ST. PAUL, Minn. — The first period finally wasn’t the Minnesota Wild’s problem … but the second was.

After getting off to their best start in three games, the Wild gave up three goals the next period before their rally fell short 4-2 to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Sunday for another head-scratching loss to one of the Eastern Conference’s worst teams.

Toronto scored twice in 72 seconds during its second-period takeover led by Bo Groulx, who had two goals after just recently getting promoted from the minors as the Maple Leafs evaluate their pipeline from outside the playoff picture.

The Wild had their own tear, with Vladimir Tarasenko capitalizing twice in 23 seconds on the same third-period shift for the fastest two goals by a single player on home ice in team history during a dominating third period by the Wild, but former Gopher Matthew Knies’ empty-netter halted the comeback.

Toronto’s Anthony Stolarz turned aside 36 shots, while Wild rookie Jesper Wallstedt made 22 saves.

The Wild are on their first three-game winless streak since another 0-2-1 blip Jan. 10-15, also in St. Paul.

Jeff Petry, whom the Wild acquired in a trade with Florida on March 5, made his team debut, subbing in on defense for Zach Bogosian.

How it happened

A bad first period cost the Wild in their losses to Philadelphia on Thursday (3-2 in a shootout) and the New York Rangers Saturday (4-2), prompting Wild coach John Hynes to declare, “It’s on me,” and that the Wild might need to change their routines — like their light practice schedule — because “their preparation as individual players isn’t where it needs to be.”

The Wild not giving up a goal in the first period was a step in the right direction, and Wallstedt had the best save, a windmill glove stop on Calle Jarnkrok. But their quality looks at the other end didn’t lead to offense: Kirill Kaprizov passed off a shot to Mats Zuccarello, who whiffed on the attempt.

Kaprizov had another look go wide and was denied in tight late in the period.

Turning point

Not cashing in on any of their 10 first-period shots hurt the Wild in the second period, because the Maple Leafs finally hit the net.

Morgan Rielly was left all alone to walk in for a wrister just 1:07 into the period.

Then 1:12 later, Groulx tipped in a Troy Stecher point shot.

Groulx, who came into the game with only one goal in his three games since his call-up, doubled his goal total at 8:18 when Matt Boldy’s clear ended up on Groulx’s stick, and he skated up the middle before hurling a shot through traffic and behind Wallstedt.

Hynes juggled the Wild’s forward lines in the third period, and that suited Tarasenko.

He redirected in a Zuccarello pass at 4:51 before Tarasenko shot past a Rielly screen in front of Stolarz; the two goals lifted Tarasenko to 700 career points, and only Pierre-Marc Bouchard has scored two quicker goals in Wild history (16 seconds on Feb. 10, 2006, at Edmonton).

Zuccarello and Ryan Hartman assisted on both of Tarasenko’s goals.

Soon after, Stolarz made his best stop of the night, getting a piece of a Zuccarello shot with his right pad to preserve the Maple Leafs’ lead.

That lead was later tested on the Wild’s second power play, but they were unable to convert; Toronto’s power play went 0 for 1.

Stolarz also made another clutch save against Zuccarello later in the third and although the Wild poured on the pressure — outshooting the Maple Leafs 17-5 in the third — they never caught up, and Knies threw the puck into the empty net with 37 seconds to go.

Up next

The Wild play two in a row against the Blackhawks, starting Tuesday in Chicago.

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