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Minnesota hangs on to defeat Anaheim

Nov 14, 2011 - 5:14 AM Anaheim, CA (Sports Network) - The Minnesota Wild scored three first-period goals and got 32 saves from Niklas Backstrom to down the Anaheim Ducks, 3-2.

Kyle Brodziak, Matt Cullen and Jared Spurgeon all scored for the Wild, who improved to 2-2-0 on a five-game road trip that ends on Tuesday at Columbus.

"It was a good game tonight but we can be better and we want to be better," said Backstrom.

Anaheim's Jonas Hiller was pulled after giving up three goals on 15 shots in the first period. Dan Ellis stopped all 11 shots he faced in relief.

Cam Fowler scored twice for the Ducks, the second a wrister from the point that got through a screen and found the back of the net with time winding down.

Backstrom, though, stood tall for the remaining 48.5 seconds to seal the win.

"You have to find ways to win hockey games," Ducks head coach Randy Carlyle said. "Right now, we are finding a way to be one goal short all the time."

Brodziak scored during a goal mouth scrum 6:09 into the opening period, and Cullen added his seventh goal of the season off a nice feed from Cal Clutterbuck with 3:49 remaining in the first

Spurgeon netted the eventual game-winner with 28.8 seconds showing with a slap shot from between the circles.

Fowler snuck one past Backstrom's glove 2:15 into the second period on a wrister from the left circle.

Game Notes

Neither team scored on the power play, as Anaheim went 0-for-3 and Minnesota failed in four chances with the man advantage...The Ducks posted a 3-2 win in Minnesota on October 27.