Maple Leafs 3 - 0 Wild
Final
  for this game

Reimer, Leafs tame Wild

Mar 23, 2011 - 3:15 AM St. Paul, MN (Sports Network) - Rookie stalwart James Reimer made 29 saves to post his third career shutout, as Toronto defeated the reeling Minnesota Wild, 3-0, at Xcel Energy Center.

Joffrey Lupul, Carl Gunnarsson and Mikhail Grabovski all posted goals for the Maple Leafs, who have won two straight and four of the last six overall.

The Leafs are still fighting for a playoff spot and remain five points behind Buffalo, which also won on Tuesday, for the final playoff berth in the Eastern Conference.

"We didn't get any help tonight, but it's still a big game and a big win," Toronto defenseman Luke Schenn said. "We would be even further behind if we didn't get the two points, so it's important."

The Wild, who haven't won since March 8, lost their franchise-record seventh straight. Niklas Backstrom allowed all three goals on just 17 shots for Minnesota, which has been outscored 31-9 during the losing streak.

"That's the way it's going right now," Minnesota center John Madden said of the losing streak. "We outshoot them and we have three breakaways. We had a lot of scoring chances but just no goals."

Toronto took just 99 seconds to claim a 1-0 lead when Lupul sent a quick, rising wrister from the left circle over Backstrom's glove hand.

Just past the mid-point of the second period, Toronto went up 2-0 on Grabovski's scorching wrister from the high slot during a 2-on-1 break.

The game was put away on Gunnarsson's wrister that went high past Backstrom again at the 2:13 mark of the third during a power play. With the Leafs in the driver's seat, Reimer made 11 saves in the third to keep the Wild scoreless.

Game Notes

The Leafs extended their all-time series edge with a 6-3-0 mark...The Wild were held to 0-for-7 on the power play, while Toronto went 1-for-6...Toronto forward Nikolai Kulemin had two assists in the win.






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