RALEIGH, N.C. – In January, Minnesota Wild fans are pining for the return of players like Kirill Kaprizov, Jake Middleton and Jared Spurgeon from injury as the team plays without three important veterans.

In December, Wild fans were pining for the return of Mats Zuccarello and Joel Eriksson Ek from injury, and now one can understand why. On Saturday night in Carolina, Zuccarello scored twice and set up Eriksson Ek for another goal as the Wild swept their two-game road swing, beating the Hurricanes 4-0.

Filip Gustavsson had 20 saves for this third shutout of the season as the Wild improved to a NHL-best 15-3-3 on the road. Marco Rossi set up all four Minnesota goals, including a clinching breakaway tally by Matt Boldy midway through the third period for a career-best four-point night. After a four-game mini-slump before Christmas, Minnesota heads back home having won five of their last six.

Facing a Carolina team known for shooting from anywhere and everywhere at any time, the Wild refused to be intimidated and instead played perhaps their most dominating 15 minutes of hockey this season to begin the game.

And that stretch included four minutes where they were killing a double-minor penalty when Eriksson Ek was called for a high stick just 92 seconds into the game. Over the next four minutes, the Wild iced the puck repeatedly and allowed just one Hurricanes shot on goal before Eriksson Ek was released.

The visitors finally broke through when Zuccarello leaned into one from the top of the right circle and blasted a shot past Carolina goalie Pyotr Kochetkov, after a cross-ice set-up pass from Rossi.

In the second period, the Wild got back-to-back power plays and doubled their lead when Zuccarello played set-up man, firing a long-range shot that Eriksson Ek redirected past the Canes’ goalie. For Eriksson Ek, who missed significant time in December with a lower body injury, it was his first goal since Nov. 1.

Carolina looked as if puck luck had gotten them on the board when Gustavsson stopped a long-range shot only to have the rebound hit Wild defenseman Declan Chisholm in the back and land in the net. But the home fans’ cheers turned to boos when Minnesota successfully challenged the play for offside.

Replays revealed that former Eden Prairie standout Jackson Blake was at the bench on a line change but still had both skates on the ice when the puck crossed the blue line, and the referee declared no goal. The Wild are now a perfect 5 for 5 on challenges this season.

Since returning from a month-long absence due to injury on Dec. 14, Zuccarello now has 10 points in the 11 games he has played.

Ben Jones redirected a Jon Merrill shot past the Carolina goalie with 7:02 left in regulation, but the Hurricanes successfully challenged the play for goalie interference and Jones’ first career goal came off the board. Zuccarello hit the empty net, set up by Rossi, for the final dagger.

Kochetkov had 24 saves for Carolina, which lost at home for the first time since Dec. 13.

The Wild return to Minnesota for their next two games, hosting St. Louis on Tuesday and Colorado on Thursday.

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