Wild break tie with 2 quick goals in 3rd, defeat Islanders

ELMONT, N.Y. -- Kirill Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson Ek scored 42 seconds apart in the third period for the Minnesota Wild in a 4-2 win against the New York Islanders at UBS Arena on Tuesday.

Kaprizov gave the Wild a 3-2 lead at 6:50 with a power-play goal. He scored top shelf with a one-timer from the right circle that hit off the glove of Semyon Varlamov.

Eriksson Ek then made it 4-2 at 7:32, tapping in a backdoor pass at the left post after Pat Maroon stole the puck from Pierre Engvall in the Islanders' zone.

“We played really well right from the start. Probably the first game that we started correctly and rolled the lines,” Wild coach Dean Evason said. “... Again, I liked the way that the group just kept doing the same things throughout the night. Special teams were good, so, a lot of positives.”

Eriksson Ek and Maroon each had a goal and an assist for Minnesota (5-5-2), which has won two straight after losing its previous four (0-3-1). Marc-Andre Fleury made 27 saves.

“I don’t think we’ve necessarily been doing anything too bad, it’s just that we weren’t doing what our strengths are,” said forward Vinni Lettieri, who scored his first goal of the season. “And I think the last two games we’ve been building on our strengths, which is being a forechecking team and taking what’s there. As you can see, when we do that, we’re hard to play against.”

Noah Dobson and Oliver Wahlstrom scored, and Varlamov made 27 saves for New York (5-3-3), which has lost three of four (1-1-2).

"We’re shooting ourselves in the foot a bit in the third period," Dobson said. "Last couple of games we played a really good 40 (minutes). Probably should have taken advantage of a couple of chances in the second. We couldn’t bury it, and they get one on the power play. We just have to manage the third periods a little better.”

Maroon gave the Wild a 1-0 lead just 19 seconds in the first period, roofing a shot from the right circle off a pass from Eriksson Ek from behind the net.

“That’s just our identity right there,” Maroon said. “Get it in, forecheck. Get it over, east-west. Eriksson Ek makes a [heck] of a play, and it’s in the back of the net. That’s how we are supposed to play.”

Dobson tied it 1-1 at 11:00 with a one-timer from the right circle following a strong forecheck below the goal line by Cal Clutterbuck and Casey Cizikas.

Wahlstrom gave the Islanders a 2-1 lead with a power-play goal at 8:34 of the second period. He took a pass from Engvall, cut inside on Dakota Mermis in the left circle, and scored glove side.

Lettieri tied it 2-2 at 12:03 with a wrist shot from the point through a screen.

"I think at times we are and then I think at times we get away from it," Islanders coach Lane Lambert said when asked if his team is playing to its identity. "So, that's where the inconsistencies come in and a little bit of the defensive zone time. ... But the consistency of the identity has not been there for me. Not yet.

"It's certainly something we have to address. You know, it hasn't necessarily been a big issue up until now, but you know, everybody has to look in the mirror and we stick together. We win as a team, we lose as a team, and we move forward as a team."

NOTES: Fleury's win was his 547th in the NHL. He is four away from tying Patrick Roy for second in League history. ... Wild forward Matt Boldy had an assist, his fourth in three games since returning from an upper-body injury that caused him to miss seven games. ... The Islanders have been outscored 7-2 in the third period in their past four games.