The Minnesota Wild need wins to keep pace in the tight Central Division and Monday afternoon they managed a 5-3 win over the New York Islanders in Brooklyn.
The Wild’s Jason Zucker had two strikes in the win.
“They’re a really good team,” Zucker said. “You’ve got to make sure you don’t get into a track-meet style game. It was good for us to get some forechecks on them, turn some pucks over and be able to create some chances at the net.”
The Isles could not keep the shutout magic and stingy defense they over a coup,e of games, admittedly over the hapless New York Rangers for one.
Devan Dubnyk made 32 saves.to pick up the win as the Wild erupted for three goals in the middle frame in a span of less than five minutes.
“Three bad decisions, two-second decisions,” Islanders head coach Doug Weight said. “If you were playing better, consistent hockey throughout the year, you chalk it up as a couple bad decisions and you march on. But now the points are so paramount and important that it’s the biggest punch in the stomach.”
Matt Cullen, Tyler Ennis and Eriksson Ek also scored for the Wild.
“Having a lead in the second and keeping it is really good for us,” Zucker said.
The loss kept the Isles from separating themselves from the Carolina Hurricanes for the second wild card spot in the east.
New York got goals from Ross Johnston, Anders Lee and Tanner Fritz.
Minnesota moved three points clear of the Calgary Flames for the second wild card spot in the west.
“It’s hard. You want to score, you want to help the team win,” Ek said. “But when you don’t score, you need to find other ways to help the team, and I think I did that pretty good. I’m just going to try to play my best game every night.”
[WATCH:Â All Wild vs. Islanders highlights]
Jaroslav Halak made 27 saves in taking the loss as the Isles dropped to 29-26-6.
“We just have to manage the puck better, play a simpler game, work them in the defensive zone and just play to our strengths. We have to do the right things and do it the right way,” Fritz said after the game.