Backstrom Stops 48 Shots And Wild Blank Bruins 2-0

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Matt Cullen and Chad Rau each scored a goal and Niklas Backstrom made a career-high 48 saves for his fourth shutout of the season to lead the Minnesota Wild to a 2-0 win over the Boston Bruins on Sunday.

The Wild won for only the second time in February — their previous victory came Feb. 2 at Colorado. Minnesota went winless in its next seven games, scoring only nine goals during that span.

Tim Thomas made 27 saves for the Bruins, who have lost six of 10.

Earlier in the day, Rau was called up from Minnesota's AHL affiliate in Houston to fill in for Warren Peters, who received a one-game suspension for cross-checking David Backes in St. Louis on Saturday night.

The Twin Cities native responded by scoring his second goal of the season to put the Wild up 1-0 in the second period on a wrist shot from the left circle.

Cullen, another Minnesota native, added a power-play score five minutes later for his first goal since Jan. 10.

It was Minnesota's first two-goal lead since Jan. 31 it they led Nashville 3-0 before losing 5-4. This time, though, the Wild held on thanks to some brilliant saves by Backstrom.

Minnesota doubled its shot total from the previous night against St. Louis — a season-low 13 — by the end of the second period and finished with 29.

The Bruins have lost consecutive road games for the first time this season. The defending Stanley Cup champions are 1-10-1 in 12 games against the Wild.

Notes: Cullen hadn't scored a power-play goal since Nov. 15. ... The game marked the only meeting between the two teams this season, and Boston's first visit to Minnesota since 2009. ... The Bruins have never scored a power-play goal against the Wild. They went 0 for 1 on Sunday. ... Minnesota placed D Mike Lundin on injured reserve with a lower-body injury before the game. ... Wild captain Mikko Koivu missed his second straight game with an undisclosed injury. ... Sunday was billed as "Hockey Day in America." Rau scored his previous goal on Jan. 21, which was billed "Hockey Day in Minnesota."

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