By Canadian Press

Lettieri nets 3rd-period winner, Minnesota gets 2 key points with 3-2 win over Ottawa

Apr 2, 2024 | 8:01 PM

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Vinni Lettieri scored the winning goal with just under seven minutes to play and the Minnesota Wild beat the Ottawa Senators 3-2 on Tuesday night to earn a crucial two points and keep their faint playoff hopes alive.

Mason Shaw scored for the first time in more than a year, Matt Boldy also had a goal, r the Wild and Marc-Andre Fleury made 30 saves for the Wild, who are eight points behind the Los Angeles Kings for the second Western Conference wild-card spot with eight games to play.

Drake Batherson and Jakob Chychrun each had a goal and an assist and Joonas Korpisalo made 17 saves, but the Senators five-game winning streak came to an end.

A scrum along the boards resulted in the puck popping out to Lettieri in front of the Ottawa net. His quick backhand swat beat Korpisalo for his first goal since Dec. 18.

Ottawa was 2 for 3 with the man advantage, the second of those early in the third period when Batherson feathered a pass to Chychrun wide open on the backside to make it 2-2.

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Tim Stützle had the second assist on the goal. With 18 goals and 52 assists, he is the first player in Senators history with multiple 70-point seasons at age 22 or younger, accordin to NHL Stats.

Shaw gave Minnesota a 1-0 lead midway through the first period.

A stride behind a couple defenders down the slot, Shaw easily converted a pass from Zach Bogosian for his first goal since March 21, 2023. However, it’s only been a 17-game goal drought because just over a year ago Shaw tore his ACL for the fourth time. He returned to the Wild lineup March 2.

Boldy converted a feed from Kirill Kaprizov 49 seconds into the middle period for a 2-0 lead. Moments after Stützle hit the post, Batherson scored on the power play about seven minutes later to get the Senators within one.

Ottawa played the last two periods one player short because left wing Angus Crookshank sustained a lower-body injury in the first period.

Wild forward Ryan Hartman sat out the first game of his three-game suspension for throwing his stick toward the officials after overtime in Saturday’s loss to Vegas.

UP NEXT

Senators: Host Florida Thursday night.

Wild: Host Colorado Thursday night.

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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/NHL

Mike Cook, The Associated Press