Ducks can’t find offensive spark late in loss to Wild

Ryan Hartman and Kevin Fiala scored 38 seconds apart in the first period, Kaapo Kahkonen stopped 16 shots and the Minnesota Wild defeated the Anaheim Ducks 3-1 on Thursday night.

Marcus Foligno added a power-play goal for the Wild, who snapped a two-game losing streak. Minnesota was playing its second game since having its season paused for two weeks due to COVID-19 protocols.

Sam Steel scored for Anaheim, which has dropped three of its last four. John Gibson made 24 saves.

Hartman forced Anaheim’s Jacob Larsson into a turnover near the blue line in the Anaheim zone, skated into the left circle and buried a wrist shot past Gibson at 7:27 for his second of the season.

Fiala then scored his fourth goal in the last six games, putting in the rebound of a loose puck in front of the net at 8:05.

Steel got Anaheim within 2-1 , scoring in his second straight game. Steel took a pass from Danton Heinen inside the slot and then sent a backhander past Kahkonen’s glove side and into the upper right corner of the goal with eight minutes remaining in the second period.

Foligno put Minnesota back up by two goals with 3:45 remaining in the game on a one-timer after a centering pass by Zach Parise for his second of the season. It was the fourth power-play goal for the Wild, who came into the game with the worst unit in the league at 6.7%.