Wild 3 - 1 Coyotes
Final
  for this game

Third-period burst sends Wild past Coyotes

Mar 30, 2014 - 5:53 AM Glendale, AZ (SportsNetwork.com) - The Minnesota Wild scored three times in the third period and defeated the Phoenix Coyotes, 3-1, to remain in the top wild-card position in the Western Conference.

The Phoenix Coyotes could have leapfrogged the Wild with a regulation win and carried a lead into the third period, but Minnesota got two goals from Zach Parise and another by Jared Spurgeon in the final 11:57.

"I think we can learn a lot from it, just the way we didn't get frustrated," Parise said. "We kept playing the same way and I think we got better as the game went on."

Ilya Bryzgalov made 23 saves in just the third win in the Wild's last nine games. Minnesota now has 87 points, three more than the Coyotes.

Thomas Greiss stopped 27 shots for Phoenix, which is only one point ahead of Dallas for the final playoff spot in the West. The Stars crept up after a 4-2 win in St. Louis.

Parise tied the game right after a faceoff. Mikko Koivu won the draw by kicking the puck to Parise, who beat Greiss from the right circle at 8:03.

Spurgeon gave the Wild the lead when he collected an errant pass off the side boards and fired a slap shot past Greiss' glove at 12:57.

Parise sealed the critical win by adding an empty-netter with 45 seconds remaining.

"There wasn't a lot of scoring chances either way, but you hate to see a lead slip away like that," said Phoenix head coach Dave Tippett.

The Coyotes struck on an early power play as Mikkel Boedker scored on a redirection from in front at the 3:16 of the first period.

Game Notes

Minnesota improved to 6-2-0 in its last eight trips to Jobing.com Arena ... Wild forward Charlie Coyle was plus-2 in his 100th NHL game.






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