Wild goalie Alex Stalock hadn't worked a game in almost two weeks and went 17 days in between starts, but the backup didn't appear to show any rust when he returned to the crease Saturday to face the Washington Capitals.

Actually, Stalock was solid — giving the Wild a chance to rally after falling into an early hole that ultimately held up en route to a 3-1 loss that snuffed out the team's season-high four-game winning streak.

"We wanted to push, too, in the third," Stalock said, referencing the energetic effort by the Capitals in the final period, as they outshot the Wild 22-10. "We know how they've been playing lately, how urgency was going to be probably a big word in their locker room. This game showed it tonight. They made big plays, and their goalie played great, too."

So did Stalock, who picked up 40 saves — a season high.

SARAH MCLELLAN