Wild 3, Maple Leafs 1
Defenseman Jared Spurgeon and captain Mikko Koivu scored less than two minutes apart in the third period as Minnesota halted its four-game losing streak at home.
Kyle Brodziak netted a second-period goal and Charlie Coyle collected two assists to lift the Wild to only their second victory in eight games (2-3-3). Koivu also set up a tally and Darcy Kuemper, who was pulled in four of his previous five home starts, turned aside 34 shots in Minnesota's first win at Xcel Energy Center since Dec. 9.
Defenseman Cody Franson scored on the power play for Toronto, which fell for the sixth time in eight games (2-6-0). Jonathan Bernier made 26 saves in the sixth stop of a seven-game road trip for the Maple Leafs.
Toronto appeared to go ahead just over seven minutes into the second period on a goal by Mike Santorelli, but it was disallowed as David Clarkson was ruled to have made incidental contact with Kuemper after his in-tight backhander was blocked. The Wild capitalized two minutes later as Coyle fired a shot from the right faceoff circle that was kicked out by Bernier before caroming in off Brodziak's skate.
The Maple Leafs tied it 2 1/2 minutes into the third on a blast by Franson during a 5-on-3 advantage, but Spurgeon countered with a slap shot of his own at 7:23 to put Minnesota ahead to stay. Koivu made it a two-goal cushion 1:55 later with a one-timer off a feed from Thomas Vanek.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Wild RW Jason Pominville picked up an assist on Koivu's tally, his 10th point in the last nine games. ... Maple Leafs RW Joffrey Lupul and C Peter Holland, injured in Wednesday's game, each sat out along with C Nazem Kadri, who already has been ruled out of Saturday's matchup at Winnipeg. ... Wild D Jonas Brodin (upper body) logged 27:52 of ice time after missing two games, but LW Jason Zucker (illness) missed his fourth in a row.