Matt Boldy had a goal and an assist as the Minnesota Wild stayed hot with a 4-2 road victory over the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday.
Minnesota improved to 11-3-3 this season, including 5-0-1 in its last six games, thanks to another strong performance from its top line. In addition to Boldy’s efforts, Joel Eriksson Ek scored for the Wild, while Kirill Kaprizov assisted on Danila Yurov’s empty-netter.
Michael McCarron also tallied for Minnesota, which won its fifth straight road game. Jesper Wallstedt made 23 saves for the Wild.
Tyson Foerster and Denver Barkey scored for Philadelphia, which has won just four of its first 17 games. Dan Vladar made 18 saves for the Flyers, who will play their next five games away from home.
Minnesota scored two goals 31 seconds apart early in the first period.
Boldy opened the scoring when he snapped a shot from the high slot for his seventh of the season. Shortly after the ensuing faceoff, Blake Coleman’s centering pass caromed off the skate of Philadelphia’s Porter Martone, right to McCarron, who rammed it home.
Eriksson Ek increased the lead to 3-0 in the first minute of the second period. Flyers defenseman Jamie Drysdale’s outlet pass hit an official. The puck went to Boldy, whose shot was stopped by Vladar before Eriksson Ek buried the rebound.
Drysdale made amends for the unfortunate miscue later in the period, as his wrister was deflected by Foerster past Wallstedt to bring the Flyers within 3-1.
Philadelphia got within 3-2 early in the third as Barkey netted his first of the season. With the hosts on the power play, Martone found Barkey for a one-timer from the slot to make it a one-goal game.
The Flyers pulled Vladar with a couple of minutes left, but the drama didn’t last long as Yurov sealed it from center ice with 1:24 remaining.