ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Josh Harding made 36 saves, and Mikko Koivu had a power-play goal and two assists, propelling Minnesota past the St. Louis Blues 4-2 on Sunday — a critical victory for a Wild team trying to climb into the playoff picture.
Andrew Brunette and Guillaume Latendresse also scored in a three-goal first period for Minnesota, which pulled within a point of 10th-place St. Louis in the Western Conference. The Blues, who pulled goalie Chris Mason for Ty Conklin after one period, began the day five points out of the final playoff spot.
Patrik Berglund and Paul Kariya scored for St. Louis, which finished 4-2 on its six-game trip to surge back into contention. Mason made only four saves before being replaced. The Blues had won seven of their previous eight games.
