National Hockey League
Minnesota 5, NY Rangers 2
When: 8:00 PM ET, Saturday, March 16, 2019
Where: Xcel Energy Center, Saint Paul, Minnesota
Referees: Tom Chmielewski, Brad Watson
Linesmen: Travis Gawryletz, Brian Mach
Attendance: 18844

Ryan Donato recorded his second career two-goal game as the Minnesota Wild snapped a three-game losing streak with a 5-2 victory over the New York Rangers on Saturday night.

The Wild showed life after a dismal 4-1 loss to Dallas on Thursday that featured few scoring chances and several long droughts between shots on goal.

Donato scored Minnesota's first two goals and had numerous chances to get a hat trick. He led the Wild with six shots and scored his third and fourth goals since being acquired from the Boston Bruins last month for Charlie Coyle.

Eric Staal also scored for the Wild, who won for just the second time in their last 11 home games (2-6-3) since Jan. 19. Defenseman Jared Spurgeon added a power-play goal in the third period and J.T. Brown scored an empty-net tally for Minnesota, which outscored the Rangers 9-3 in the two meetings this season.

Devan Dubnyk made 26 saves after allowing nine goals in Minnesota's three-game skid.

Mika Zibanejad and Pavel Buchnevich scored for the Rangers, who went 0-3-1 on their four-game road game trip, lost their seventh straight road game and dropped to 2-6-5 in their last 13 games.

Henrik Lundqvist allowed four goals on 45 shots and dropped to 2-7-2 in his last 11 starts.

Minnesota totaled 18 shots and took a 2-1 lead after the opening period by capitalizing on New York turnovers by Neal Pionk and Filip Chytil.

Pontus Aberg pried the puck from Pionk along the right half boards in New York's offensive zone. Donato sped up the ice, Aberg quickly connected with him and Donato finished off the 2-on-1 by lifting a wrist shot from near the right circle over Lundqvist's stick.

The Rangers tied it less than two minutes later thanks to a fluky play when Zibanejad flicked a wrist shot from the left corner before Dubnyk could get back in position.

The game stayed tied for another 10:05 until Chytil coughed up the puck to Jason Zucker behind the net. Zucker quickly whipped the puck to Luke Kunin, whose wrist shot from the middle of the slot was redirected by Donato.

The Wild went up 3-1 less than five minutes into the second when Staal's cross-ice pass intended for Zach Parise on a 2-on-1 caromed off Pionk's stick and under Lundqvist.

--Field Level Media

Top Game Performances
 
NY Rangers   Minnesota
Pavel Buchnevich 1 Points Ryan Donato 2
Pavel Buchnevich 1 Goals Ryan Donato 2
Tony DeAngelo 1 Assists Kevin Fiala 2
N/A Power Play Goals Jared Spurgeon 1
N/A Short Handed Goals N/A
Henrik Lundqvist .913 Save Percentage Devan Dubnyk .929
Henrik Lundqvist 42 Saves Devan Dubnyk 26
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Shots Goals Power Play Penalty Kill Penalty Mins Face Offs Won
NY Rangers 28 2 0-2 2-3 8 32
Minnesota 47 5 1-3 2-2 6 34
Upcoming Games
  • Minnesota will play their next game at home against NY Islanders. The Wild have a W/L % of .515 after a win and .436 after a loss.
  • NY Rangers will play their next game at home against Detroit. The Rangers have a W/L % of .310 after a win and .442 after a loss.