Wild 3, Ducks 0
ST. PAUL, Minn. -- The reeling Anaheim Ducks continued to struggle on Saturday, mustering little offense or effort in a 3-0 loss to the Minnesota Wild.
Defenseman Matt Dumba, left winger Thomas Vanek and center Ryan Carter scored for Minnesota (5-1-1), which had lost 10 of its previous 11 games to the Ducks. Wild goalie Devan Dubnyk stopped all 15 Anaheim shots for his first shutout of the season as Minnesota improved to 3-0-0 at home.
It was another quiet offensive night for the Ducks (1-5-1), who have managed just six goals in their first seven games. Goalie Frederik Andersen had 27 saves but fell to 0-3-1 this season.
After leading the Ducks to the Western Conference Finals last season, Anaheim coach Bruce Boudreau is widely rumored to be on the hot seat after the team's slow start.
The Ducks appeared to take a lead just 2:09 into the game, but the play -- initially ruled a goal on the ice -- was waved off after replays clearly showed Anaheim center Shawn Horcoff had kicked the puck between Dubnyk's knees with a skate.
Minnesota dominated the opening period, controlling the puck for a full two minutes on the game's first power play, getting seven of the game's first eight shots on goal, and taking a 1-0 lead when Dumba scored his first goal of the season.
Grabbing a loose puck in the corner, Dumba skated to the top of the crease and lifted a backhand shot that went over Andersen's right shoulder.
Dumba nearly doubled the Wild lead a minute later when he had a wide-open shot at the net, only to have Andersen swat the puck out of the air with a flailing stick save. The Wild held a 15-3 advantage in shots after the opening 20 minutes.
Vanek doubled Minnesota's lead in the second period, firing a rocket of a rising shot from the top of the circle that also found the gap over Andersen's right shoulder. A short-handed goal by Carter late in the second period, capping a two-on-one rush to the net with right winger Justin Fontaine, made it 3-0.
NOTES: Minnesota C Tyler Graovac remains on injured reserve but has begun skating on his own and hopes to return to practice soon. He skated in the Wild's season opener on Oct. 8, sustained a lower body injury. ... Anaheim placed D Josh Manson on injured reserve on Saturday, and recalled Joe Piskula from their American Hockey League team in San Diego. Manson, son of long-time NHL player Dave Manson, suffered an upper body injury in the Ducks' 5-1 loss at Nashville on Thursday. He had not recorded a point in four games this season. ... Minnesota recalled F Kurtis Gabriel from their AHL team on Saturday. Gabriel, who is leading the Iowa Wild in penalty minutes, is expected to join the NHL club on Sunday. ... The Ducks, in the midst of a five-game trip, next play the Blackhawks on Monday in Chicago. The Wild will play back-to-back games this weekend, facing the Jets in Winnipeg on Sunday night.