Game Recap: Wild 5, Capitals 0

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Vladimir Tarasenko and Danila Yurov each had three points, and Filip Gustavsson stopped all 25 shots in a 5-0 shutout win against the Washington Capitals at Grand Casino Arena on Tuesday.

It was Gustavsson’s third shutout of the season.

“Special teams, great out there today,” Gustavsson said. “Killed, even scored, on the 'PK,' and power play scored. So that’s a big part of winning. And the rest of it, we just dug in today. It wasn’t like we got super ahead early. We kind of got one in the first one, one in the second, and then, you know, it’s a tight game until late in the third.”

Tarasenko scored twice and had an assist, Yurov had a goal and two assists, and Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy also scored for the Wild (20-9-5), who extended their winning streak to five and home point streak to 13 games (11-0-2).

Minnesota continues to play with several key players missing from its lineup, including forwards Mats Zuccarello (upper body) and Marcus Johansson (lower body), and defensemen Jake Middleton (upper body) and Jonas Brodin (upper body).

“I think they’re earning their confidence, to be honest,” Wild coach John Hynes said. “It’s like we said, we’ve had some guys out, but I think that we’re playing a strong, collective team game and everyone that’s in the lineup is contributing and playing hard, playing together. And I think when you do that, you give yourself a good chance to win most nights.”

Charlie Lindgren made 27 saves for the Capitals (18-11-4), who have lost three straight (0-2-1) and four of their past five (1-2-2). The loss to Minnesota marks just their second in regulation in the past 11 games (7-2-2).

“I didn’t mind the start at all,” Washington coach Spencer Carbery said. “… I thought we did a lot of good things in the first period, so we’re right there, and then just not able to get that game or get that first goal, so you start to grip it a little bit and just couldn’t find a way to get on the board. And then it sort of snowballs. Once it gets to two, OK, we’re still fine, we can still find a way, but when they get that third (goal) early in the third period it was a backbreaker.”

Tarasenko put Minnesota ahead 1-0 at 2:09 of the first period with a wrist shot at the top of the slot.

“It's going well. I mean it's nice, and nice when the puck goes in,” Tarasenko said.

Kaprizov extended the lead 2-0 at 12:51 of the second period, backhanding the rebound of Joel Eriksson Ek's shot past Lindgren from the slot for the power-play goal.

Yurov wins the draw in the Wild's offensive zone and gives it to Tarasenko, who scores with a wrist shot to make it 3-0 at 4:23 of the third period.

Tarasenko backhanded a pass to Yurov on the trailer to extend the lead 4-0 at 8:53.

“I told (Tarasenko) thank you. I would like that he (get a) hat trick, but next time,” Yurov said.

Boldy gets in on the rush and cuts to the middle for the wrist shot at 14:12 for the 5-0 final.

“Just couldn’t create any momentum,” Capitals forward Dylan Strome said. “… We get down early and just weren’t able to bounce back from that. We all got to be better. Leave (Lindgren) to dry in the third there, so, got to be better.”

NOTES: The Wild earned their League-leading seventh shutout, their most in a single season since 2015-16 (eight). … Minnesota defenseman Daemon Hunt left in the middle of the first period after a collision with Capitals forward Ethen Frank inside the offensive blue line. … With an assist, Minnesota defenseman Quinn Hughes joined Cam Barker (two games in 2009-10) as the second defenseman in Wild history to register a point in each of his first two games with the franchise. The longest streak by any position in that scenario is held by Pavol Demitra (six games in 2006-07).