Parise's tiebreaking, third-period goal leads Wild past Rangers
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) -- Zach Parise broke a tie goal early in the third period, and Darcy Kuemper stopped 29 shots to break the franchise rookie victory record in the Minnesota Wild's 2-1 victory over the New York Rangers on Thursday night.
After Jason Pominville had several whacks at the puck from in close, Parise stuffed it past Rangers backup goalie Cam Talbot 1:03 into the third.
Two nights after Kuemper failed hold a three-goal lead against Edmonton, he bounced back for his 12th victory.
Nino Niederreiter also scored to help the Wild snap a three-game losing streak.
Derek Stepan scored for the Rangers, who buzzed around the net in the final seconds, but couldn't get one past Kuemper. New York lost its second straight and for only the seventh time on the road in its last 24 games.
Kuemper's highlights included a save from close range on Derick Brassard with 8 seconds left and a key stop on Rick Nash when the Rangers were on the power play late in the third.
Niederreiter scored from the slot to make it 1-0 in the first after confusion between Nash and John Moore led to a turnover deep in the New York zone.
Stepan tied it on the power play at 3:19 of the second with a wrist shot that Kuemper never saw. Stepan hit the post on a shot 15 seconds earlier.
Talbot -- starting the first game of a back-to-back in place of Henrik Lundqvist -- made 24 saves.
Both teams are trying to hold down playoff spots as the season winds down.
The Wild are in the top wild-card slot in the Western Conference, while the Rangers are in a battle to finish among the top three teams in the Metropolitan Division in the East.
