ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Wild's modest win streak didn't make it to three games.
After consecutive victories on home ice for the first time this season, the Wild were tripped up, 4-3, by the Maple Leafs during a Friday matinee in front of 18,997 at Xcel Energy Center to snap their two-game run.
Toronto's William Nylander had the decisive goal 13 minutes, 23 seconds into the third period on a blocker-side shot.
Marc-Andre Fleury, in his first game back after missing three due to an upper-body injury suffered Nov. 15 at Nashville, made 23 saves. Matt Murray had 24 for the Leafs.
The Wild were playing catch up most of the afternoon, starting 3:42 into the first period when a seeing-eye shot from Mitch Marner flew by traffic and behind Fleury.
Kirill Kaprizov's power-play goal at 12:01 erased that deficit to push his point streak to eight games, tying his career high, but the Leafs answered back two shifts later when Zach Aston-Reese flung a Wild turnover five-hole on Fleury at 12:43. The Wild finished 1 for 2 on the power play, while Toronto went 0 for 3.
Only 2:38 into the second period, the Wild pulled even again after Matt Boldy buried an Alex Goligoski pass on a one-timer for his second goal in as many games on the heels of an eight-game dry spell.
But the Wild could never find the go-ahead goal.
That always belonged to the Leafs.
With 9:56 to go in the second, Calle Jarnkrok deposited the rebound from a Goligoski shot block into an empty net with Fleury out of the crease in anticipation of the initial save.
After Nylander's tally gave Toronto its first two-goal buffer, Mats Zuccarello cut that Wild deficit in half with 3:34 left in the third period and Fleury on the bench for an extra attacker.
But time ran out before the Wild could polish off another rally.
