The Minnesota Wild rolled to a 4-1 regulation win over the Ottawa Senators at Canadian Tire Centre, powered by a dominant first period. Ryan Hartman scored twice, and the Wild built a three-goal lead before the halfway mark, never allowing Ottawa back into the game.
Minnesota struck early when Jonas Brodin opened the scoring at 10:00, and Ryan Hartman doubled the lead at 16:00, making it 2-0 after one. Hartman struck again at 36:00 in the second to push the advantage to 3-0. Jake Middleton made it 4-0 at 53:00 before Drake Batherson got Ottawa on the board at 57:00, but the Senators never threatened the lead.
Ryan Hartman's two-goal night anchored Minnesota's offense, while the Wild's penalty kill was perfect (0-for-0, as Ottawa did not get a power-play opportunity). The Senators managed only one goal on 28 shots, unable to solve Wild goaltending despite a late push.