TORONTO _ On a road trip where virtually every tightly-contested second left little room for error, the Wild just couldn't help themselves.
Despite a pair of two-goal leads, the Wild seem to love playing in one-goal games.
Sixteen of the Wild's previous 24 contests were one-goal games, and 11 of their 12 losses this season have been one-goal losses (four in overtime or shootouts).
So Wednesday night, the Wild figured out a way to leave victorious, but it certainly felt like they were in a play-not-to-lose, hang-on-for-dear-life mode during a dump-and-change third period while preserving a one-goal lead. The Wild did, however, pulled out a 3-2 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs at Air Canada Centre to move back into the third spot in the Central Division.
After a five-game, 13-day trip, the Wild finally returned to Minnesota to begin a three-game homestand after a long 2-1-2 record trek, including four games across Canada.
Devan Dubnyk, making his 300th career start and the NHL leader in save percentage and goals-against average, made 17 of his 35 saves in the third period to lift the Wild, who had three third-period shots, to a seventh consecutive win over Toronto.
The Wild, who have points in seven of their past eight games (4-1-3), got goals from Jason Zucker, Chris Stewart and Eric Staal. In front of family and friends, the game also included Newmarket, Ontario-native Kurtis Gabriel's first NHL point in his sixth NHL game.
Defenseman Ryan Suter was plus-3 and his plus-18 rating since Oct. 25 is tied for first in the NHL in that span with the New York Rangers' Michael Grabner. Over the past 19 games, Suter has had one game where he was a minus.
Leading 2-1 after one period, the Wild gained their second two-goal lead of the game on Staal's sixth goal. The big center, in a big slump, pickpocketed Tyler Bozak, dumped the puck below the goal line, and after a nice forecheck by Nino Niederreiter, Morgan Rielly moved the puck right to Charlie Coyle behind the net.
Coyle put the puck in front for Staal, who scored on a pretty backhanded to snap a 12-game drought with his first goal since Nov. 10. It was Staal's 799th career point, and his 23rd goal and 47th point in 43 career games against Toronto.
But after Frederik Andersen robbed Mikko Koivu on one end, Bozak scored a terrific goal on the other with a fancy move to fool Matt Dumba to cut the deficit to 3-2.
Dubnyk had to be good early to preserve the scoreless tie. On Toronto's first shift, Auston Matthews, the No. 1 pick in this past June's draft, had two point-blank chances. But after a sloppy first few minutes, the Wild found its footing and jumped out to a 2-0 lead.
Zucker, who has seven points in his past seven games, got it started after an outstanding forecheck by Koivu. Koivu first took the puck away from Connor Carrick, then after getting support from Mikael Granlund, Koivu stole the puck from Nazem Kadri. Granlund sent it in front for Zucker, and he scored with a soft touch.
Koivu has eight points in his past eight games, while Granlund, who was dangling impressively from the opening puck drop after a tough road trip, picked up his first point in five games.
Almost six minutes later, Stewart, the Scarborough, Ontario-native playing his third career game in Toronto, scored on a breakaway goal. Koivu made the outlet to Gabriel, who fed Jared Spurgeon for the springing of Stewart.
The Wild were cruising, but late in the period, Dubnyk kicked a Kadri rebound to an oncoming Ben Smith, and the Maple Leafs cut the deficit to 2-1.
