Wild roll over Canadiens
SAINT PAUL, Minn. -- Matt Cullen had a goal and assist on his 41st birthday, and the Minnesota Wild earned a 6-3 win against the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday.
Devan Dubnyk made 28 saves in goal for Minnesota (5-4-2). Nino Niederreiter, Tyler Ennis, Ryan Suter, Jared Spurgeon and Marcus Foligno also scored for the Wild, who recovered from a listless home loss to the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday. Minnesota started its season-long, six-game homestand 2-2 before the Thursday win.
Matt Dumba, Mikael Granlund and Mikko Koivu each had two assists for the Wild.
Montreal goaltender Carey Price allowed all five goals, the seventh time in 11 games this season he yielded at least four goals. Price made 21 saves.
Brendan Gallagher scored twice and Andrew Shaw added his first of the season for the Canadiens, who had won three of their past four games after a 1-6-1 start.
Cullen, the second-oldest player in the NHL behind Jaromir Jagr, returned to his native Minnesota in the offseason to end a steady career after winning back-to-back Stanley Cups in Pittsburgh the past two seasons.
Thursday marked his 1,500th NHL game, including the regular season and playoffs, which ranks 46th all-time and sixth among active players. He started the scoring just 4:46 into the first period when he collected a rebound off Price's pads and quickly scored his first goal of the season.
Niederreiter scored his first of the season just 10 seconds later after Price's clearing attempt was stopped at the blue line.
Ennis finished the three-goal first for the Wild with an assist from Cullen, who notched his 131st career multi-point game.
Montreal's offense had seemingly found its touch, scoring at least five goals in three of the past four games. The bigger concern has been the play of Price, the former Hart and Vezina trophy winner, considered among the best goaltenders in the league.
Price allowed at least four goals for the third straight game.
NOTES: Montreal RW Andrew Shaw was back in the lineup after missing practice Wednesday because of the flu. ... The Canadiens scratched LW Jacob De La Rose and D Joe Morrow. ... Minnesota scratched LW Zach Parise (back surgery), D Kyle Quincey and C Landon Ferraro (hip flexor). ... The Wild have won six straight games against Montreal, outscoring the Canadiens 25-9 in that span. ... Minnesota F Tyler Ennis scored his 100th career goal playing in his 430th career game. ... Wild D Jared Spurgeon's power-play goal in the third snapped an 0-for-19 stretch for Minnesota over the past five games. ... Montreal RW Brendan Gallagher has three goals in the past two games.