Wild keep rolling, edge Senators

Field Level Media|published: Tue 2nd April, 23:06 2024

Apr 2, 2024; Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Wild center Mason Shaw (15) shoots against the Ottawa Senators goaltender Joonas Korpisalo (70) in the second period at Xcel Energy Center. credits: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports

Vinni Lettieri scored the go-ahead goal with 6:56 remaining in the third period, lifting the Minnesota Wild to a 3-2 victory over the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday in Saint Paul, Minn.

Fellow fourth-liner Mason Shaw scored his first goal since sustaining his fourth career ACL injury last season, and Matt Boldy also tallied.

Marc-Andre Fleury made 30 saves for the Wild (36-28-10, 81 points), who improved to 8-1-4 in their last 13 games overall and 14-4-3 in their last 21 contests against the Senators.

Ottawa's Drake Batherson and defenseman Jakob Chychrun each scored and set up the other's power-play goal.

Joonas Korpisalo turned aside 17 shots for the Senators (33-37-4, 70 points), who saw their five-game winning streak come to a halt despite holding a decisive advantage in faceoff wins (38-15).

Shaw gained possession along the right-wing boards and alertly sent a centering feed to Lettieri. The latter quickly backhanded the puck past Korpisalo for his fourth goal of the season and first since Dec. 18.

Shaw opened the scoring at 12:32 of the first period. He carried the puck to center ice before passing off. Defenseman Zach Bogosian then feathered a centering feed that Shaw shoveled home from in front for his first goal in 13 games this season.

Boldy doubled the advantage 49 seconds into the second period after one-timing Kirill Kaprizov's backhanded centering feed past Korpisalo. The goal was Boldy's 26th of the season and second in his last three games.

Ottawa halved the deficit just under seven minutes later after captain Brady Tkachuk's no-look pass through the slot was deposited home by Batherson. The goal was Batherson's 27th of the season and fourth in his last six games.

Chychrun forged a 2-2 tie after skating in behind the play and converting Batherson's centering feed into a gaping net. Chychrun's goal was his 13th of the season and fourth in his last five games.

Senators forward Angus Crookshank sustained a lower-body injury in the first period. He did not return to the game.

—Field Level Media

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