Postgame: Two power-play goals, zero penalties recipe for Wild win in Toronto

Update: John Torchetti said Jason Zucker will return Saturday against the Sabres for the first time since sustaining a concussion Feb. 21. Two of Justin Fontaine, Ryan Carter and Chris Porter likely wouldn't play. Torchetti didn't say which ones.

As I predicted on the pregame blog, tonight wasn't going to be easy for the Wild.

All you had to do was watch the 2-1 and 3-2 wins by the Lightning and Capitals against the young, hungry Leafs to know this would be a grind tonight. The Leafs arguably outplayed both Tampa Bay and Washington, so you knew tonight would be tight.

It was.

On the same sheet of ice they'll represent Finland in the World Cup in six months, countrymen Mikko Koivu and Mikael Granlund scored power-play goals and Devan Dubnyk made 21 saves for the Wild's third win in a row.

After losing consecutive road games last week despite being tied in the third period, the Wild capped off tonight's rally with a tie-breaking, third-period goal by Granlund. It came after a cross-slot pass from Thomas Vanek, and coach John Torchetti reminded that it was the exact same setup that Granlund couldn't finish last week in Philly.

This one he went way upstairs and buried his first power-play goal in 65 games this season. Granlund also blocked Jake Gardiner's shot in the final minute flurry to help complete the win.

The Wild has a power-play goal in 15 of the last 19 games and has scored a power-play goal in a franchise-record 11 straight road games, the longest such streak in the NHL since 2013.

"It's been a huge key for us the games we have won, especially on the road," Granlund said. "Right now confidence on the PP is up."

The Wild didn't take a penalty for the seventh time in franchise history and didn't give up a power play against for the 14th time in franchise history and third this season.

The Leafs were furious with Leo Komarov's interference penalty on Charlie Coyle that led to Granlund's winner. Coach Mike Babcock got a bench minor for screaming at referee Francis Charron immediately after the goal. He then said after the game the Leafs were "ripped off," which is the type of comment that usually earns a fine in a league that often gives coaches pretty good latitude to sound off when frustrated.

If you've seen how badly the Wild's penalty kill has performed of late, the discipline was huge tonight.

"I said we're going to have to try to win a game 1-0 or 2-1 some nights. Just stay in it, don't try to do the extra play or try and cheat on a forecheck.

"Good road win. I like the way we stuck to our gameplan. We didn't try to get outside of it and force plays. It's a 1-1 game. Just play within it."

In the last eight games, the Wild has been shorthanded 15 times. That's 1.87 times a game. So the discipline is there. The killing part hasn't been.

"We're going to have to start killing penalties at some point," goalie Devan Dubnyk joked.

What else?

I thought Jonas Brodin didn't miss a beat. First game in the last 14, and he logged nearly 20 minutes.

Not a pretty win, but a win's a win. Now on to Buffalo, where the Sabres trounced Calgary tonight and frankly set the Wild's second half freefall into motion. The Wild won 7-zip there last season in Dubnyk's debut.