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Tribune News Service
Tribune News Service
Sport
Sarah McLellan

Marc-Andre Fleury dazzles in net as Wild cool off streaking Senators 4-2

KANATA, Ont. — Marc-Andre Fleury stretched his glove out at just the right angle to gobble up the shot, the momentum from the grab dropping him to his side where he produced evidence of the snag when the puck trickled out of his equipment.

But as impressive as the save was, it wasn't the only jaw-dropper.

Fleury was a highlight-reel machine to continue his turnaround and snap the sizzling Senators' four-game tear 4-2 on Thursday at Canadian Tire Centre for back-to-back Wild wins for the first time this season.

Overall, the Wild are 3-0-1 since debuting 0-3 with two stops left on this five-game road trip.

Ryan Hartman scored the game-winner, Kirill Kaprizov had a goal and assist after going pointless in his previous two games, and Fleury racked up 27 saves.

Six of those stops came against Alex DeBrincat, a former teammate of Fleury's with the Blackhawks, but DeBrincat did get his first shot of the game by Fleury 3 minutes, 47 seconds into the first period.

After that, the Wild recalibrated and it was the power play that kickstarted their rally.

Mats Zuccarello slung a shot by Senators goalie Anton Forsberg at 7:53 for his team-leading 11th point, eight of which have come on the power play to lead the NHL. Calen Addison's setup was his seventh point, which is the most among NHL rookies, and Kaprizov became the fastest in Wild history to record 50 power play points with his assist.

Then with 1:36 to go in the first, captain Jared Spurgeon made a slick keep-in at the blue line before throwing the puck toward the net where Kaprizov managed to deflect it in despite his back being toward Forsberg.

Kaprizov and Zuccarello are tied for the team lead in goals with five. This was Kaprizov's 49th career multi-point game, and only four NHLers have more since Kaprizov joined the league.

That lead lasted the rest of the period thanks in part to that windmill block by Fleury against — who else? — DeBrincat, and the Wild carried that momentum over to the second.

They outshot the Senators 17-8 and started the period on a 12-0 run that included Hartman's first goal of the season at 4:25 against Forsberg, who totaled 36 saves.

Not until seven minutes elapsed did Ottawa register its first shot vs. Fleury.

But the lull didn't affect the Wild netminder.

He was particularly sharp on a Senators power play at the end of the period, dropping into the splits to keep the puck out and fronting a DeBrincat chance soon after.

Ottawa would get more time on the power play, including a 5-on-3 for 1:40 in the third, and that's when the Senators capitalized on a one-timer from Thomas Chabot at 4:03.

But Fleury didn't budge the rest of the way and during a late Ottawa power play with Forsberg on the bench for an extra attacker, the Wild iced their victory when Frederick Gaudreau sent the puck into the empty net for the shorthanded tally.

The Senators finished 1-for-5, with the Wild 1-for-3.

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