Boldy, Wild run point streak to six with win against Flyers

PHILADELPHIA -- Matt Boldy had a goal and an assist and the Minnesota Wild extended their point streak to six games with a 4-2 win against the Philadelphia Flyers at Xfinity Mobile Arena on Tuesday.

Michael McCarron, Joel Eriksson Ek and Danila Yurov scored for Minnesota (11-3-3), which is 5-0-1 in its past six, and won its fifth straight on the road. Jesper Wallstedt made 23 saves.

"I think we're just playing with good details, trying not to force a game and let it come to us," Boldy said. "When we're detailed and play the right way, and we're hard and defend, the offense comes. When we have that mindset and everyone's contributing and playing the right way, we're pretty tough to beat."

Tyson Foerster and Denver Barkey scored for Philadelphia (4-9-4) and Dan Vladar made 18 saves. The Flyers are 1-3-1 in their past five games.

Philadelphia had 25 shots on goal but a season-high 22 missed shots.

"I think we played a pretty good game," Flyers coach Rick Tocchet said. "Obviously you can't stake a team like that 3-0. For me, it's just the missed chances. We had 23 missed opportunities, I think we had nine or 10 scoring chances where we missed the net, and they don't."

The Wild took the lead with goals 31 seconds apart in the first period.

Boldy made it 1-0 at 4:06 when his shot from the high slot beat Vladar past his blocker.

McCarron put the Wild ahead 2-0 at 4:37. Blake Coleman's backhand pass from behind the Flyers net bounced off the skate of Philadelphia forward Porter Martone to McCarron in front of the net.

Minnesota is tied with the Edmonton Oilers for the NHL lead with 20 first-period goals.

"It's kind of been like that all year for us," McCarron said. "I think we've been having really good starts."

Eriksson Ek pushed the advantage to 3-0 42 seconds into the second period. Flyers defenseman Jamie Drysdale hit the referee with an attempted outlet pass and the puck stayed in the zone. Vladar stopped Boldy's shot from the left circle, but kicked the rebound to Eriksson Ek, who scored from in front.

"Obviously a frustrating play for them," Boldy said. "They just try to kind of get it out, but get a good bounce and we end up scoring. It's unfortunate for them."

Boldy said his shot went exactly how he planned it. 

"I'm shooting for the pad," he said. "'Eky' is usually always going right to the net, so it was kind of just one of those situations where it seemed right."

It was a play Tocchet believes his team can learn from. 

"Boldy on the third goal, he shoots for a rebound," Tocchet said. "He doesn't try to score. We try to score from those places, and we shoot the puck wide. We call them location shots. Make the goalie handle it, maybe there's a rebound. So we have to get better at another level because you can't have 23 missed shots. We've got to hit the net. We had two empty nets and we don't score there. Those are the difference makers."

Foerster made it 3-1 at 14:24 when he redirected Drysdale's shot from the top of the offensive zone.

Barkey scored a power-play goal on a one-timer from the slot at 1:48 of the third period to make it 3-2.

Yurov made it 4-2 with an empty-net goal at 18:36.

The Flyers felt good about their ability to rally and make the game close, but after losing their first nine games of the season (0-6-3), they have no room left for moral victories.

"If we're not in the hole we're in, I think this game looks a little different," forward Travis Konecny said. "You take a lot of positives from that. You walk away with, we gave up a couple bad ones, but we competed, we played hard, consistent, the same way we've been playing. But when it's the hole we're in right now ... it's a loss. It's unacceptable. We need to win games."

NOTES: The Wild's opening goals scored 31 seconds apart marked their fastest two goals of the season, besting a 33-second span against the Washington Capitals on Sunday. ... Wild forward Kirill Kaprizov had an assist on Yurov's goal and has nine points (four goals, five assists) during a six-game point streak. ... Boldy has seven points (two goals, five assists) during a six-game point streak. ... Eriksson Ek has eight points (four goals, four assists) during a six-game point streak. ... Wild defenseman Quinn Hughes had an assist on Boldy's goal to extend his point streak to six games (three goals, six assists). He has a point in 15 of Minnesota’s 17 games…. Minnesota forward Bobby Brink had an assist on McCarron's goal in his first game against Philadelphia since being traded to the Wild on March 6. ... Drysdale has seven points (one goal, six assists) in six games after going without a point in his first 11 games of the season.