Marcus Johansson delivered a goal and three assists as the Minnesota Wild continued their red-hot stretch, cruising to a 5–2 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights on Monday night.
Minnesota improved to 9-1-1 since Dec. 8 and climbed to third place in the Central Division with 54 points. The Wild set the tone early, scoring first for the 25th time this season and racing to a commanding lead.
Matt Boldy, Jared Spurgeon, Brock Faber, and Joel Eriksson Ek also found the back of the net. Boldy has been on a tear with 18 points over his last 12 games, while Eriksson Ek has 13 points in his past 11.
Goaltender Filip Gustavsson remained unbeaten in his recent run, improving to 6-0-1 in his last seven starts after turning aside 14 shots. Minnesota held a decisive 27–16 edge in shots, while both teams went scoreless on two power-play chances.
Vegas struggled early as Carter Hart surrendered five goals on 12 shots and was replaced by Akira Schmid, who stopped all 15 shots he faced the rest of the way.
The Golden Knights got goals from Brayden McNabb and Mark Stone, but their night took a turn just over two minutes in when Tomas Hertl was assessed a major penalty and game misconduct for boarding.
Vegas has now dropped five of its last six games, including two losses during its current homestand, and has been outscored 25–21 during that stretch.
Up Next
Wild: Visit San Jose on Wednesday night.
Golden Knights: Host Nashville on Wednesday night.
