Stalock makes 37 saves, Wild defeat Senators

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Alex Stalock made 37 saves for the Minnesota Wild in a 3-1 win against the Ottawa Senators at Xcel Energy Center on Monday.
Zach Parise, Jason Zucker and Mikael Granlund scored for the Wild (26-17-5), who are 8-2-2 in their past 12 games and 7-0-2 in their past nine at home.

"We did a great job," Stalock said. "We knew we needed a great third (period), and the last six minutes was kind of a clinic of how you finish out a game."
WATCH: [All Senators vs. Wild highlights]
Matt Duchene scored for the Senators (15-21-9), who have lost three in a row.
Eric Staal skated the puck around the net and sent a backhand pass through the crease to Parise at the right post for a 1-0 Wild lead 45 seconds into the game.
Parise has a goal in two straight games, and Staal has four assists in the past three.
Duchene tied the game 1-1 at 9:38 of the second period when he beat Stalock though the five-hole on a breakaway.
"[We had] two great periods and I don't quite understand how they're the more desperate team at the start of the third," Duchene said. "Yeah, we had 38 shots, but they took it to us at the start of the third and that's all she wrote, I guess."

Zucker one-timed a pass from Granlund at 4:59 of the third period to give Minnesota a 2-1 lead and extend his goal streak to four games.
Zucker has scored four times during his streak after being held without a goal the previous seven games.
Granlund scored on the power play at 10:09 to make it 3-1. He beat goalie Mike Condon (33 saves) off a pass from defenseman Matt Dumba on a 2-on-1.
"Well, I think we're pretty desperate when you think about it," Wild coach Bruce Boudreau said. "We need the points. I don't think Ottawa does. We are looking at the scoreboard and seeing [the] Colorado [Avalanche] winning [4-2 against the Toronto Maple Leafs] and other teams winning. You know this is a game you should be winning. So, I think we pushed a little harder in the third."
The Wild are on a six-game point streak (4-0-2) and have at least one point in 17 of their past 18 home games (14-1-3).
"We're playing better," Granlund said. "When you're playing better, the results are usually better. Hopefully, we can keep it up and even be better."

Goal of the game

Zucker's goal at 4:59 of the third period.

Save of the game

Stalock stopping Ryan Dzingel at 7:02 of the third period.

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Highlight of the game

Granlund's goal at 10:09 of the third period.

They said it

"I thought we gave it a great effort. Right away at the start, [Minnesota] gets that goal and definitely we could've folded in and said it's one of those nights, but I thought it was the opposite. Our guys fought real hard."-- Senators coach Guy Boucher
"Nobody else is losing. You have to win to stay up with the Joneses type thing. It's not like it's a March thing. I mean the March thing is happening now. Who knows when it's going to end? I liken it to if this was golf, this would be like a Saturday where it's starting to be moving day and everybody is always gathered close together and then by Sunday the field spreads out a little bit. We want to be part of that field when it does spread out." -- Wild coach Bruce Boudreau on playing in the Central Division

Need to know

Duchene has eight points (four goals, four assists) in the past seven games. … Wild defenseman Ryan Suter had an assist on Granlund's goal and has seven points (one goal, six assists) in the past seven games. … Granlund has eight points (three goals, five assists) in the past six games and 16 points (seven goals, nine assists) in the past 12.

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What's next

Senators:At the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday (8 p.m. ET; RDS2, FS-MW, TSN5, NHL.TV)
Wild: At the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday (7 p.m. ET; ATTSN-PT, FS-N, NHL.TV)