ST. PAUL, Minn. _ If the near-perfect relief effort he pitched Tuesday or the late-game poise he demonstrated two days earlier in San Jose wasn't enough evidence that backup Alex Stalock could handle the goaltending duties for the Wild while No.1 Devan Dubnyk healed up, he provided another example at the outset of his newfound opportunity.
Stalock racked up 28 saves for his first shutout of the season, blanking the Maple Leafs, 2-0, Thursday in front of 18,857 to help the Wild push their win streak to four games _ which ties their season-high. The team also continued its prowess on home ice, as it improved to 7-0-1 in its last eight games at Xcel Energy Center.
The Maple Leafs weren't at full strength, as second-year phenom Auston Matthews sat out a third consecutive game with an upper-body injury. But already at the 20-win plateau, the Leafs still presented a challenge.
And Stalock frustrated them, particularly early as the Wild discovered their groove, and he accomplished this by sticking with the strategy that's guided him throughout this season as the team's understudy.
He was mobile, challenged shooters and made timely saves that seemed to galvanize the Wild rather than fuel the Maple Leafs.
That was also the case Tuesday when Stalock closed out a 2-1 shootout win over the Flames and helped the Wild outlast the Sharks 4-3 in overtime Sunday.
Overall, it didn't look like the spotlight intimidated him, further proof he seems more than equipped to backstop the Wild while Dubnyk is sidelined week-to-week with a minor knee injury, a source said.
What also likely helped was the play in front of him, as the Wild no longer looked like a weary bunch trying to recalibrate after a long road trip.
The team had pace, a physical edge and bursts of scoring chances.
All three combined for its lone goal.
Winger Chris Stewart chased the puck into the Toronto zone, forcing a drop pass before finishing his check. The Maple Leafs ended up turning the puck over, and defenseman Ryan Suter fed winger Tyler Ennis for a wrap-around that he sent by goalie Frederik Andersen's glove 18 minutes, 6 seconds into the first period. Andersen totaled 24 saves.
Ennis was the latest success story to emerge from the rotation coach Bruce Boudreau has employed among his forward group, as Ennis scored _ his second goal in his last four games _ in his return to the lineup after being scratched Tuesday. He joins Stewart and center Matt Cullen as players who took a seat and then chipped in during an ensuing game, with Cullen capitalizing in regulation against the Flames and Stewart adding a shootout goal.
The Wild were also attentive in their own end by clogging up shooting lanes and minimizing the quality of Toronto's looks, as the team blocked 21 shots. The Maple Leafs had another 21 attempts miss the net entirely.
Both teams had a chance on the power play in the second period, but neither converted. The Wild finished the game 0 for 1, while the Maple Leafs went 0 for 4.
In the third, the Maple Leafs had their best push _ outshooting the Wild 8-0 at one point. But Stalock weathered the pressure en route to making 16 third-period stops, and the Wild rewarded him with a much-needed insurance goal 8:06 into the period when winger Mikael Granlund one-timed an Eric Staal pass from the slot.
