MINNEAPOLIS _ The Wild didn't just avoid skidding into the holiday break in a slump.
It rebounded from an ugly 6-0 loss to the Jets with one of its cleanest efforts of the season, a 3-0 dismissal of the Flames Monday at Xcel Energy Center that lifted the Wild (18-15-5) to just two points shy of the playoff pace in the Western Conference.
In the process, the team improved to 10-2-3 at home and 12-4-4 in its last 20 overall.
Goalie Devan Dubnyk was air-tight, making 22 saves for his first shutout of the season to help a pair of second-period goals stand up as the difference offensively before center Eric Staal deposited the puck into an empty net with 2 minutes, 43 seconds to go.
The Wild was in control early, skating around Calgary throughout the first period, but goalie Cam Talbot was unbeatable � turning aside all 10 shots he faced.
That changed in the second, when center Joel Eriksson Ek (in his first game back after missing four with an upper-body injury) scored on a one-timer set up by winger Kevin Fiala at 4:51.
A similar, strong forechecking play was also behind the Wild's second goal, with winger Luke Kunin burying a wrap-around feed by winger Jordan Greenway at 9:49 � this after Kunin was denied twice in the first period from in-tight range. He now has two goals in his last three games.
Center Nico Sturm also earned an assist on the sequence, his second career point.
Special-teams play wasn't much of a factor for either team; Calgary had the game's lone power play.
Talbot finished with 25 saves before David Rittich had six in relief.
The Flames did get one puck by Dubnyk, late in the third, but the goal was overturned once video review determined Derek Ryan kicked the puck into the net.
Since returning two games ago after missing more than a month while his wife dealt with a serious medical situation, Dubnyk has stopped 60 of 65 shots..
