Rangers beat Wild for another road win
ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Oscar Lindberg had a goal and an assist, and Antti Raanta made 25 saves as the New York Rangers continued their winning ways on the road with a 3-2 win against the Minnesota Wild on Saturday.
Defenseman Brady Skjei also scored, and Jimmy Vesey had the game-winning goal late in the second period for New York (45-24-3), which won its seventh game in its past eight road games. The Rangers, who have lost six in a row at home, lead the NHL with 26 road wins this season.
They've won 19 of their past 23 road games.
Eric Staal and Matt Dumba scored for Minnesota, which has lost a season-high four games in a row in a continued March swoon. The Wild returned home after a 1-4 road trip and lost for the sixth time in seven games.
Devan Dubnyk stopped 27 shots.
Minnesota opened the scoring for just the third time in its past 12 games. As a New York penalty was expiring, Wild forward Martin Hanzal tapped a pass from behind the goal to Staal alone in front of Raanta. Staal snapped a shot past Raanta for his 24th goal of the season.
Staal had three goals and three assists in 20 games with the Rangers last season before signing a three-year deal with Minnesota in the offseason and bouncing back with the most goals he has had since scoring 24 with Carolina in 2011-12.
The Wild, who rarely led during their five-game road trip, gave up the equalizer just over three minutes later. Skjei, a Minnesota native, blasted a big slap shot past Dubnyk for his fourth goal of the season.
Rangers defensemen have 12 goals and 23 assists in the past 18 games.
Lindberg gave New York the advantage 7:46 into the second period as he quickly beat Dubnyk after J.T. Miller's centering pass.
NOTES: Minnesota C Martin Hanzal returned to the lineup after missing three games with an illness. The Wild scratched F Ryan White for the first time since acquiring him along with Hanzal on Feb. 26. D Christian Folin and Gustav Olofsson were scratched with upper-body injuries. C Tyler Graovac also was scratched. ... New York rookie F Pavel Buchnevich was back in the lineup one game after being scratched. The Rangers also scratched D Kevin Klein (back spasms), F Matt Puempel, F Tanner Glass, D Steven Kampfer, C Brandon Pirri and G Henrik Lundqvist (hip strain). ... The Rangers announced on Twitter that Lundqvist skated for 40 minutes in New York, facing shots, along with Klein. Dan Girardi (ankle) worked out off the ice. ... Minnesota announced a crowd of 19,337, the largest of the season at Xcel Energy Center.