Takeaways: Wild get NHL-leading fourth shutout by blanking Penguins 5-0

A loss to the Penguins last month was the Wild at their worst.

The rematch showed their best.

Backed by a three-goal first period, the Wild routed Pittsburgh 5-0 Friday night at PPG Paints Arena for their season-high fourth straight win.

“There was definitely some thought of that,” Wild defenseman Brock Faber told reporters in Pittsburgh, “that we definitely owed them a better one than we gave them back at home.”

Matt Boldy scored twice during a three-point effort, while Kirill Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson Ek picked up a goal and assist apiece. Faber had two assists.

Goaltender Filip Gustavsson stopped 19 shots for his second shutout, moving into a four-way tie for the NHL lead alongside teammate Jesper Wallstedt; the Wild’s four shutouts are the most in the league.

“We’re pushing each other to play our best out there,” Gustavsson said, “and we know if we’re not on our best, the other guy is going to play.”

“Our game’s getting better and better, and that’s what matters,” Boldy said. “I think everyone’s going. There’s no passengers right now.”

This was Pittsburgh’s first game since playing last weekend in Sweden, and the Wild capitalized on the Penguins’ rusty return.

Boldy collected a Faber rebound and patiently backhanded it by goalie Arturs Silovs 3 minutes, 57 seconds into the first period to mark the 11th straight game the Wild have opened the scoring.

“We started off the game really well and kind of sucked the life out of them a little bit,” Eriksson Ek said. “Coming back, that first game back, we knew we wanted to go right after them right away, and I think we did a good job of that.”

During the waning seconds of a four-minute power play after Jake Middleton was high-sticked, Eriksson Ek tipped in a Zeev Buium shot at 9:39; the power play finished 1-for-3, while Pittsburgh went 0-for-2.

Then 2:03 later, Marcus Johansson buried a cross-zone pass from Jonas Brodin, giving everyone on his line with Boldy and Eriksson Ek a goal.

“The three of them are all working at the same work rate,” Hynes said, “and they’re at the top of their game right now.”

Despite a cushy lead, the Wild didn’t sit back in the second period.

On Middleton’s first shift back after getting clipped near his left eye, his shot was redirected in by Kaprizov at 1:09.

The Penguins called a timeout and pulled Silovs, who exited with six saves on 10 shots. Sergei Murashov made nine stops in relief, giving up another goal to Boldy, who redirected in a Kaprizov feed with 2:14 left in the second.

“To be able to produce is one thing in this league,” Faber said. “To be able to do it when you’re starting in your D-zone a lot of your shifts [and] you’re going against other teams’ top lines every single night, that’s hard. That’s really hard. To be doing what he’s doing, it’s extremely impressive, but it’s not surprising to anyone in this room.”

Despite playing most of the first period down a defenseman in Middleton, the Wild allowed a season-low three shots. Back in action, though, was veteran Zach Bogosian after he missed 16 games because of an injury blocking a shot.

Gustavsson, who was drafted by Pittsburgh but traded to Ottawa before he debuted in the NHL, faced only nine shots through two periods.

“I was just standing there, enjoying my night,” said Gustavsson, whose 13 career shutouts are fourth in Wild history. “Had a few saves here and there. They blocked the shots and played very solid in front of me.”

Although the Penguins weren’t as sharp as their last game against the Wild, this victory was still a resounding endorsement on the Wild’s progress.

They’re rolling — their 8-1-1 run in November is tops in the NHL — and that they’re doing this without roster regulars is another nod to how much they’ve settled into their style.

Not only are forwards Ryan Hartman, Marco Rossi and Vladimir Tarasenko still on the mend, but Vinnie Hinostroza left early after he was hit along the boards and his left leg got caught behind him.

“He’s going to be out a little bit,” Hynes said. “We’re probably going to send him home from the trip, so we’ll see where he goes from there.”