Wild beat Flyers 4-2 after referee deflection leads to game-winning goal

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Matt Boldy had a goal and an assist, and Joel Eriksson Ek scored what proved to be the winner after a Flyers clearing attempt hit a referee as the Minnesota Wild beat the Philadelphia Flyers 4-2 on Tuesday night.

The Wild scored two goals in 31 seconds in the first period. Boldy took a pass from Quinn Hughes and snapped it from the high slot past Flyers goalie Dan Vladar to open the scoring.

On the next shift, a pass from Blake Coleman hit off Porter Martone’s skate and caromed right to Michael McCarron, who wristed it past Vladar to make it 2-0.

The Flyers were unhappy with referee Kyle Rehman on the opening shift of the second period. A clearing pass from Jamie Drysdale hit Rehman and created a 2-on-1 for Minnesota. Boldy fed a pass to Erikisson-Ek for a wrister that beat Vladar to extend the lead to 3-0.

Philadelphia’s Trevor Zegras shouted at Rehman and was immediately assessed a 10-minute misconduct.

Jesper Wallstedt made 23 saves for the Wild, who extended their point streak to six games (5-0-1) and have won five straight on the road.

Philadelphia closed to within 3-2 on a goal by Tyson Foerster and a power-play goal by Denver Barkey, but the Wild iced the game when Danila Yurov scored an empty-net goal.

The line of Kirill Kaprizov, Eriksson Ek, and Boldy have now gone 17 games to start the season without being on the ice for a goal against.

Up next

Wild: Returns home to host San Jose on Friday.

Flyers: Begin a five-game road trip in New York against the Rangers on Thursday.

___

See AP’s full NHL coverage here