ST. PAUL, Minn. _ Wild coach Bruce Boudreau wasn't sure if he and his staff made the right call Wednesday, scrapping practice in favor of giving players a mental break on the heels of getting pancaked in Pittsburgh.
But based on how the team returned, it certainly looked like Boudreau and Co. knew exactly what the group needed.
After spiraling from narrow losses to a full-fledged blowout Tuesday at the hands of the Penguins in just a 10-day span, the Wild rebounded with one of their most rejuvenated efforts in recent memory _ dispatching the uber-hot Lightning, 3-2, Thursday in front of 17,305 at Xcel Energy Center to snap a four-game slide with just their second victory in their last eight games.
The Wild rolled out a mostly new look to tackle Tampa Bay, which had won 11 of its previous 12, but it was a familiar trio that kickstarted a two-goal outburst in a 2-minute, 11-second span in the second period that proved the difference.
Center Joel Eriksson Ek broke a 1-1 tie at 12:32 before defenseman Ryan Suter delivered the eventual game-winner.
But the returns from the tweaked lines were encouraging.
At 14:17 of the first, the Wild opened the scoring for the first time in four games when winger Zach Parise one-timed in a backhand feed from center Eric Staal on the power play.
Not only was the goal Parise's team-leading 17th and third in the last two games, it also came amid his promotion to the top line with Staal and winger Mats Zuccarello.
The finish was also the Wild's second power play goal in as many games after an 0-for-7 rut and 4-for-20 run before that. Overall, the team went 1 for 4.
Tampa Bay didn't pull even until 7:42 into the second, when winger Nikita Kucherov's one-timer from inside the right faceoff circle flew into an open side by goalie Alex Stalock.
But it wasn't much later the Wild retaliated, a response that was lacking during the team's recent skid.
After winger Marcus Foligno poked the puck off winger Ondrej Palat, winger Luke Kunin passed the puck off to Eriksson Ek to wire in from the slot at 12:32.
The sequence extended the line's rhythm, which explains why it was the only forward unit that remained intact. Eriksson Ek recorded his seventh point in the last 10 games, Kunin's assist was his career-high 12th and ninth point in his past 10 and Foligno has seven in his last six. Foligno's also on a three-game point streak.
By 14:43, the Wild doubled their lead on a shot by defenseman Ryan Suter and it looked like the team was running away from the Lightning when defenseman Carson Soucy buried a rebound off a Kevin Fiala shot that hit the post soon after Suter's tally.
But the Lightning challenged the goal, and video review determined Fiala was off-side when the Wild entered the offensive zone on the play.
Although the Wild showed improved discipline through the first two periods, keeping Tampa Bay off the power play after they had committed 12 penalties over their previous two games, the penalty kill was tested in the third.
After snuffing out the Lightning's first look, the Wild wasn't as successful in Try No.2 _ getting burned on a blistering shot by Kucherov at 9:32 while defenseman Matt Dumba was in the penalty box for roughing Tampa Bay captain Steven Stamkos following his hit on Fiala.
But the Wild held on the rest of the way, with Stalock sharp. He totaled 18 saves; at the other end, Curtis McElhinney made 20.
