The Minnesota Wild have scored just seven goals in their last five games, but the one they got tonight from Justin Fontaine was good enough, with Jason Pominville adding an empty-netter in a 2-0 win from the X.
Josh Harding, who is second in the NHL in goals against and has played all but a period and a half since Niklas Backstrom’s leg injury two weeks ago, stopped 16 Nashville shots to notch his first shutout of the season.
Two Tuesdays ago these two teams met in Nashville, with Backstrom giving up two goals before departing with a leg injury he has not returned from. Backstrom also left Harding to face a penalty shot, which was the only goal he allowed that night. Since taking over for Backstrom, Harding’s goals against sits below one.
Needless to say, the job could be Harding’s to lose at this point.
Fontaine cleaned up a rebound in front of Pekka Rinne in the second, assists to Clayton Stoner and Zach Parise, while Pominville’s empty-net goal came with 24 seconds left after a mad scramble at the Minnesota end that kept Nashville from finding the back of the net (below).
The game-winner for Fontaine was the second goal of his young career.
There was a rough piece of news early, with second-year defenseman Jonas Brodin taking a puck to the face (below) in the first period. He was unable to return.
Marco Scandella took a shot to the leg off of Shea Weber’s stick in the second period and left without being able to put pressure on the leg. He would return later in the game.
Minnesota returns to action Thursday in St. Paul against the Carolina Hurricanes at 7 p.m.
