The Minnesota Wild's 10-game road losing streak hit 11 on Thursday night with a 4-1 beating in Toronto against the similarly struggling Maple Leafs. Toronto, whose three-game losing streak was snapped with the win, scored the first four goals before giving up a meaningless goal late in the third period.
Nazem Kadri got the scoring started for the Leafs early, just 50 seconds into the opening period on a backhander assisted on by Joffrey Lupul. Joey Crabb added to the lead less than five minutes later with his eighth goal of the season. Toronto took a 2-0 lead into the second period despite being outshot 9-8 in the first.
Toronto then went up 3-0 on a second period power play goal and put the game completely out of reach 47 seconds into the third on Mikhail Grabovski's 15th goal of the season.
Down 4-0, Minnesota scored near the 18-minute mark of the third to spoil Jonas Gustavsson's bid for a third shutout this season.
Minnesota has dipped a point below second place Colorado in the Northwest and will look to snap their current four-game losing streak at home on Saturday against the Dallas Stars.
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