Wild edge Flames in shootout
SAINT PAUL, Minn. -- Chris Stewart and Mikael Granlund scored in a shootout, lifting the Minnesota Wild to a 2-1 win over the Calgary Flames on Tuesday.
The Wild (16-11-3) got a regulation goal from Matt Cullen and 16 saves from goalie Alex Stalock en route to their third consecutive win. Devan Dubnyk started the game in goal for Minnesota but left with an injury.
Calgary (16-12-3) got a regulation goal from Micheal Ferland and 21 saves from goalie Mike Smith but saw its two-game win streak snapped. Johnny Gaudreau had Calgary's only shootout goal.
The Wild had one of their slowest starts of the season, needing more than half of the first period just to register a shot on goal, but still emerged with a lead after 20 minutes. The Flames had a 10-1 advantage in shots and got a pair of power plays before Cullen backhanded in a shot during a scramble in front of Smith.
Dubnyk turned aside all 10 Calgary shots in the first period but was not on the ice or the bench at the start of the second. While Stalock took over in goal, the Wild announced that Dubnyk had a lower-body injury that kept him out of the remainder of the game.
Ferland finally solved Stalock with 97 seconds left in the middle period, blasting a rising shot from the blue line that found its way through a crowd, deflecting off Minnesota defenseman Jonas Brodin and beating the goalie high on the glove side.
Ferland had a wide open net to shoot at in the third period after a cross-ice pass from Gaudreau, but his shot hit the crossbar, then deflected out and hit referee T.J. Luxmore in the head. Luxmore left the ice, and Wes McCauley served as the lone referee for several minutes in the third.
NOTES: Wild C Matt Cullen's first-period goal was the 250th of his career. He is in his 20th NHL season and signed as a free agent with the Wild last summer after winning the Stanley Cup with Pittsburgh in 2016 and 2017. ... Flames RW Jaromir Jagr missed his fourth consecutive game while battling a lower-body injury. The 45-year-old has been skating in practice but did not make the trip to Minnesota. ... G Devan Dubnyk made his 100th appearance in a Minnesota uniform. When he left the game due to injury, Connor Beaupre, the son of former Minnesota North Stars goalie Don Beaupre and an assistant coach for a Twin Cities high school team, suited up as an emergency backup and was available for the third period.