NHL Capsules

Thursday, 01.31.2013 / 12:05 AM The Canadian Press

ST. PAUL, Minn. - Matt Cullen scored 90 seconds into the game and again in a shootout to lift the Minnesota Wild to a 3-2 victory over Chicago on Wednesday, handing the Blackhawks their first loss in seven games this season.

Cullen's snap shot in the third round slipped between Corey Crawford's legs, and Patrick Sharp then hit the crossbar for Chicago. The Blackhawks and San Jose were the only teams to start 6-0 this year. The Wild improved to 4-1 at home.

Goals by Andrew Shaw and Jonathan Toews early in the first period prompted the Wild to pull goalie Josh Harding for Niklas Backstrom.

Cal Clutterbuck also scored for the Wild, and Backstrom stopped all 28 shots he saw.

Crawford, off to a sharp start in his third season as Chicago's primary goalie, made 23 saves as the Blackhawks started a season-long six-game road trip. They've played five straight one-goal games.

SENATORS 5, CANADIENS 1

OTTAWA (AP) — Daniel Alfredsson scored his first goal of the season to lead Ottawa to the victory.

Jim O'Brien, Mika Zibanejad, Chris Phillips and Chris Neil also scored for the Senators, and Craig Anderson had 31 saves in his 300th career game.

Tomas Plekanec scored for Montreal, which had won four straight. Peter Budaj made 22 stops in his season debut.

Down 4-1 in the third, the Canadiens made a desperate push to get back in the game, but Anderson made numerous point-blank saves, including two on Brandon Prust.

Neil made it 5-1 with a wraparound goal with just over five minutes left.

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