Fiala gets 2 goals to help Wild halt slide, beat Rangers 5-2

Updated Mar. 8, 2022 10:38 p.m. ET

Associated Press

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Kevin Fiala scored twice in the second period to help Minnesota pull away, and Marcus Foligno added a goal and two assists in a much-needed 5-2 victory for the Wild over the New York Rangers on Tuesday night.

Ryan Hartman and Joel Eriksson Ek also scored for the Wild, who broke a three-game home losing streak and won for only the third time in their last 11 games. All-Star Cam Talbot stopped 23 shots for his third win at home in more than three months, having allowed 21 goals over his previous five starts.

Dryden Hunt and Mika Zibanejad scored for the Rangers, whose three-game winning streak was stopped. They're still 8-3-1 in their last 12 games, but with backup Alexander Georgiev in the net they gave up more than two goals for only the fourth time over that span.

The Wild, who have a league-most 17 home games remaining, needed a win in the worst way. They allowed 49 goals over their previous 10 contests to put a once-sure bid for the playoffs on thin ice. They entered the night tied for third place in the Central Division with Dallas, with one more game to play than the surging Stars.

With the Rangers resting goalie Igor Shesterkin, the Wild put Georgiev through the wringer. After Kirill Kaprizov's drop pass set up Hartman midway through the first period for his 23rd goal of the season, Eriksson Ek followed with his tip-in of Foligno's shot about four minutes later for the 2-0 lead. The Wild won nine of 11 faceoffs in the first period.

Hunt and Zibanejad, who scored unassisted and short-handed after pilfering the puck from his former teammate Mats Zuccarello, had the game tied for the Rangers before the midpoint of the second period. But the Wild, finally, responded with the kind of force and confidence they've been lacking lately.

Fiala finished off that power play with the tiebreaking goal, celebrating with rookie Matt Boldy by screaming in each other's faces and embracing in a bear hug. Then Foligno, fed by a textbook stretch pass from defenseman Matt Dumba, used a deke at the edge of the crease to beat Georgiev for his 19th goal of the season. Foligno had one goal and no assists in the last 12 games.

Fiala then hit the 20-goal mark for the third straight year by controlling a bouncing pass from Zuccarello — who notched his 40th assist — and flicking a shot above Georgiev's glove. Georgiev made 23 saves.

The Rangers, who entered the game with the second-best goals-against average in the league, remained in a second-place tie with Pittsburgh in the Metropolitan Division with 77 points. They have one game in hand on the Penguins, who lost to Florida on Tuesday.

HOMECOMING KINGS

The Rangers put all three of their Minnesota natives — center Jonny Brodzinski and defensemen Ryan Lindgren and K'Andre Miller — in the starting lineup. Brodzinski and Wild right wing Nick Bjugstad were teammates at Blaine High School, about 25 miles northeast of Xcel Energy Center.

NOTES

Rangers: Zibanejad has seven goals and nine assists in his last 14 games. ... Artemi Panarin had an assist and has 18 points in 17 career games against the Wild.

Wild: Hartman has four goals in the last four games after going eight games in a row without scoring. ... Eriksson Ek went the previous seven games without a point. ... Kaprizov has 18 points in his last 13 games.

UP NEXT

Rangers: At St. Louis on Thursday.

Wild: At Detroit on Thursday.

___

More AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports