By Canadian Press

Zuccarello scores in shootout to give Wild 2-1 win against Canucks

Dec 16, 2023 | 4:20 PM

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Mats Zuccarello scored in the shootout and the Minnesota Wild beat the Vancouver Canucks 2-1 on Saturday.

Frederick Gaudreau scored in regulation and Filip Gustavsson made 35 saves for Minnesota, which won its third in a row and is now 7-2 under coach John Hynes.

Teddy Blueger scored for Vancouver, while Casey DeSmith stopped 30 shots in goal. The Canucks had won four in a row.

DeSmith was playing his first game since making 26 saves in a 2-0 shutout against Minnesota on Dec. 7, starting the Canucks’ winning streak. The netminder started the day 5-0-0 with a 1.78 goals-against average and .943 save percentage in five career games against the Wild.

Scoring came from unexpected sources for both teams.

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In the first period, Minnesota opened the scoring with Gaudreau’s second goal of the season. The line with enforcers Marcus Foligno and Pat Maroon displayed their skill. Maroon brought the puck into the offensive zone before a cross-ice pass to Foligno.

Foligno quickly centered the puck and Gaudreau deflected it past DeSmith to finish the tic-tac-toe play. The assist was Maroon’s 300th career point.

Vancouver countered early in the second with Blueger’s third goal of the season. Dakota Joshua centered to Blueger, who was charging to the net and lifted the puck past Gustavsson.

The Wild were playing without injured captain Jared Spurgeon, who missed his second straight game with a lower-body injury.

UP NEXT

Canucks: Finish a back-to-back set in Chicago on Sunday.

Wild: Play at Pittsburgh on Monday.

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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/NHL

Brian Hall, The Associated Press