Parise’s Tiebreaker Sends Wild Past Rangers

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- After failing to protect a lead two nights ago against one of the NHL's worst teams, the Minnesota Wild held on late against a fellow playoff contender.

Zach Parise broke a tie early in the third period, and Darcy Kuemper stopped 29 shots to break the franchise rookie victory record in the Wild's 2-1 win over the New York Rangers on Thursday night.

After Jason Pominville had several whacks at the puck from in close, Parise stuffed it past Rangers backup goalie Cam Talbot 1:03 into the third.

Two nights after Kuemper failed to hold a three-goal lead against Edmonton, he bounced back for his 12th victory.

Nino Niederreiter also scored to help the Wild snap a three-game losing streak.

Derek Stepan scored for the Rangers, who buzzed around the net in the final seconds but couldn't get one past Kuemper. New York lost its second straight and for only the seventh time on the road in its past 24 games.

Kuemper's highlights included a save from close range on Derick Brassard with eight seconds left and a key stop on Rick Nash when the Rangers were on the power play late in the third.

Niederreiter scored from the slot in the first after confusion between Nash and John Moore led to a turnover deep in the New York zone.

Stepan tied it on the power play at 3:19 of the second with a wrist shot that Kuemper never saw. Stepan had hit the post on a shot 15 seconds earlier.

It was the second straight game in which New York was held to a single goal.

Talbot -- starting the first game of a back-to-back in place of Henrik Lundqvist -- made 24 saves.

Both teams are trying to hold on to playoff spots as the season winds down.

The Wild are in the top wild-card slot in the Western Conference, while the Rangers are in a battle to finish among the top three teams in the Metropolitan Division in the East.

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