Wild Bounce Back With Win Over Ducks

The Minnesota Wild beat the Anaheim Ducks 3-1 Thursday night at Honda Center in Southern California. The Wild improves to 7-6 with the win, while the Ducks fall to 6-8-3.

Minnesota jumped out to a 2-0 lead thanks to first period goals from Ryan Hartman and Kevin Fiala that were scored less than a minute apart. Hartman started the scoring with a strip of the puck and semi-breakaway at 7:27 of the first period.

Hartman's goal was his second of the season.

Kevin Fiala scored his fourth goal of the season just :38 later on a scramble in front of Ducks goalie John Gibson.

Fiala's stuff-in was assisted by Mats Zuccarello, who was playing in just his second game of the season. The Wild would take their 2-0 lead into the first intermission break.

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Anaheim's Sam Steel scored his second goal of the season at 12 minutes of the second period to make the score 2-1, but that would ultimately prove to be as close as the Ducks would get to catching the Wild.

Marcus Foligno scored his second goal of the season at 16:15 of the third period to seal the win for Minnesota.

The Wild and Ducks will match up again on Saturday night. Puck drop is set for 8 p.m. on AM 1240 and FM 95.3 WJON.

The Wild have a 7-6 record so far this season, good for seventh place in the West Division. However, the Wild have played far fewer games than the teams at the top.