreal zone with a shot from the right side at 15:13.
It was the Wild's turn to score short-handed 3:08 into the third when Mikael Granlund chopped the puck past Mark Barberio to send Staal down the left side for a shot that beat Price on the short side.
NOTES: Montreal defenseman Alexei Emelin missed the game as his wife gave birth to their third child. Joel Hanley was called up from St. John's to fill in and forward Sven Andrighetto was returned to the AHL club. ... Zach Parise sat out sick for Minnesota, so Kurtis Gabriel dressed.
UP NEXT:
Wild: visit the Rangers on Friday night.
Canadiens: visit Columbus on Friday night where the lost 10-0 on Nov. 4 to begin a stretch of seven straight road games.
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