Wild thrashes Capitals 5-1 to continue recent hot streak

WASHINGTON – Jordan Greenway, Joel Eriksson Ek and Marcus Foligno usually defend the other team's most offensive players as the Wild's top shutdown line.

But they could also merit that matchup from the opposition because of their scoring skills.

A night after Kirill Kaprizov and his linemates led the way while he became the Wild's new franchise leader for points in a season, Greenway, Eriksson Ek and Foligno accepted the baton in a 5-1 drubbing of the Capitals on Sunday in front of 18,573 at Capital One Arena in which they combined for eight points.

"We got great contributions from guys [Saturday] night, but for our line to show up tonight was big," Foligno said. "That's what's been good about our team: Each line has brought something to every victory this year. It's been huge."

Not only did the performance help the Wild win for the ninth time during a 10-game point streak that is tied for its longest of the season, but the team widened its lead for second place in the Central Division to five points ahead of key matchups against rivals Nashville (Tuesday) and No. 3 St. Louis (Thursday).

Foligno had a goal and assist, which set a new career high at 16, while Greenway and Eriksson Ek totaled three points apiece. Eriksson Ek's first of two goals was part of an early blitz by the Wild. The team is now 25-7-4 when that line plays.

"They can do it all," said goaltender Cam Talbot, who picked up 25 saves while improving to 9-0-1 over his past 10 starts. "That's why they've been driving our team."

The line was the first to take the ice for the Wild, and that led to the team stumping Washington on its first shot before converting twice in 1 minute, 1 second.

Greenway tipped an Alex Goligoski outlet pass up ice for an Eriksson Ek breakaway at 36 and two shifts later on the very next shot, Tyson Jost polished off a 2-on-1 for his first goal with the Wild since a trade last month from the Avalanche.

These counted as the second-fastest pair of goals from the start of a game (1:37) in Wild history, behind only the two from Kyle Brodziak and Andrew Brunette on Feb. 3, 2011 (1:01).

Jost's goal was his second point in as many games and the 79th the Wild has recorded in the first period this season, a franchise record.

"We knew we wanted to come out, get the momentum early, and obviously a goal like that's huge," said Greenway, whose three assists were a career high and whose three points tied his personal best.

The Capitals increased the pressure as the period progressed, but Talbot was airtight.

Same in the second, with Washington testing him only six times.

"We got pucks out of dangerous areas and off of key players' sticks," coach Dean Evason said.

At 13:07, Eriksson Ek caught a piece of a Greenway rebound for his 21st goal that established a career high after he racked up 19 last season. Overall, his three points matched a career high.

Then 30 seconds into the third period, Foligno wired in a Greenway pass to snap an 11-game goalless drought.

Foligno became the Wild's sixth 20-goal scorer, which eclipsed the previous franchise record of five set in 2006-07. The Wild is only the third team in the NHL with six or more 20-goal scorers.

"It makes the whole team harder to defend," Eriksson Ek said.

Like Marc-Andre Fleury on Saturday in the 3-1 win at Carolina, Talbot didn't have his shutout bid extinguished until late.

With 9:32 to go, Garnet Hathaway tipped in an Alex Ovechkin shot during a delayed Wild penalty before the Wild's Nic Deslauriers dumped the puck into an empty net at 17:15.

The Capitals went 0-for-1 on the power play and the Wild 0-for-3. Washington goalie Vitek Vanecek made 14 saves, with the five goals on 19 total shots another example of how precise the Wild has skated during a surge that's been sparked by different catalysts – just as in this weekend sweep.

"Smart puck management [and] a lot of good decision-making has been put into these wins, and it shows," Foligno said. "Each line has contributed, which has been nice."